Reaction time for correct identification of vowels in consonant-vowel syllables and of vowel segments

Abstract

Reaction times for correct vowel identification were measured to determine the effects of intertrial intervals, vowel, and cue type. Thirteen adults with normal hearing, aged 20–38 years old, participated. Stimuli included three naturally produced syllables (/ba/ /bi/ /bu/) presented whole or segmented to isolate the formant transition or static formant center. Participants identified the vowel presented via loudspeaker by mouse click. Results showed a significant effect of intertrial intervals, no significant effect of cue type, and a significant vowel effect—suggesting that feedback occurs, vowel identification may depend on cue duration, and vowel bias may stem from focal structure.