LISTENER PREFERENCE IS FOR REDUCED DETERMINERS THAT ANTICIPATE THE FOLLOWING NOUN.

Abstract

This study examines the effects of determiner reduction and coarticulation on the perceived naturalness of resynthesized shock-the-geek (V-the-N) sequences. The determiner, equally spaced between monosyllabic V and N, was manipulated in 3 experiments along a 7-step continuum: (1) duration varied from 0.25x the original duration to 4x this duration; (2) amplitude varied from 55 dB to 85 dB; (3) schwa formants varied from completely overlapped with the vowel in V to completely overlapped with the vowel in N. Listeners rated V-the-N sequences with reduced duration and intensity and more anticipatory coarticulation more favourably than sequences with increased duration and intensity and more preservatory coarticulation. These results are consistent with a listener preference for the production of supralexical chunks that adhere to morphosyntactic rather than metrical structure.