Dynamic shifts in the use of acoustic cues during talker identification: The role of language familiarity.

Abstract

This study examines the extent to which Mandarin-speaking listeners rely on low-level acoustic information when identifying new talkers speaking Mandarin-accented English (MAE), native Mandarin (NM), and native English (NE). Identification accuracy was highest for NM, intermediate for MAE, and lowest for NE, replicating language/accent familiarity effects. Representational similarity analysis comparing listeners' behavioral responses with talkers' low-level acoustic features (e.g., F0, jitter) revealed less reliance on these acoustic cues in more familiar contexts (e.g., NM vs NE). In MAE context, acoustic reliance decreased with training despite improved accuracy, suggesting a shift away from talker identification strategies based on low-level acoustic processing.