Work

Processing multi-talker speech in a tone language: Dumplings interfere with sleep at a cocktail party

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: How the dual function of fundamental frequency (F0)-talker separation and word distinction-affects Mandarin word recognition in a cocktail party scenario is investigated. A robust benefit of talker F0 separation is observed: Target recognition was more accurate with different-sex talkers (85%) than same-sex talkers (48%). The effect of word-F0 was modulated by lexical status: Real-word tonal minimal pairs lowered accuracy relative to the baseline (average 4% decrease), whereas nonword tonal minimal pairs did not compromise performance. Thus, tone language listeners leverage talker-F0 differences just as non-tone language listeners do, but the advantage is constrained by the lexical role of F0.

Source: JASA Express Letters

DOI: 10.1121/10.0042461

Authors: Xianhui Wang, Chao-Yang Lee, Yu Zhang, Seth Wiener

Institutions: San Diego State University, Ohio University, Oklahoma State University, Carnegie Mellon University

Language: English

Topic: Phonetics and Phonology Research

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W7128475477

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Cites: 28

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