Perceptual asymmetry in lexical tone perception

Abstract

Directional asymmetries have been documented in both infant and adult perception of lexical tones. For example, Tsao (2008) found that a stimulus change from the background mandarin T1 (55) to the target Mandarin T3 (213) was easier than the reverse among one-year-old Mandarin learning infants. Yeung et al. (2013) reported that 4- and 9-month-old Mandaring learning infants are better at Cantonese tone discrimination after being familiarized with T2 (25) than with T3 (33). Francis and Ciocca (2003) found that native Cantonese speakers’ tone discrimination was better when the first syllable was higher in frequency (about 4 Hz) than the second syllable. Finally, in an ERP study, Politzer-Ahles et al. (2016) found that Mismatch Negativity (MMN) was attenuated among both native and non-native Mandarin listeners when Mandarin T3 was the standard and another deviant in comparison to the reverse. In this talk, we will report results from two studies examining the effects of memory load and first language on perceptual asymmetry patterns in adult lexical tone perception among native English, Mandarin, and Cantonese speakers. Application of theoretical models including the perceptual magnet effects and perceptual assimilation will be discussed.