The effects of talker variability across CV and VC environments

A consonantal speeded classification task was used to assess the effects of talker variability across CV and VC environments. In addition, conditions were blocked by syllable type (CV or VC) or consisted of mixed sets of CV and VC syllables. Talker variability was manipulated by presenting stimuli spoken by a single talker or by many talkers. The results showed that the magnitude of the effect of talker variability was approximately the same when comparing performance across talker contexts for CV’s and VC’s. In addition, the talker variability effect was stronger under conditions where syllables were blocked. The results provide further information about the underlying mechanisms involved in processing perceptual variation in the speech signal.