Project C03

C03: Effects of variable input on word learning and word recognition in infants

PI(s): Höhle, Barbara, Prof. Dr. / Gafos, Adamantios, Prof. Dr.

Spoken language does not provide a one-to-one relation between properties of the acoustic signal and abstract symbolic representations. This raises the question of how infants can detect the lexically relevant phonetic dimensions in their speech input. This project evaluates the hypothesis that acoustic variability is essential for the establishment of stability in phonemic categories during language development. We will pursue this hypothesis by considering the effects of different types of variability on word learning and speech perception, taking into account data-driven learning mechanisms that support the lexical development in the individual.