Browsing by Subject "yhdyssana"

The aim of the study was to determine, which of the prosodic parameters (duration, pitch, intensity) influence whether a pair of words is perceived as a compound or a phrase. I also investigated how three different focus conditions (sentence stress) interact with the perception. The conditions were broad focus, narrow focus on the first noun and narrow focus of the second noun. Three speakers were recorded. They read sentences in which three different focus conditions were produced. The method used was two-alternative forced choise (2AFC), in which the participants answered, whether they had heard a compound or a phrase. A generalized linear mixed-effects model was used in which participants' answers were compared to correct answers. The acoustical measurements were also taken into account. The study revealed that the intensity changes between two words affected the decision. Also the changes in the pitch between two words had an effect on the decision. These findings were statistically significant. The narrow focus on the first noun was partly produced by changing the duration difference between the vowels. The statistical model also revealed that the pair of the words one of the speakers produced was perceived differently compared to the sentences of two other speakers; revealing that the individuals may have different strategies for producing prosodic phenomena.