In the present study, we report on a series of coding schemes to classify errors in open-set recognition of speech and environmental sounds from previous perceptual learning experiments with cochlear implant simulations (Loebach and Pisoni, 2007; in press). Open-set responses to MRT and PB words were coded for place of articulation, manner of articulation and voicing errors in the identificatio...

In this study, a new algorithm for automatic accent evaluation of native and non-native speakers is presented. The proposed system consists of two main steps: alignment and scoring. At the alignment step, the speech utterance is processed using a Weighted Finite State Transducer (WFST) based technique to automatically estimate the pronunciation errors. Subsequently, in the scoring step a Maximu...

The provisioning of an appropriate level of perceptual speech quality is crucial for the successful deployment of Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP). Today’s heterogeneous multimedia networks include links that introduce bit errors into the voice data stream. These errors are detected by the IP packet transport protocol and result in packet losses which eventually degrade the speech qualit...

A recent study finds that separate populations of neurons in inferotemporal cortex code for perceptual predictions and prediction errors, supporting predictive coding theories of perception.

According to a limited-resource account of feature-based attention, dividing feature-based attention by selecting targets on the basis of different features dilutes its power. Multiple-feature costs have been documented previously, but it is not clear whether the multiple-feature cost arose at the selection (segregating targets from non-targets) stage predicted by the limited-resource account. ...

Ecological traps arise when animals choose to settle in poor-quality habitats, leading to a reduction in their survival or productivity. Although this phenomenon has received comprehensive theoretical treatment in the recent literature, the corollary of the ecological trap (when animals choose to avoid good-quality habitats) is rarely discussed. Failure to recognize high-quality sites could inf...

INTRODUCTION Our ability of detecting or identifying stimuli is limited and we are susceptible to different kinds of illusions or ‘mistakes’. Perceptual limits are often investigated by using rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) experiments. In a typical RSVP experiment stimuli are sequentially presented at a rate of 6 to 20 items per second and observers are asked to detect or identify a ta...

Safety critical number-entry tasks, such as programming syringe pumps, are common occurrences in healthcare settings. However, humans are prone to error and healthcare staff must often work in distracting and high stress environments. Previous work has developed a potential intervention that could reduce errors using a phenomenon called the Perceptual Interference Effect (PIE). In this paper, t...

It is well-known that human listeners significantly outperform machines when it comes to transcribing speech. This paper presents a progress report of the joint research in the automatic vs human speech transcription and of the perceptual experiments developed at LIMSI that aims to increase our understanding of automatic speech recognition errors. Two paradigms are described here in which human...