Phonetics and the auditory system

This chapter describes numerous ways in which the auditory system transforms the incoming acoustic signal in ways that affect the processing of phonetic information. As opposed to common linear sound representations such as waveforms, spectra, and spectrograms, the auditory system is highly nonlinear, regularly exhibiting interactions between different domains such as frequency, timing, and intensity. Frequency, pitch, loudness, and change detection are given specific emphasis, along with considerations for how stimulus attributes might be reconsidered through the lens of auditory processing. Basic introductions are given to auditory adaptation, decomposition of a sound by auditory filters, and the special role of context in auditory perception. Phonetic cues are mapped to their basic auditory equivalents, with commentary on potential misinterpretations. Perceptual weighting of acoustic cues is discussed, with consideration of task type (discrimination and categorization) and the role of hearing loss. Altogether, basic principles of the auditory system situate the perception and processing of speech so that they may be understood within a biological framework. Deeper understandings of these principles can affect the design and interpretation of experiments aimed at understanding the acoustic cues used for phonetic perception, and also bridge phonetic science with the study of sensory perception more generally.