Perceptual learning of liquids

Previous research on lexically-guided perceptual learning has focussed on contrasts that differ primarily in local cues, such as plosive and fricative contrasts. The present research had two aims: to investigate whether perceptual learning occurs for a contrast with non-local cues, the /l/-/r/ contrast, and to establish whether STRAIGHT can be used to create ambiguous sounds on an /l/-/r/ continuum. Listening experiments showed lexically-guided learning about the /l/-/r/ contrast. Listeners can thus tune in to unusual speech sounds characterised by non-local cues. Moreover, STRAIGHT can be used to create stimuli for perceptual learning experiments, opening up new research possibilities. Index Terms: perceptual learning, morphing, liquids, human word recognition, STRAIGHT.The research by Odette Scharenborg was partly sponsored by the Max Planck International Research Network on Aging. We thank Denise Moerel, Laurence Bruggeman, Lies Cuijpers, Michael Wiechers, Willemijn van den Berg, and Zhou Fang for assistance in preparing and running these experiments and Marijt Witteman for recording the stimuli.peer-reviewe