[b] [p] ____________________________________ _________________ Point of release

_____________________________________________________ Point of release +5 VOT+15 VOT [b]

_____________________________________________________ Point of release +15 VOT+25 VOT [b]

_____________________________________________________ Point of release +25 VOT+35 VOT [b][p]

_____________________________________________________ Point of release +35 VOT+45 VOT [p]

Is this learned or Innate? Big debate in the 1960s and 1970s: –Lieberman et.al. (1961) argued that this is based purely on experience and is learned (compatible with the Cognitive Approach) –Eimas et. al. (1971) argued that this is a biological phenomenon and has nothing to do with experience (compatible with Nativism).

High Amplitude Sucking Technique Children like to suck… When they get excited, they suck quicker… When they detect a change in their environment, they get excited… Once they get used to that change, they get bored… When they get bored, their sucking rate drops back to normal.

High Amplitude Sucking Technique This can be used to test infants perceptive abilities of sounds

Suck Rate (Silence)(switch on Amp) [ba]ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba ba ba ba

Suck Rate ba ba [pa]pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa pa pa pa

Suck Rate +15ms +15ms +15ms+25ms+25ms +25ms +25ms +25ms

Suck Rate +25ms +25ms +25ms[+35]

Spanish Children Contrast between voiced and voiceless for Spanish is not +30ms, but +20 ms So… What do Spanish children do?

Guatemalan Children Tested in the same way… Initially adhere to the English setting – 30ms So what gives? Are Spanish kids somehow at a disadvantage?

What does it mean? Initially taken as evidence for Nativism: -The 30ms boundary is an innate part of our linguistic endowment.  BUT…

Kuhl & Miller, 1976 Found that Chinchilla’s also have a +30ms boundary…

So what does it mean?  Be careful with your logic