Imitation of /s/ duration in VCV's

V1CV2 syllables were created by editing naturally produced segments: V1 was always a 412-ms /a/; V2 was a 300-ms /ε/, a 315-ms /i/, or a 390-ms /u/; C was an (unfounded) steady-state /s/ segment with one of seven durations, from 116 to 416 ms, in 50-ms steps. All V2 and /s/-duration combinations were presented six times, randomly, to subjects who were instructed to listen carefully to each stimulus and then to imitate it, taking care to produce the same segment durations, vowel qualities, etc., as in the stimulus. Acoustic segments' durations in the responses were measured using oscillographic displays. EMG activity for the obicularis oris were also obtained to address the question of when (in time) coarticulatory activity began relative to acoustic onset of /u/. Subjects were remarkably sensitive to stimulus variation but showed some tendency to undershoot target durations. EMG onset varied with subjects and /s/ duration, suggesting variation in response strategies as a function of these variables. Results will be discussed in terms of their implications for the interrelation of perceptual and productive mechanisms. [Work supported in part by NIH BRSG RRO7196-03 and The Kresge Foundation.]