Auditory–visual speech integration by prelinguistic infants: Perception of an emergent consonant in the McGurk effect

  1. Denis Burnham1,*,
  2. Barbara Dodd2

Article first published online: 17 NOV 2004

DOI: 10.1002/dev.20032

Issue

Developmental Psychobiology

Developmental Psychobiology

Volume 45, Issue 4, pages 204–220, December 2004

Additional Information

How to Cite

Burnham, D. and Dodd, B. (2004), Auditory–visual speech integration by prelinguistic infants: Perception of an emergent consonant in the McGurk effect. Dev. Psychobiol., 45: 204–220. doi: 10.1002/dev.20032

Author Information

  1. 1

    MARCS Auditory Laboratories, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 1797, Australia

  2. 2

    Perinatal Research Centre, Womens Hospital, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia

*MARCS Auditory Laboratories, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 1797, Australia.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 17 NOV 2004
  2. Article first published online: 17 NOV 2004
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 31 JUL 2004
  4. Manuscript Received: 22 DEC 2003

Funded by

  • Australian Research Council. Grant Numbers: A28515171, AC9231201, DP0211947

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Keywords:

  • infant speech perception;
  • auditory–visual speech perception;
  • McGurk effect;
  • auditory–visual integration;
  • infant development;
  • language acquisition

Abstract

The McGurk effect, in which auditory [ba] dubbed onto [ga] lip movements is perceived as “da” or “tha,” was employed in a real-time task to investigate auditory–visual speech perception in prelingual infants. Experiments 1A and 1B established the validity of real-time dubbing for producing the effect. In Experiment 2, 4½-month-olds were tested in a habituation-test paradigm, in which an auditory–visual stimulus was presented contingent upon visual fixation of a live face. The experimental group was habituated to a McGurk stimulus (auditory [ba] visual [ga]), and the control group to matching auditory–visual [ba]. Each group was then presented with three auditory-only test trials, [ba], [da], and [δa] (as in then). Visual-fixation durations in test trials showed that the experimental group treated the emergent percept in the McGurk effect, [da] or [δa], as familiar (even though they had not heard these sounds previously) and [ba] as novel. For control group infants [da] and [δa] were no more familiar than [ba]. These results are consistent with infants' perception of the McGurk effect, and support the conclusion that prelinguistic infants integrate auditory and visual speech information. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 45: 204–220, 2004.

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