Question

(LAN) During a phonemic restoration effect study Jack is given several sentences to listen to. In two trials either a cough or silence is inserted between a word. In Trial 1 Jack is played this sentence to listen to: " I made the bed using my new comforter". In Trial 2: " I made the bed using my new com*cough*ter". In Trial 3: I made the bed using my new com*silence*ter. In which sentence is Jack least likely to hear the full word "comforter"?

A. Trial 1 because Jack isn't paying attention
B. Trial 2 because the cough interrupts the "for" in the word "comforter" and Jack is distracted by this.
C. Trial 3 because the silent gap in the "for" in the word "comforter" creates a missing space and therefore isn't heard completely.
D. None of the above. In all instances that complete word for "comforter" is heard.

Answer 1

In Trial 3, Jack is least likely to hear the full word "comforter" as the silent gap creates a missing auditory cue, unlike Trial 2 where a cough may prompt interpolation. Option C is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question relates to the phonemic restoration effect, which is a phenomenon in the field of cognitive psychology where people can fill in missing phonemes based on context, creating the illusion of hearing a sound that is not there. In the study presented in the question, Jack is least likely to hear the full word "comforter" in Trial 3, because the silent gap does not provide any sound cue for the missing phoneme, whereas in Trial 2, the cough might be more disruptive, but it still allows room for Jack's brain to interpolate the missing sound based on the recognizable context of the sentence.

Option B and C reflect instances where the word "comforter" might not be heard fully. However, based on the phonemic restoration effect, in Trial 2, the cough might be masked by Jack's brain and perceived as the missing "for" sound due to the brain's ability to fill in the gaps based on the expected word. In Trial 3, there's a silent gap which gives no audio cue at all, making it more likely that Jack will not perceive the full word. Hence, the correct answer is:

C. Trial 3 because the silent gap in the "for" in the word "comforter" creates a missing space and therefore isn't heard completely.