Final Answer:
D). Speed of speech would NOT help to distinguish target sounds from background noise.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Cherry's work using a "shadowing task," the goal was to identify which factors would help distinguish target sounds from background noise. A "shadowing task" is a technique used in psychology and linguistics to test a person's ability to repeat spoken sentences in real-time while still understanding the meaning of the words.
A). Pitch: Pitch refers to the frequency of a sound, and it can play a role in distinguishing target sounds from background noise. For example, higher-pitched sounds may be more easily distinguished from lower-pitched background noises.
B). Semantic meaning: Semantic meaning refers to the meaning of words and sentences. In a shadowing task, understanding the semantic meaning of the target sounds can help a person focus on the words they need to repeat, making it easier to distinguish them from background noise.
C). Gender of speaker: The gender of the speaker can impact how a person perceives and processes speech. Some studies have shown that certain gender-specific characteristics in speech can make it easier to distinguish target sounds from background noise.
D). Speed of speech: Speed of speech refers to the rate at which a person speaks. While faster speech might make it more challenging to distinguish target sounds from background noise, Cherry's work using a shadowing task found that speed of speech would NOT help to distinguish target sounds from background noise. This is because, in a shadowing task, the primary focus is on understanding the meaning of the words, rather than the speed at which they are spoken.