Lynne Nygaard, Ph.D.

Research Overview

My research seeks to develop an understanding of human communication. I am interested in how listeners interpret a talker’s intentions, thoughts, and feelings, using both linguistic and non-linguistic aspects of spoken language. Speech is a highly complex signal. Speakers convey information intentionally with the syllables, words, and sentences that they utter. In addition, however, an enormous amount of information is conveyed through a speaker’s individual vocal characteristics and style. Spoken language requires that the listener integrate what is being said with how it is being said. Understanding the interplay between the perception of the words and sentences of spoken language with the processing of non-linguistic properties of speech is essential for a complete account of spoken communication.

Current Projects

Auditory Imagery During Reading. This project explores the characteristics of auditory imagery for speech. Our studies examine whether readers simulate or image characteristics of human speech such as speaking rate and tone of voice when reading text passages. Of particular interest is whether the linguistic representations that are accessed during reading are auditory in nature? Do readers engage in a type of auditory imagery for speech when reading text?

Perceptual Learning of Voice and Accent. This project is designed to examine the role of talker and accent familiarity in spoken language. We have been studying how perceptual learning of particular talker’s style of speech influences listeners’ ability to understand the linguistic content of these utterances.

Emotional Prosody and Meaning. This project is designed to examine the influence of emotional tone of voice on spoken word recognition. We are interested in the integration of meaningful affective tone with the semantic content of words and sentences. Of particular interest is how and at what point in the processing of spoken words listeners integrate emotional tone with linguistic content.