Perceptual control of speech

Abstract

Like singing, speech is governed by a control system that requires sensory information about the effects of its actions, and the major source of this sensory feedback is the auditory system. This chapter addresses a number of issues related to the perceptual control of speech production. The study of postlingually deafened individuals represents the best window onto the role played by auditory feedback in a well-developed human control system. The chapter reviews what is known about the neural processing of self-produced sound. This includes work on corollary discharge or efference copy, as well as studies showing cortical suppression during vocalizing. The chapter addresses the topic of vocal learning and the general question about the relationship between speech perception and speech production. One of the key requirements for successful reinforcement learning is exploration. Sampling the control space allows the organism to learn the value of a range of different actions. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.