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Exploring the Attention Distribution Around Perceptual Boundaries of English Continuous Speech.

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Title: Exploring the Attention Distribution Around Perceptual Boundaries of English Continuous Speech.
Authors: Mei, Yunhao1, Chen, Fei1 chenfeianthony@gmail.com, Chen, Xiaoxiang1
Source: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research. Apr2026, Vol. 69 Issue 4, p1584-1594. 11p.
Subject Terms: *Alzheimer's disease, *Attention, *Speech perception, Statistical power analysis, Research funding, Descriptive statistics, Schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, Obsessive-compulsive disorder, English language, Reaction time, Data analysis software, Symptoms
Geographic Terms: China
Abstract: Purpose: In everyday life, people tend to segment real-life ongoing experience into discrete events. The same is true for perceptual segmentation of language. However, little research has examined how attention is distributed across perceptual event boundaries, specifically at the three distinct preboundary, on-boundary, and postboundary points. This study aimed to explore the distribution of attention around the perceptual boundaries of continuous speech. Method: A total of 26 native English speakers (16 women, 10 men; ages ranged from 19 to 29 years) were instructed to listen to and remember a series of isolated English spoken sentences where an attention (syllable) probe "ba" was embedded at preboundary, on-boundary, and postboundary points. Meanwhile, they were asked to press the key as soon as possible whenever they heard an incidental syllable "ba." A linear mixed-effects model was applied to compare response times (RTs) of "ba" at different points. Results: Participants showed faster RTs at postboundary points than at both onboundary and preboundary points. That is, they allocated more attention at postboundary points (as indicated by negative correlations between RTs and attention) than either on-boundary or preboundary points, showing a low--low--high attention pattern. Conclusions: Enhanced attention at postboundary points implies that event model updating might occur at these points. Thus, the well-established event boundary advantage effect in prior studies may be more closely related to intensified attention at postboundary points. Additionally, the low--low--high attention pattern has the potential to serve as an indicator of normal perceptual segmentation. This finding provides implications for future research on diagnosing atypical populations, such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Parkinson's disease, lesions of the prefrontal cortex, and Alzheimer's disease, as these populations often exhibit impaired segmentation abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mei%2C+Yunhao%22">Mei, Yunhao</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chen%2C+Fei%22">Chen, Fei</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> chenfeianthony@gmail.com</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chen%2C+Xiaoxiang%22">Chen, Xiaoxiang</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language+%26+Hearing+Research%22">Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 69 Issue 4, p1584-1594. 11p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Alzheimer's+disease%22">Alzheimer's disease</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attention%22">Attention</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+perception%22">Speech perception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+power+analysis%22">Statistical power analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Schizophrenia%22">Schizophrenia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parkinson's+disease%22">Parkinson's disease</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Obsessive-compulsive+disorder%22">Obsessive-compulsive disorder</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+language%22">English language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reaction+time%22">Reaction time</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Symptoms%22">Symptoms</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Purpose: In everyday life, people tend to segment real-life ongoing experience into discrete events. The same is true for perceptual segmentation of language. However, little research has examined how attention is distributed across perceptual event boundaries, specifically at the three distinct preboundary, on-boundary, and postboundary points. This study aimed to explore the distribution of attention around the perceptual boundaries of continuous speech. Method: A total of 26 native English speakers (16 women, 10 men; ages ranged from 19 to 29 years) were instructed to listen to and remember a series of isolated English spoken sentences where an attention (syllable) probe "ba" was embedded at preboundary, on-boundary, and postboundary points. Meanwhile, they were asked to press the key as soon as possible whenever they heard an incidental syllable "ba." A linear mixed-effects model was applied to compare response times (RTs) of "ba" at different points. Results: Participants showed faster RTs at postboundary points than at both onboundary and preboundary points. That is, they allocated more attention at postboundary points (as indicated by negative correlations between RTs and attention) than either on-boundary or preboundary points, showing a low--low--high attention pattern. Conclusions: Enhanced attention at postboundary points implies that event model updating might occur at these points. Thus, the well-established event boundary advantage effect in prior studies may be more closely related to intensified attention at postboundary points. Additionally, the low--low--high attention pattern has the potential to serve as an indicator of normal perceptual segmentation. This finding provides implications for future research on diagnosing atypical populations, such as schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Parkinson's disease, lesions of the prefrontal cortex, and Alzheimer's disease, as these populations often exhibit impaired segmentation abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=192982180
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-25-00461
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 1584
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Alzheimer's disease
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Speech perception
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistical power analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
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      – SubjectFull: Schizophrenia
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parkinson's disease
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Obsessive-compulsive disorder
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: English language
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reaction time
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Symptoms
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      – SubjectFull: China
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      – TitleFull: Exploring the Attention Distribution Around Perceptual Boundaries of English Continuous Speech.
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            NameFull: Mei, Yunhao
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            NameFull: Chen, Fei
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              M: 04
              Text: Apr2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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