Abstract

This study investigated the effect of dual tasking on speech motor learning. Forty young adult participants (20 male, 20 female) practiced speaking nonsense words containing non-English consonant clusters. Half of the participants practiced the words while also completing a shape identification task. After practice, the two groups produced the words in a retention task both with and without the shape identification task. They returned the next day to produce the words again with and without the shape identification task. Acoustic analysis of the consonant cluster and word duration was used as an index of motor learning. Statistical analysis revealed that all participants reduced the duration of the target cluster as well as the duration of the entire word during retention testing, suggesting they improved in their production of the cluster. However, the analysis did not reveal significant differences between the two practice groups. A ratio was computed of the cluster duration to the word duration, which showed that with practice, the target cluster decreased as a proportion of the word duration, indicating that the decreases in cluster duration were greater than what would be expected if participants simply increased their speaking rate between practice and retention testing. The study suggests that practice conditions involving divided attention may not significantly impact motor learning; however, concurrent tasks with greater attentional demands may have a greater impact on speech motor learning than was found in the present study.

Degree

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Communication Disorders

Rights

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