Cognitive factors in the perception of Spanish stress placement: implications for a model of speech perception

Four cognitive factors potentially influencing the perception of Spanish stress placement are examined experimentally through a nonce word perception task, and the results are considered from the perspective of their implications for a psychological model of perception. The four factors considered for a potential influence on the perception of Spanish stress placement are segmentally similar words, syllable weight, subregularities in the lexicon, and morphological category. Each of these, with the exception of syllable weight, is shown to influence the perception of Spanish stress placement. The results of the experiment probe the structure of the lexicon in a way that shows that speakers are sensitive to lexical organization, and hence provide a window into the lexical system.