| Abstract | Argues that the processes underlying perception of consonants and vowels are specifically phonetic and are distinct from those that localize sources and assign auditory qualities to the sound from each source. This specialization, or module, increases the rate of information flow, establishes the
parity between sender and receiver that every communication system must have, and provides for the natural development of phonetic structures in the species and in the individual. The phonetic module has certain properties in common with "closed" modules (e.g., sound localization, echo
ranging in bats) and is placed in the auditory system so as to preempt information relevant to its special function. Accordingly, this information is not available to such "open" modules as those for pitch, loudness, and timbre. |
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