Given the crucial role of speech sounds in human language, it may be beneficial for speech to be supported by more efficient auditory and attentional neural processing mechanisms compared to nonspeech sounds. However, previous event-related potential (ERP) studies have found either no differences or slower auditory processing of speech than nonspeech, as well as inconsistent attentional processing. We hypothesized that this may be due to the use of synthetic stimuli in past experiments. The present study measured ERP responses during passive listening to both synthetic and natural speech and complexity-matched nonspeech analog sounds in 22 8-11-year-old children. We found that although children were more likely to show immature auditory ERP responses to the more complex natural stimuli, ERP latencies were significantly faster to natural speech compared to cow vocalizations, but were significantly slower to synthetic speech compared to tones. The attentional results indicated a P3a orienting response only to the cow sound, and we discuss potential methodological reasons for this. We conclude that our results support more efficient auditory processing of natural speech sounds in children, though more research with a wider array of stimuli will be necessary to confirm these results. Our results also highlight the importance of using natural stimuli in research investigating the neurobiology of language.

中文翻译：

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与非语音类似物相比，听觉事件相关电位指数更快地处理自然语音，而不是合成语音

鉴于语音在人类语言中的关键作用，与非语音相比，语音得到更有效的听觉和注意力神经处理机制的支持可能是有益的。然而，之前的事件相关电位 (ERP) 研究发现，与非语音相比，语音的听觉处理没有差异或更慢，以及注意力处理不一致。我们假设这可能是由于在过去的实验中使用了合成刺激。本研究测量了 22 名 8-11 岁儿童在被动聆听合成和自然语音以及复杂性匹配的非语音模拟声音期间的 ERP 反应。我们发现，虽然儿童更有可能对更复杂的自然刺激表现出不成熟的听觉 ERP 反应，与牛的发声相比，ERP 对自然语音的延迟明显更快，但与音调相比，对合成语音的延迟要慢得多。注意结果表明 P3a 定向反应仅对牛的声音，我们讨论了潜在的方法学原因。我们得出的结论是，我们的结果支持对儿童自然语音进行更有效的听觉处理，尽管需要对更广泛的刺激进行更多研究来证实这些结果。我们的结果还强调了在语言神经生物学研究中使用自然刺激的重要性。我们讨论了潜在的方法论原因。我们得出的结论是，我们的结果支持对儿童自然语音进行更有效的听觉处理，尽管需要对更广泛的刺激进行更多研究来证实这些结果。我们的结果还强调了在语言神经生物学研究中使用自然刺激的重要性。我们讨论了潜在的方法论原因。我们得出的结论是，我们的结果支持对儿童自然语音进行更有效的听觉处理，尽管需要对更广泛的刺激进行更多研究来证实这些结果。我们的结果还强调了在语言神经生物学研究中使用自然刺激的重要性。