This study applies and compares popular methods in experimental phonology in the investigation of phonetic convergence in Mandarin. Differences induced by the existence of self-priming are discussed under the background of comparing a shadowing vs. exposure paradigm. The study also seeks to find similarities and differences from previous studies conducted on various other languages. Specifically, the contrastive tonal categories of Mandarin induce an additional layer of comparison that can affect the strength of convergence patterns based on arguments of attention. Conversely, if differences were not found, arguments of variability in exposure is discussed. It was found that phonologically contrastive measures do contribute to differences in convergence in Mandarin, and that differences in experimental methodology did not influence convergence greatly.
Zhang, Haoru,
"Phonetic Convergence in Mandarin"
(2018).
Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.26300/49xf-qs14
