258:
profound investigations were made during his time at
Haskins Laboratories where he worked as a research scientist trying to investigate the relationships between speech and acoustics. From his research he came up with the idea that we hear spoken words much differently than sounds. It was evident to Liberman that speech, the speed at which someone says something in particular, is connected to the word's amount of syllables, or in other terms its "acoustic complexity" (Whalen, 2000). The difference in the difficulty of speech and reading exists even as alphabetic writing systems provide discrete and invariant signals and nods to vowels, sounds and consonants. When it comes to speech and conversation, it "does not come to us as a series of individual words; we must extract the words from a stream of speech." Liberman and his colleagues were training the blind to read using a reading machine that would replace each letter of the alphabet with a specific sound. However, he and his colleagues found that the replacement of the sounds for each distinct letter of the alphabet did not help with the blind to learn to read or pronounce the letters fluently. After long investigations of why this was, Liberman established that speech was not as simple as an acoustic alphabet. Therefore, speech signals are very distinct from acoustic alphabet (Fowler, 2001). These investigations showed that speech perception is different from perception of other acoustic signals, and convinced Liberman that speech perception is the result of the human biological adaptations to language. Human listeners are able to decode the repetitive variable signal of running speech and to translate it into phonemic components. This is also known as the "
257:
Liberman was one of the first to conduct research and experimental studies in the field of speech development and linguistics. Through his research he aimed to gain a thorough understanding of the importance and purpose of speech in the act of reading and the process of learning to read. Some of his
265:
In one of his articles, Liberman mentioned speech production is easy to create as it relies on the "conscious awareness of phonological structure". He disagreed with "horizontal theory" because it would imply that the "advantage of ease" would be dependent upon reading and writing, not speech.
180:
from 1975 through 1986. Liberman had a distinctive goal in mind. In order to reach this goal, he developed a project where he was to produce the sound output of a reading machine for the blind, a device that could scan, print, and produce a selective acoustic pattern for every component of the
1127:
226:. Liberman continued giving well-received speeches and presentations and continued to act as a catalyst for research at various institutes such as the Brain Research Laboratory at the University of Technology in Finland. He received an award from the
266:
Liberman also argued that reading alphabets is not important to speech until one learns the phonological pattern of speech. He made mention that speech itself is not only attributed to biological evolution, rather it is also species specific.
181:
English alphabet. His paper on the "Perception of the Speech Code" in 1967 remains one of the most cited papers in the psychological literature. He is also known for his pioneering work with Dr. Franklin S. Cooper on the development of the
269:
Liberman also examined why reading is more difficult than speech perception. He attributed this greater difficulty to the human biological adaptation to speech. Liberman discovered that children who fail to learn to read on schedule lack
217:
and of many other distinguished scientific societies. After retiring,Al remained an active, influential presence in the international scientific community. His publication record, which began in 1944 with an article in the
593:
Mattingly, I. G. & A. M. Liberman. (1970). The speech code and the physiology of language. In: Information
Processing in the Nervous System, K.N. Leibovic, Ed. (pp. 97–117). Springer Verlag.
1102:
1107:
1001:
1117:
506:
Liberman, I. Y., Shankweiler, D., & Liberman, A. M. (1989). The alphabetic principle and learning to read. In D. Shankweiler & I. Y. Liberman (Eds.),
1112:
652:
274:. Phonemic awareness is an awareness that word forms breaks down into individual parts. This is because they cannot appreciate the alphabetic principle.
160:. He took a biological perspective on language and his 'nativist' approach was often controversial as well as influential. He was a professor of
237:
is
Trustee Professor of Phonetics and director of the Institute for Research and Cognitive Science at the University of Pennsylvania. His son
1062:
1082:
603:
262:". Liberman ascribed this to the human biological disposition towards speech as opposed to reading which is not ingrained genetically.
245:. His daughter, Sarah Ash, is an Associate Professor of Nutrition in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences at
1057:
1072:
1028:
779:
1087:
1077:
1067:
968:"Alvin M. Liberman, 82, Speech and Reading Scientist." Haskins Laboratories. Haskins Laboratories, 2011. Web. 30 Nov 2011. <
230:, the last of his many accolades. On January 13, 2000, Alvin Liberman died due to problems that occurred after heart surgery.
618:
1023:
1008:
972:
705:
557:
Stevens, K. N.; Liberman, A. M.; Ohman, S. E. G.; Studdert-Kennedy, M. (1969). "Cross-language study of vowel perception".
398:
Liberman, A. M.; Ingemann, F.; Lisker, L.; Delattre, P. C.; Cooper, F. S. (1959). "Minimal rules for synthesizing speech".
991:
665:
612:
529:
524:: Proceedings of a Conference to Honor Alvin M. Liberman. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum: 1991. (Paperback,
352:
259:
186:
1097:
427:
Liberman, A. M.; Cooper, F. S.; Shankweiler, D. P.; Studdert-Kennedy, M. (1967). "Perception of the speech code".
1122:
1092:
246:
659:
627:
214:
882:
Liberman, Alvin (1999). "The
Reading Researcher and the Reading Teacher Need the Right Theory of Speech".
286:"The interconversion of audible and visible patterns as a basis for research on the perception of speech"
227:
763:"UMC; College of Arts and Science; Printed and Duplicated Materials; Special Event Programs and Records"
457:
645:
639:
165:
474:
869:
Carlson N. & Heth C., "Psychology: The
Science of Behaviour" p.297, Retrieved April 8, 2012.
469:
242:
206:
137:
129:
60:
116:; May 10, 1917 – January 13, 2000) was born in St. Joseph, Missouri. Liberman was an American
633:
1128:
APA Distinguished
Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology recipients
1052:
1047:
945:
407:
368:
297:
222:, ended in 2000 with an article, coauthored with Douglas Whalen of Haskins Laboratories,in
198:
177:
120:. His ideas set the agenda for fifty years of psychological research in speech perception.
42:
677:
389:
8:
238:
949:
787:
411:
372:
301:
582:
495:
320:
285:
271:
210:
202:
190:
133:
1033:
670:
574:
525:
487:
483:
444:
348:
325:
194:
157:
149:
586:
953:
918:
891:
831:
566:
545:
479:
436:
415:
384:
376:
315:
305:
153:
148:
in 1942. His ideas set the agenda for fifty years of research in the psychology of
87:
499:
1012:
995:
976:
922:
835:
549:
182:
173:
145:
1006:
969:
762:
728:
697:
1018:
895:
849:
570:
1041:
989:
517:. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts: 1996. (Hardcover, ISBN 0262121921_
234:
347:. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts: 1972. (Paperback edition, 1974,
329:
117:
1022:
National
Academies Press: Phonological awareness and early reading skills
578:
491:
448:
310:
860:
Whalen, D. H. & Liberman, A. M., "Brain and
Language" vol. 78, p. 372
426:
359:
Liberman, A. M. (1957). "Some results of research on speech perception".
336:
Carol A. Fowler, C.A. (2001). Alvin M. Liberman (1917–2000), Obituaries.
169:
64:
345:
Language by Ear and by Eye: The
Relationships between Speech and Reading
161:
141:
957:
419:
380:
510:. Research Monograph Series. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
440:
556:
185:
for the blind in 1944. He is also known for the development of the
822:
Fowler, C.A. (2001). "Alvin M. Liberman (1917-2000, Obituaries".
536:
Fowler, Carol A. "Alvin M. Liberman (1917-2000), Obituaries".
397:
108:
102:
520:
Ignatius G. Mattingly & Michael
Studdert-Kennedy (Eds.),
780:"Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project (Ss_hask.HTM)"
508:
Phonology and Reading Disability: Solving the Reading Puzzle
1032:
Reprints of many Liberman's papers at Haskins Labs website
1103:
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
249:; as well as nine grandchildren that follow his lineage.
96:
909:
Flower, C. A. (2001). "Alvin M. Liberman (1917–2000)".
877:
875:
848:
Lindblom, A. (n.d.). Alvin m. liberman. Retrieved from
936:
Whalen, Doug H (2000). "Alvin M. Liberman•1917-2000".
698:"Alvin M. Liberman, 82, Speech and Reading Scientist"
284:
Cooper, F. S.; Liberman, A. M.; Borst, J. M. (1951).
1108:
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
872:
653:
Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
522:
Modularity and the Motor Theory of Speech Perception
343:
James F. Kavanagh and Ignatius G. Mattingly (eds.),
99:
93:
642:
Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Research
623:
Warren Medal, Society of Experimental Psychologists
283:
105:
90:
608:1988 F. O. Schmitt Medal and Prize in Neuroscience
1118:Fellows of the American Psychological Association
455:
1039:
458:"The motor theory of speech perception revised"
290:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
1027:Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project
970:http://www.haskins.yale.edu/staff/amlmsk.html
726:
611:Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award,
193:in the 1960s and 1970s. Along with his wife,
1113:Fellows of the Acoustical Society of America
938:Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
850:http://www.haskins.yale.edu/staff/amlbl.html
400:Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
361:Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
156:and the understanding of critical issues in
152:and laid the groundwork for modern computer
241:is Professor of Otology and Laryngology at
128:Liberman received his B.A. degree from the
648:Alumni Association Distinguished Professor
456:Liberman, A. M.; Mattingly, I. G. (1985).
473:
388:
319:
309:
881:
358:
812:(December 2001), 56 (12), pg. 1164-1165
1040:
1000:D. H. Whalen, Alvin Liberman's legacy
935:
908:
821:
1005:Obituary by Michael Studdert-Kennedy
774:
772:
619:American Academy of Arts and Sciences
340:Dec. 2001, Vol. 56, No. 12, 1164–1165
1063:20th-century American psychologists
632:Honorary Doctor of Science Degree,
13:
769:
666:American Psychological Association
613:American Psychological Association
535:
220:Journal of Experimental Psychology
136:in 1938, his M.A. degree from the
14:
1139:
1083:University of Connecticut faculty
982:
708:from the original on 20 July 2011
260:motor theory of speech perception
187:motor theory of speech perception
1058:Linguists from the United States
86:
1073:Haskins Laboratories scientists
929:
902:
863:
277:
247:North Carolina State University
854:
842:
815:
802:
755:
745:
720:
690:
390:11858/00-001M-0000-002C-5789-A
1:
1088:University of Missouri alumni
1078:Speech perception researchers
1068:American cognitive scientists
988:Haskins Laboratories tribute
884:Scientific Studies of Reading
683:
660:Acoustical Society of America
628:Universite Libre de Bruxelles
215:National Academies of Science
923:10.1037/0003-066x.56.12.1164
836:10.1037/0003-066x.56.12.1164
727:Mark Liberman (2014-09-17).
604:National Academy of Sciences
550:10.1037/0003-066x.56.12.1164
484:10.1016/0010-0277(85)90021-6
224:Trends in Cognitive Sciences
123:
7:
1017:Obituary by Bjorn Lindblom
252:
228:Finnish Academy of Sciences
10:
1144:
896:10.1207/s1532799xssr0302_1
729:"UM / UH map in the media"
571:10.1177/002383096901200101
201:" and its relationship to
646:University of Connecticut
640:University of Connecticut
597:
213:. He was a member of the
166:University of Connecticut
140:in 1939 and his Ph.D. in
71:
49:
28:
21:
176:as well as president of
1098:Yale University faculty
626:Docteur Honoris Causa,
1123:20th-century linguists
1093:Yale University alumni
515:Speech: a special code
243:Harvard Medical School
207:phonological awareness
138:University of Missouri
130:University of Missouri
911:American Psychologist
824:American Psychologist
810:American Psychologist
634:Binghamton University
538:American Psychologist
338:American Psychologist
311:10.1073/pnas.37.5.318
197:, he elucidated the "
702:Haskins Laboratories
429:Psychological Review
199:alphabetic principle
178:Haskins Laboratories
82:Alvin Meyer Liberman
43:St. Joseph, Missouri
950:2000ASAJ..108.2693W
704:. Yale University.
559:Language and Speech
513:Alvin M. Liberman.
412:1959ASAJ...31.1490L
373:1957ASAJ...29..117L
302:1951PNAS...37..318C
239:M. Charles Liberman
1011:2011-07-20 at the
994:2021-04-25 at the
975:2011-07-20 at the
784:www.mindspring.com
272:phonemic awareness
203:phonemic awareness
191:Ignatius Mattingly
134:Columbia, Missouri
958:10.1121/1.1323456
917:(12): 1164–1165.
830:(12): 1164–1165.
790:on 8 January 2007
678:Collège de France
671:Guggenheim Fellow
420:10.1121/1.1907654
406:(11): 1490–1499.
381:10.1121/1.1908635
195:Isabelle Liberman
158:cognitive science
150:speech perception
79:
78:
16:American linguist
1135:
962:
961:
933:
927:
926:
906:
900:
899:
879:
870:
867:
861:
858:
852:
846:
840:
839:
819:
813:
808:Carol A. Fowler
806:
800:
799:
797:
795:
786:. Archived from
776:
767:
766:
759:
753:
749:
743:
742:
740:
739:
724:
718:
717:
715:
713:
694:
590:
553:
503:
477:
452:
441:10.1037/h0020279
423:
394:
392:
333:
323:
313:
154:speech synthesis
115:
114:
111:
110:
107:
104:
101:
98:
95:
92:
56:
53:January 13, 2000
38:
36:
19:
18:
1143:
1142:
1138:
1137:
1136:
1134:
1133:
1132:
1038:
1037:
1013:Wayback Machine
996:Wayback Machine
985:
977:Wayback Machine
966:
965:
934:
930:
907:
903:
880:
873:
868:
864:
859:
855:
847:
843:
820:
816:
807:
803:
793:
791:
778:
777:
770:
761:
760:
756:
750:
746:
737:
735:
725:
721:
711:
709:
696:
695:
691:
686:
600:
280:
255:
183:reading machine
174:Yale University
146:Yale University
126:
89:
85:
67:
58:
54:
45:
40:
34:
32:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1141:
1131:
1130:
1125:
1120:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1100:
1095:
1090:
1085:
1080:
1075:
1070:
1065:
1060:
1055:
1050:
1036:
1035:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1015:
1003:
998:
984:
983:External links
981:
964:
963:
928:
901:
871:
862:
853:
841:
814:
801:
768:
754:
744:
719:
688:
687:
685:
682:
681:
680:
674:
668:
662:
656:
649:
643:
637:
630:
624:
621:
616:
609:
606:
599:
596:
595:
594:
591:
554:
533:
518:
511:
504:
475:10.1.1.330.220
453:
435:(6): 431–461.
424:
395:
367:(1): 117–123.
356:
341:
334:
296:(5): 318–325.
279:
276:
254:
251:
125:
122:
77:
76:
73:
69:
68:
59:
57:(aged 82)
51:
47:
46:
41:
30:
26:
25:
23:Alvin Liberman
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1140:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1114:
1111:
1109:
1106:
1104:
1101:
1099:
1096:
1094:
1091:
1089:
1086:
1084:
1081:
1079:
1076:
1074:
1071:
1069:
1066:
1064:
1061:
1059:
1056:
1054:
1051:
1049:
1046:
1045:
1043:
1034:
1031:
1029:
1026:
1024:
1021:
1019:
1016:
1014:
1010:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
993:
990:
987:
986:
980:
978:
974:
971:
959:
955:
951:
947:
943:
939:
932:
924:
920:
916:
912:
905:
897:
893:
890:(2): 95–111.
889:
885:
878:
876:
866:
857:
851:
845:
837:
833:
829:
825:
818:
811:
805:
789:
785:
781:
775:
773:
764:
758:
751:
748:
734:
730:
723:
707:
703:
699:
693:
689:
679:
675:
672:
669:
667:
663:
661:
657:
654:
650:
647:
644:
641:
638:
635:
631:
629:
625:
622:
620:
617:
614:
610:
607:
605:
602:
601:
592:
588:
584:
580:
576:
572:
568:
564:
560:
555:
551:
547:
544:: 1164–1165.
543:
539:
534:
531:
530:0-8058-0331-9
527:
523:
519:
516:
512:
509:
505:
501:
497:
493:
489:
485:
481:
476:
471:
467:
463:
459:
454:
450:
446:
442:
438:
434:
430:
425:
421:
417:
413:
409:
405:
401:
396:
391:
386:
382:
378:
374:
370:
366:
362:
357:
354:
353:0-262-61015-9
350:
346:
342:
339:
335:
331:
327:
322:
317:
312:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
282:
281:
275:
273:
267:
263:
261:
250:
248:
244:
240:
236:
235:Mark Liberman
231:
229:
225:
221:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
184:
179:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
121:
119:
113:
83:
74:
70:
66:
62:
52:
48:
44:
31:
27:
20:
967:
941:
937:
931:
914:
910:
904:
887:
883:
865:
856:
844:
827:
823:
817:
809:
804:
792:. Retrieved
788:the original
783:
757:
747:
736:. Retrieved
733:Language Log
732:
722:
710:. Retrieved
701:
692:
562:
558:
541:
537:
521:
514:
507:
465:
461:
432:
428:
403:
399:
364:
360:
344:
337:
293:
289:
278:Bibliography
268:
264:
256:
232:
223:
219:
127:
118:psychologist
81:
80:
75:Psychologist
55:(2000-01-13)
39:May 10, 1917
1053:2000 deaths
1048:1917 births
944:(6): 2693.
712:4 September
565:(1): 1–23.
468:(1): 1–36.
170:linguistics
65:Connecticut
1042:Categories
794:15 January
738:2014-10-19
684:References
636:, New York
162:psychology
142:psychology
72:Occupation
35:1917-05-10
673:, 1964–65
655:, 1964–65
470:CiteSeerX
462:Cognition
124:Biography
61:Mansfield
1009:Archived
992:Archived
973:Archived
706:Archived
664:Fellow,
658:Fellow,
651:Fellow,
587:41151516
330:14834156
253:Research
233:His son
946:Bibcode
676:Medal,
579:5789292
492:4075760
449:4170865
408:Bibcode
369:Bibcode
321:1063363
298:Bibcode
211:reading
168:and of
164:at the
979:>.
615:, 1980
598:Honors
585:
577:
528:
500:112932
498:
490:
472:
447:
351:
328:
318:
583:S2CID
496:S2CID
189:with
144:from
796:2022
714:2011
575:PMID
542:2001
526:ISBN
488:PMID
445:PMID
349:ISBN
326:PMID
205:and
50:Died
29:Born
954:doi
942:108
919:doi
892:doi
832:doi
567:doi
546:doi
480:doi
437:doi
416:doi
385:hdl
377:doi
316:PMC
306:doi
209:in
172:at
132:in
1044::
952:.
940:.
915:56
913:.
886:.
874:^
828:56
826:.
782:.
771:^
731:.
700:.
581:.
573:.
563:12
561:.
540:.
494:.
486:.
478:.
466:21
464:.
460:.
443:.
433:74
431:.
414:.
404:31
402:.
383:.
375:.
365:29
363:.
355:).
324:.
314:.
304:.
294:37
292:.
288:.
109:ən
103:ər
63:,
960:.
956::
948::
925:.
921::
898:.
894::
888:3
838:.
834::
798:.
765:.
752:]
741:.
716:.
589:.
569::
552:.
548::
532:)
502:.
482::
451:.
439::
422:.
418::
410::
393:.
387::
379::
371::
332:.
308::
300::
112:/
106:m
100:b
97:ɪ
94:l
91:ˈ
88:/
84:(
37:)
33:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.