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Alvin Liberman

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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 "
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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".
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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".
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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
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in 1942. His ideas set the agenda for fifty years of research in the psychology of
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National Academies Press: Phonological awareness and early reading skills
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Whalen, D. H. & Liberman, A. M., "Brain and Language" vol. 78, p. 372
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Liberman, A. M. (1957). "Some results of research on speech perception".
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Carol A. Fowler, C.A. (2001). Alvin M. Liberman (1917–2000), Obituaries.
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Language by Ear and by Eye: The Relationships between Speech and Reading
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for the blind in 1944. He is also known for the development of the
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Fowler, C.A. (2001). "Alvin M. Liberman (1917-2000, Obituaries".
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Fowler, Carol A. "Alvin M. Liberman (1917-2000), Obituaries".
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Ignatius G. Mattingly & Michael Studdert-Kennedy (Eds.),
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Phonology and Reading Disability: Solving the Reading Puzzle
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Reprints of many Liberman's papers at Haskins Labs website
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Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
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Flower, C. A. (2001). "Alvin M. Liberman (1917–2000)".
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Lindblom, A. (n.d.). Alvin m. liberman. Retrieved from
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Whalen, Doug H (2000). "Alvin M. Liberman•1917-2000".
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Cooper, F. S.; Liberman, A. M.; Borst, J. M. (1951).
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Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
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Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
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Modularity and the Motor Theory of Speech Perception
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James F. Kavanagh and Ignatius G. Mattingly (eds.),
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Alumni Association Award for Excellence in Research
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Warren Medal, Society of Experimental Psychologists
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(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:. 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Index

St. Joseph, Missouri
Mansfield
Connecticut
/ˈlɪbərmən/
psychologist
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
University of Missouri
psychology
Yale University
speech perception
speech synthesis
cognitive science
psychology
University of Connecticut
linguistics
Yale University
Haskins Laboratories
reading machine
motor theory of speech perception
Ignatius Mattingly
Isabelle Liberman
alphabetic principle
phonemic awareness
phonological awareness
reading
National Academies of Science
Finnish Academy of Sciences
Mark Liberman
M. Charles Liberman

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