Familiar words sound louder, study finds
Familiar words seem louder than nonsense words at the same volume.
Why it matters
- Shows how prior knowledge affects perception.
- Connects to cognitive science theories.
By the numbers
- 77 French, 89 English speakers in experiments.
- Real words judged louder in 70%+ of French errors.
The big picture
- Familiarity shapes auditory perception.
- Effect present in native and second languages.
What they're saying
- Unfamiliar languages may sound louder to some.
- Brain actively shapes perception, not just passive hearing.
Caveats
- Synthetic stimuli may not reflect natural speech.
- Short experiment time limited test words.
- Individual hearing differences not measured.
What’s next
- Use naturally spoken words in future studies.
- Test more languages for universality.
- Include precise hearing tests.