This study examined the two most similar tones in Taiwan Mandarin-Tone 2 (T2) and Tone 3 (T3). Experiment I showed that both tones had dipping contours and occupied about the same mid-low pitch range. The only reliable difference lay in slope. T3 had consistently steeper slopes in both the falling and rising portions than those of T2. In Experiment II, a perception test of extracted portions from T2 and T3 showed that falling contours sounded more T3-like whereas rising contours more T2-like, regardless of which source tone an extraction was taken from. In Experiment III, a manipulation of slope and initial pitch showed that a falling slope with steepness between -.30 Hz/ms and -.40 Hz/ms and low initial pitch (190 Hz) fell in the optimal range for T3 but no such range was found for T2, although shallower slopes (-.20 Hz/ms and -.10 Hz/ms) and higher initial pitch (210 Hz) did elicit more T2 responses. Experiment IV, a speeded tonal recognition task, showed that as a result of different placements of critical information of the two tones, T3 was recognized faster than T2.
本研究目的在于检视台湾地区国语中,两个非常相似的语调-二声与三声。实验一之结果显示,此二语调皆呈现抑扬调之调型,并且占有相似之中低音阈。二者唯一在统计上有效的差异为斜度。三声无论是在抑或扬的部分,斜度皆比二声为陡。实验二中,由二声与三声取出部分调型,对于受试者进行声调听辨。结果发现,部分调型无论原本由何声调中取出,抑调较符合听者对于三声的认知,而扬调则较符合听者对于二声的认知。实验三中,我们将抑调予以调整,用以检测斜度与初始音高对于声调辨识的影响。结果显示,当下降斜度在-.30赫兹/微秒与 -.40赫兹/微秒之间,且初始音高较低(190赫兹)时,颇能引发听者三声的反应。但听者对二声的认知却极难在抑调中出现。不过,若抑调斜度较缓(-20赫兹/微秒及-10赫兹/微秒),且初始音高较高(210赫兹)时,听者会有较多二声之反应。实验四为一快速声调听辨测试,结果显示,由于二声与三声对于重要辨识信息存放位置有异,三声辨识速度较二声为快。