Emily Rice
PhD Student

Profile

Biography

I am currently working on my PhD on predictive processing in bilingual speech perception in noise. Before that, I completed my MSci Psychology degree here at the University of York and focused on the topic of perceiving target speech in noise for my dissertation project. For my literature review, I researched how effective bilingualism is in building up cognitive reserve to diminish the effects of neurodegenerative diseases. I found both projects incredibly fascinating, which is why I chose bilingual speech perception as topic for my PhD research.

Career

• PhD in Psychology, University of York (2022- Present)
• MSci in Psychology, University of York (2018-2022)

Departmental roles

• Graduate Teaching Assistant

Research

Overview

Predictive Processing in Bilingual Speech Perception in Noise

Projects

Speech perception in noise involves thinking about how we hear and comprehend target speech in maskers, such as competing speech in the background. It is easier to perceive degraded speech when we use predictive processing, using context to predict the end of the sentence. This process is more complicated when the target language is a second language. Research suggests that highly proficient bilinguals can use predictive processes when perceiving speech in their non-native language, but it is unclear whether this process is diminished by the presence of distracting competing talking. So, I am interested in finding out how bilinguals can overcome the masking effect using predictive processing. If a bilingual understands the first part of a sentence degraded in noise, how likely are they to understand the final part? How will this process be impacted by the language of the masker and target speech? What if the languages of the masker and target change within the sentence?

Research group(s)

• Speech Lab

Grants

• Departmental Studentship

Collaborators

• Professor Sven Mattys
• Dr Angela de Bruin
• Dr Sarah Knight

Teaching

Undergraduate

• In 2022/23, I am teaching Perception and Cognition II and Social, Personality and Abnormal Psychology II.

Publications