Subvocalization is a silent speech that occurs when reading, and small movements occur in preparation for reciting the word. It enhances memory, and eliminating it could reduce the amount of material remembered. NASA is working on technology to detect silent speech, which could have medical and entertainment uses.
Subvocalization is a form of silent speech that occurs when a person is reading silently but still hears the words in their head as they read. Although it may appear in the form of the person moving their lips noiselessly while reading a book, more often the person appears not to move their lips at all. Despite the appearance, small movements actually occur, but because they are so tiny, it takes the advanced technology of a machine with sensors attached to the person to detect these small movements.
As the brain reads a sentence, it prepares to say each word out loud. Even if the reader never actually says the word, the tongue and vocal cords still make small movements in preparation for reciting the word. This occurs because people learn words first by sound and then by sight. Thus, seeing a word on a piece of paper automatically brings to mind how it sounds and how it is pronounced. Scientists believe that subvocalization enhances memory and that without it it would be much more difficult to interpret and remember what is read.
The field of speed reading claims to increase a person’s reading speed by eliminating the process of subvocalization. There is a lot of debate about whether or not to eliminate it. Although speed readers, who often flip pages instead of reading word-for-word, show lower levels of subvocalization, it still appears to be present. Studies suggest that trying to eliminate subvocalization if possible could actually reduce the amount of material a person remembers.
Modern technology is able to detect the small movements made during subvocalization by monitoring the electrical impulses. As of 2011, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is working on technology to detect these forms of silent speech. By reading these faint electrical impulses that occur during the subvocalization process, machines could read a person’s mind and respond seemingly without the person saying anything. All the person would have to do is think clearly about the command he wants the machine to perform.
Research into the detection and use of silent language to control technology opens the door to several new scientific fields of study. It could help people with speech impairments to communicate through the use of a machine. It has many medical uses and also for entertainment purposes. A video game could be controlled using this form of subvocal recognition, allowing the player to appear to be controlling the game with their mind. While the concept isn’t advanced, its applications may pave the way for an entirely new form of interacting with technology.
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