Repairing speech errors: Competition as a source of repairs

Abstract

This paper focuses on the source of self-repairs of segmental speech errors during self-monitoring. A potential source of repairs are candidate forms competing with the form under production. In the time interval between self-monitoring internal and overt speech, activation of competitors probably decreases. From this theory of repairing we derived four main predictions specific for classical SLIP experiments: (1) Error-to-cutoff times are shorter after single elicited errors than after other errors. (2) Single elicited errors are relatively more often detected than other errors, but more so after internal than after external error detection. (3) The correct form is the most frequent form used as repair, but more so for single elicited than for other errors. (4) Cutoff-to-repair times are shorter for single elicited than for other errors. A re-analysis of data formerly obtained in two SLIP experiments mainly supports the theory of repairing for multiple but not for single non-elicited errors.