MAGNITUDE-ESTIMATION SCALING OF COMPLEX AUDITORY-STIMULI - NATIVE ANDNONNATIVE LANGUAGES

50 subjects used magnitude-estimation scaling to rate 11 languages on two subjective perceptual tasks. On Task 1, the subjects rated languag es according to bon similar they were to their native language (Englis h). In Task 2, the subjects rated languages according to how much they like them. Analysis showed a high over-all correlation between how si milar subjects felt the languages were to their native language and ho w much they liked them (Pearson product-correlation r = .86). The high correlation indicates consistency in subjects' scaling responses. Thi s consistency may suggest that magnitude estimation is an appropriate method for scaling complex auditory stimuli represented by various att ributes of native and nonnative languages.