Paris West University Nanterre La Défense

About: Paris West University Nanterre La Défense is a education organization based out in Paris, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Computer science & Politics. The organization has 895 authors who have published 1430 publications receiving 21712 citations.

Expectations for discourse genre identification: a prosodic study.

Abstract: Speech can be divided into discourse genres based on the contextual environment it occurs in (e.g. political speech, sport commentary speech, etc.). The present study investigated whether listeners can distinguish between speech from different discourse genres on the basis of acoustic prosodic cues only 1 . In a perception experiment with delexicalized speech 70 listeners with varying experience in French (native speakers, nonnative speakers, and non-speakers) were asked to identify four different types of discourse genres (church service, political, journal, and sport commentary). Results revealed a fair identification ability with a significant increase in performance with increasing experience in French. Identification confusion was used to cluster discourse genres according to their perceptual similarity. The possible application of the results for the evaluation of speaking style speech synthesis will be discussed. Index Terms : discourse genre, speaking style, prosody, perception, speech synthesis.

Influences of learning and predispositions on frequency level preferences on female canaries (Serinus canaria).

Abstract: In many species, females show preferences for male vocalizations emitted at low-pitched frequencies. This acoustic parameter seems to be a reliable indicator of male quality. This study aims to evaluate whether modifying the frequency range of male song enhances female canary preferences. To do so, we used the most well-known type of song emitted by male canaries called 'sexy' phrases. These phrases are composed of two-note syllables emitted at a high-speed rhythm with a large frequency bandwidth. Two experiments were carried out, both using copulation solicitation displays as a preference index. In the first experiment, the frequency levels of sexy phrases were modified and female preferences for high, normal or low-pitched frequencies were tested. In the second experiment, only frequency levels of notes that immediately precede and follow the sexy phrases were changed in order to verify if the contrast between the frequency of sexy phrases and of surrounding notes influences female response. Moreover, to evaluate female predispositions and the influence of learning on these predispositions, we tested and compared females reared in acoustic isolation and females reared with singing males. Our study reveals that both groups of females prefer sexy phrases emitted at normal and low frequencies. These results let us suppose that learning helps to maintain present predispositions. The second experiment shows that there is no influence of the frequency contrast between sexy phrases and surrounding notes on these preferences in either group.

Preferences and predispositions of female canaries (Serinus canaria) for loud intensity of male sexy phrases

Abstract: In the present study, we tested the effect of song amplitude on intersexual relationships. To evaluate preferences and predispositions of female canaries for amplitude levels of male song, we conducted two experiments using both females raised in acoustic isolation and females raised in an aviary under ‘normal’ acoustic conditions. The songs used in both experiments followed the same pattern: one reactive phrase surrounded by two nonreactive phrases. The first experiment consisted of testing female preferences for weak, normal, or loud amplitudes of the reactive phrase (i.e. these reactive phrases provoke sexual stimulation in females). In a second experiment, we tested female preferences for weak, normal, or loud amplitudes of the nonreactive phrases. These two experiments allowed us to evaluate female preferences for intensity levels of reactive and nonreactive phrases. In the first experiment, all females significantly prefered loud and normal reactive phrases, whereas the second experiment showed that loud nonreactive phrases do not necessarily provoke more responses than other nonreactive phrases. Female canaries were, thus, more stimulated by the intensity level of a particular part of the song. Both females raised in acoustic isolation and in normal acoustic conditions responded in the same way. We can therefore suppose that learning, through acoustic experience, has little influence on preference development for amplitude levels. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 96, 808–814.

Social competition and firms' location choices ∗

Abstract: The paper evaluates the empirical effect of labor market institutions on foreign direct investment (FDI) decisions. To that aim, a firm-level dataset is used, that describes French firms’ expansion strategies abroad over the 1992-2002 period. Following Head & Mayer (2004b), the determinants of individual FDI decisions are estimated by implementing a discrete choice model on all possible foreign locations. The estimated equation is derived from a partial-equilibrium model combining elements of the new trade theory and the labor market literature. We find that labor market institutions do impact French firms’ location decisions. Our overall results suggest that labor market rigidity puts a brake on the host country’s attractiveness. More detailed analysis shows that the estimated effects depend on the sample of countries considered as potential locations . French fi rms arethus found to be much more sensitive to the design of labor market institutions when FDI decisions take place within the set of industrialized OECD countries.