Upper lip, lower lip, and jaw interactions during speech: comments on evidence from repetition-to-repetition variability

Abstract

Six studies purporting to demonstrate complementary covariation in lip and jaw activity during speech are reviewed. The statistical procedures used to assess interactions among the upper lip, lower lip, and jaw movements are discussed for four different experiments analyzing repetition-to-repetition movement variation. The findings from two studies analyzing repetition-to-repetition variation for interactions in electromyographic activity recorded from either the jaw musculature or the labial musculature also are evaluated. It is concluded that these studies do not provide convincing evidence of complementary covariation among the articulators or the muscles.