Professor Denis Burnham

MARCS Director
Director: Speech & Language

d.burnham@uws.edu.au
1.G.133, UWS Bankstown (Bullecourt Ave, Milperra)
Phone no.: +61 2 9772-6681

Research Interests
  • Speech perception – infants, children, adults
  • Auditory-visual speech processing
  • Reading and speech perception
  • Special speech registers - infant-, pet-, foreigner-, lover-directed speech
  • Cross-language studies – English, Thai, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, etc.
  • Lexical tone perception
  • Perfect pitch – music and speech perception
    Qualifications
    • BA (Hons1), University Medal, University of New England
    • PhD, Monash University
    Position Description
    • Director, MARCS
    • Chair in Auditory Research
    • Professor of Psychology
    Past Positions
    • 1994-1998: Associate Professor, Psychology, University of NSW
    • 1987-1994: Senior Lecturer, Psychology, University of NSW
    • 1981-1987: Lecturer, Psychology, University of NSW
    • 1975-1980: Tutor, Psychology, Monash University
    • 1974: Tutor, Psychology, University of England
    Teaching
    • Psychology of Language
    • Cognitive Processes
    • Developmental Psychology

     

The Development of Auditory-Visual Speech Perception: Infants, Children, Adults

 


Publications

In Press
Burnham, D., Kim J., Davis C., Valter C., Schoknecht C., Kasisopa B., et al. (In Press). Are tones phones? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology,
2008
Beach, E. L., Burnham D., & Kitamura C. (2008). The effect of spectral tilt on infants' discrimination of fricatives Interspeech 2008,
Burnham, D. (2008). From Talking to Thinking heads: Report 2008 AVSP 2008,
Smith, D., & Burnham D. (2008). Multimodal perception of Mandarin tone for Cochlear Implant Users (FletcherJ., LoakesD., WagnerM., GöckeR., BurnhamD., Ed.). Interspeech 2008,
Burnham, D., & Xu N. (2008). Tone hyperarticulation in Cantonese Infant-Directed Speech Interspeech 2008,
Sekiyama, K., & Burnham D. (2008). Impact of language on development of auditory-visual speech perception. Developmental Science, 11,
Mattock, M., McIntosh B., Erdener D., & Burnham D. (2008). The developmental course of lexical tone perception in the first year of life. Cognition, 106,
Burnham, D., Tyler M., Leigh G., Grebennikov L., Varley A., Noble W., et al. (2008). Parameters in television captioning for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults: Effects of caption rate versus text reduction on comprehension Deaf Studies and Deaf Education,
Erdener, D., McIntosh B., Dodd B., & Burnham D. (2008). Perception of the auditory-visual illusion in speech perception by children with phonological disorders. Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics, 22, 69-82.
Dodd, B., McIntosh B., Erdener D., & Burnham D. (2008). Perception of the auditory-visual illusion in speech perception by children with phonological disorders. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics,
2007
Xu, N., Burnham D., & Kitamura C. (2007). Tone and vowel hyperarticulation: Are they the same in IDS? 15th Biennial Australasian Human Development Conference, , Sydney, Australia
Xu, N., Burnham D., & Kitamura C. (2007). Vowel and tone hyperarticulation: Are they the same in infant-directed speech. Experimental Psychology Conference, , Canberra
Xu, N., Burnham D., & Kitamura C. (2007). Vowels and tones in infant directed speech: Hyperarticulation for both, but different developmental patterns. Interspeech, , Antwerp, Belgium, Aug 27-31, 2007
Shea, T. L., Sergejew A., Burnham D., Jones C., Rossell S. L., Copolov D. L., et al. (2007). Emotional prosodic processing in auditory hallucinations. Schizophrenia Research, 90, 214-220.
Uther, M., Knoll M. A., & Burnham D. (2007). Do you speak E-NG-L-I-SH? A comparison of foreigner- and infant-directed speech Speech Communication, 49,
Burnham, D., & Mattock M. (2007). The perception of tones and phones Language Experience in Second language Speech Learning. In honor of James Emil Flege, 259-280., Amsterdam
Burnham, D., Kitamura C., & Mattock K. (2007). Psycholinguistics meets Psycholinguistics: Different emphases, sustainable collaborations. (AroonmanakunW., Ed.). Unfolding Linguistics. , 23-39., Bangkok
Xu, N., & Burnham D. (2007). Tone and vowel hyperarticulation: Are they the same in IDS? Australian Journal of Psychology, 59, 66.
Xu, N., Burnham D., & Kitamura C. (2007). Vowel and tone hyperarticulation: Are they the same in infant-directed speech. Australian Journal of Psychology,
Xu, N., Burnham D., & Kitamura C. (2007). Vowels and tones in infant-directed speech: Hyperarticulation for both, but different developmental patterns. Interspeech 2007, 698-701., Bonn, Germany
2006
Schwarz, I. - C., Burnham D., & Bowey J. A. (2006). Phoneme sensitivity and vocabulary size in 2½- to 3-yearolds. Australasian Speech Science & Technology Conference 2006, 153-158.
Schwarz, I. - C., & Burnham D. (2006). New measures to chart toddlers’ speech perception and language development: A test of the Lexical Restructuring Hypothesis. 9th Interspeech Conference,, , Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Schwarz, I. - C., & Burnham D. (2006). Measuring vocabulary development in Australian toddlers with the Australian English Vocabulary Inventory OZI. Karitane Steps Conference, , Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia
Diehl, M., Kitamura C., Panneton R., & D. Burnham (2006). Six-month-olds’ perception of native speech accent. International Conference on Infant Studies, , Kyoto, Japan
Tyler, M. D., & Burnham D. (2006). Orthographic influences on phonemic deletion response times Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 59,
Marschark, M., Leigh G., Sapere P., Burnham D., Convertino C., Stinson M., et al. (2006). Benefits of Sign Language Interpreting and Test Alternative for Deaf Students’ Classroom Learning The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education,
Panneton, R., Kitamura C., Mattock K., & Burnham D. (2006). Slow Speech Enhances Younger but not Older Infants' Perception of Vocal Emotion Research in Human Development, Special Issue: The ecology of emotion in parenting relationships: Perspectives across the lifespan, 3,
Mattock, K., & Burnham D. (2006). Chinese and English Infants' Tone Perception: Evidence for Perceptual Reorganization Infancy, 10,
Panneton, R., Kitamura C., Mattock K., & Burnham D. (2006). Developmental differences in infants’ attention to affective properties of infant-directed speech. Human Development, 3, 7-11.
Burnham, D., Reynolds J., Vatikiotis-Bateson E., Yehia H., Ciocca V., Haszard Morris R., et al. (2006). The perception and production of phones and tones: The role of rigid and non-rigid face and head motion. (YehiaH C., DemolinD., LaboissiereR., Ed.). Proceedings of ISSP 2006, 7th International Seminar on Speech Production, 185-192.
2005
Crncec, R., Matthey S., Barnett B., Malloch S., & Burnham D. (2005). Measuring confidence in the parents of young children. Tresillian Family Care Centres Conference,
Schembri, A., Jones C., & Burnham D. (2005). Comparing action gestures and classifier verbs of motion: evidence from Australian Sign Language, Taiwan Sign Language, and nonsigners' gestures without speech. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 10,
Tyler, M. D., Tyler L., & Burnham D. (2005). The Delayed Trigger Voice Key: An improved analogue voice key for psycholinguistic research. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 37,
Keller, P. E., & Burnham D. (2005). Musical meter in attention to multipart rhythm. Music Perception, 22,
Erdener, D., & Burnham D. (2005). The role of audiovisual speech and orthographic information in nonnative speech production Language Learning, 55,
Stevens, C., Lees N., Vonwiller J., & Burnham D. (2005). On-line experimental methods to evaluate text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis: Effects of voice gender and signal quality on intelligibility, naturalness and preference. Computer Speech & Language, 19, 129-146.
Tyler, M. D., Tyler L., & Burnham D. (2005).  The Delayed Trigger Voice Key: An improved analogue voice key for psycholinguistic research. Behavior Research Methods, 37, 139-147.
2004
Xu, N., Burnham D., Kitamura C., & Vollmer-Conna U. (2004).  U. Polly Want a Cracker? On Talking to Babies, Puppies and Parrots International Conference on Infant Studies, , Chicago, USA
Xu, N., Burnham D., Kitamura C., & Vollmer-Conna U. (2004). Polly want a cracker? On talking to babies, puppies and parrots. International Conference on Infant Studies, , Chicago
Rungrojsuwan, S., Burnham D., & Luksaneeyanawin S. (2004). The acquisition of the accentual system in Thai: A study from pronunciation of polysyllabic words by 9- to 24-month-old Thai children. Journal of Language and Linguistics (Thammasat University), 22,
Burnham, D., & Dodd B. (2004). Auditory-visual speech integration by pre-linguistic infants: Perception of an emergent consonant in the McGurk effect. Developmental Psychobiology, 44,
Burnham, D., Stevens C., DiBiase B., Buchholz J., Kitamura C., Malloch S., et al. (2004). Research at MARCS Auditory Laboratories, University of Western Sydney Acoustics Australia, 69-73.
Panneton, R., Kitamura C., Mattock K., & Burnham D. (2004). Conjoint influences of emotional valence and speaking rate on preferences for infant-directed speech across age. International Conference on Infant Studies, , Chicago, USA
Kitamura, C., Cooper R., Mattock K., & Burnham D. (2004). Developmental influences of emotion and speech rate on preferences for infant-directed speech. Experimental Psychology Conference, , Otago, New Zealand
Kitamura, C., Cooper R., Mattock K., & Burnham D. (2004). Developmental influences of emotion and speech rate on preferences for infant-directed speech. Australian Journal of Psychology,
Kim, J., Davis C., Burnham D., & Luksaneeyanawin S. (2004). The effect of script on poor reader’s sensitivity to dynamic visual stimuli. Brain and Language, 91, 326-335.
2003
Schwarz, I. - C., Burnham D., & Bowey J. A. (2003). Australian English adaptation of an expressive vocabulary inventory. 14th Language and Speech Conference, , University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Burnham, D. (2003). Language specific speech perception and the onset of reading. Reading and Writing, 16,
Kitamura, C., & Burnham D. (2003). Pitch and communicative intent in mother's speech: Adjustments for age and sex in the first year. Infancy, 4, 85-110.
Schwarz, I. - C., & Burnham D. (2003). Development of an Australian expressive vocabulary inventory. Australian Journal of Psychology, 55,
2002
Brennan, D., & Stevens C. (2002). An experimental investigation of preferred simple integer relationships between pitch and tempo. (StevensC., BurnhamD., McPhersonG., SchubertE., RenwickJ., Ed.). 7th International Conference on Music Perception & Cognition,
Burnham, D., & Jones C. (2002). Categorical perception of lexical tone by tonal and non-tonal language speakers. (BowC., Ed.). 9th Australian International Conference on Speech Science & Technology, 515-519., Melbourne, Australia
Burnham, D., Kitamura C., & Vollmer-Conna U. (2002). What's New Pussycat? On talking to babies and animals. Science, 296,
Kitamura, C., Attapaiboon C., Burnham D., & Luksaneeyanawin S. (2002). Universal pitch modifications in infant directed speech: a prelinguistic longitudinal study in a tonal and non-tonal language. Infant Behavior and Development, 24,
Sudasna, P., Luksaneeyanawin S., & Burnham D. (2002). The influence of second language experience in the pattern of language processing of the bilingual lexicon. Manusya: Journal of Humanities, 5,
Woods, S., Shearsby J., Onslow M., & Burnham D. (2002). Psychological impact of the Lidcombe Program of early stuttering intervention. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, 37,
Burnham, D., Tyler M., & Horlyck S. (2002). Periods of speech perception development and their vestiges in adulthood An Integrated View of Language Development: Papers in Honor of Henning Wode, 281-300., Trier, Germany
Stevens, C., Burnham D., McPherson G., Scubert E., & Renwick J. (2002). Proceedings of the 7 th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition , Adelaide
Burnham, D., Brown H., Leigh G., Noble W., Varley A., Green D., et al. (2002). Survey of television caption usage in Australia in November 2000
Stevens, C., Malloch S., Haszard Morris R., & McKechnie S. (2002). Shaped time: A dynamical systems analysis of contemporary dance. (StevensC., BurnhamD., McPhersonG., SchubertE., RenwickJ., Ed.). 7th International Conference on Music Perception & Cognition, 161-164.
Kitamura, C., C. Thanavisuth, Luksaneeyanawin S., & Burnham D. (2002). Universality and specificity in infant-directed speech: Pitch modifications as a function of infant age and sex in a tonal and non-tonal language. Infant Behavior and Development, 24, 372-392.
Burnham, D., & Brooker R. (2002). Absolute pitch and lexical tones: Tone perception by non-musician, musician, and absolute pitch non-tonal language speakers. 7th International Conference on Spoken Language Processing, 257-260., Denver, USA
Bernstein, L. E., Burnham D., & Schwartz J. - L. (2002). Special session: Issues in audiovisual spoken language processing (When, Where, and How?) 7th International Conference on Spoken Language Processing, 1445-1448.
2001
Francis Beach, E., Burnham D., & Kitamura C. (2001).  Bilingualism and the relationship between perception and production: Greek-English bilinguals and Thai bilabial stops. International Journal of Bilingualis, 5,
Burnham, D., Ciocca V., & Stokes S. (2001). Auditory-visual perception of lexical tone. (DalsgaardP., LindbergB., BennerH., Ed.). Eurospeech Conference 2001, 395-398., Aalsborg, Denmark
Burnham, D., Lau S., Tam H., & Schoknecht C. (2001). Visual discrimination of Cantonese tone by tonal but non-Cantonese speakers, and by non-tonal language speakers. (MassaroD., LightJ., GeraciK., Ed.). Auditory-Visual Speech Perception Conference 2001 (AVSP2001), 155-160.
2000
Sudasna, P., Luksaneeyanawin S., & Burnham D. (2000). The bilingual lexicon: The complex nature of lexical and semantic system. Fourth Symposium on Natural Language Processing-SNLP'2000, 182-194., Chiangmai, Thailand.
Burnham, D. (2000). Excavations in language development: Cross-linguistic studies of consonant and tone perception. Interdisciplinary Approaches to Language Processing: The International Conference on Human and Machine Processing of Language and Speech, , Bangkok, Thailand
Burnham, D., Ciocca V., Lauw C., Lau S., & Stokes S. (2000). Perception of visual information for Cantonese tones. (BarlowM., RoseP., Ed.). Eighth Australian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology, 86-91., Canberra
1999
Burnham, D. (1999). Hearing by eye: Speech perception is an auditory-visual phenomenon Psychology & Society, 36-52., Brisbane
1998
Burnham, D., & Dodd B. (1998). Familiarity and novelty in infant cross-language studies: Factors, problems, and a possible solution. Advances in Infancy Research, 12, 170-187.
Bavin, E., & Burnham D. (1998). Turning and looking: New directions in infant language research Advances in Infancy Research, 12, 165-169.
Kitamura, C., & Burnham D. (1998). The infant's response to vocal affect in maternal speech. Advances in Infancy Research, 12, 221-236.
Campbell, R., Dodd B., & Burnham D. (1998). Hearing by Eye II: Advances in the Psychology of Speechreading and Auditory-visual Speech. , Hove, UK
Campbell, R., Dodd B., & Burnham D. (1998). Introduction to Hearing by Eye II Hearing by Eye II: Advances in the Psychology of Speechreading and Auditory-visual Speech, ix-xiv., Hove, UK
Burnham, D. (1998). Language specificity in the development of auditory-visual speech perception Hearing by Eye II: Advances in the Psychology of Speechreading and Auditory-visual Speech, 27-60., Hove, UK
Burnham, D., Robert-Ribes R., & Vatikiotis-Bateson E. (1998). Proceedings of AVSP'98: International Conference on Auditory-Visual Speech Processing (Second ESCA ETRW on Auditory-Visual Speech)
Burnham, D., Beach E., Kitamura C., Vollmer-Conna U., Averkiou V., Olley A., et al. (1998). Are you my little pussy-cat? acoustic, phonetic and affective qualities of infant- and pet-directed speech. ICSLP-1998, 2, 453 4-4556., Sydney
Burnham, D., & Lau S. (1998). The effect of tonal information on auditory reliance in the McGurk effect. AVSP'98: International Conference on Auditory-Visual Speech Processing (Second ESCA ETRW on Auditory-Visual Speech), 37-42., Sydney
Burnham, D. (1998). Harry McGurk and the McGurk effect. (BurnhamD., Robert-RibesR., Vatikiotis-BatesonE., Ed.). AVSP'98: International Conference on Auditory-Visual Speech Processing (Second ESCA ETRW on Auditory-Visual Speech), 1-2., Sydney
1997
Luksaneeyanawin, S., Burnham D., Pansottee, & Beach E. (1997). The role of L1 background and L2 instruction in the perception of fricative contrasts: Thai and English children and adults. Asia Pacific Journal of Speech Language and Hearing, 2, 25-42.
Burnham, D., & Beach E. (1997). The role of linguistic experience in the perception of Thai tones SouthEast Asian Linguistic Studies in Honour of Vichin Panupong , 8, 29-47., Bangkok, Thailand
1996
Burnham, D., & Dodd B. (1996). Auditory-visual speech perception as a direct process: The McGurk effect in human infants and across languages Speechreading by humans and machines, 103-114., Berlin
Burnham, D., Beach E., & Webster D. (1996). The development of tone perception: Cross-linguistic aspects and the effect of linguistic context Pan-Asiatic Linguistics - Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Language and Linguistics, 47-75.
Burnham, D., Beach E., Webster D., Luksaneeyanawin S., Attapaiboon C., Lacerda F., et al. (1996). Perception of lexical tone across languages: Evidence for a linguistic mode of processing ICSLP-1996, 2514-2517., Philadelphia
Burnham, D., Beach E., Webster D., Luksaneeyanawin S., Lacerda F., & Attapaiboon C. (1996). Facilitation or attenuation in the development of speech mode processing? Tone perception over linguistic contexts. SST-96, 587-592., Adelaide
1994
Asman, J., Beck S., Burnham D., Denford J., Field B., Fraser C., et al. (1994). The New Baby Book: A practical guide to caring for your young child. , Sydney, Australia
Walker, M., Burnham D., & Borland R. (1994). Psychology 2nd Edition , Sydney
1993
Burnham, D., Taplin J., Henderson-Smart D., Earnshaw-Brown L., & O'Grady B. (1993). Maturation of precedence effect thresholds: full-term and preterm infants. Infant Behavior and Development, 16, 213-232.
Burnham, D. (1993). Visual recognition of mother by infants: facilitation by voices. Perception, 22, 1133-1153.
1992
Burnham, D., & Harris M. B. (1992).  Effects of real gender and labelled gender on adults' perception of infants. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 153, 165-183.
1991
Burnham, D., Earnshaw L. J., & Clark J. E. (1991). Development of categorical identification of native and non-native bilabial stops: infants, children and adults. Journal of Child Language, 18, 231-260.
Christie, J., McIntyre J., & Burnham D. (1991). An evaluation of group parent training as an alternative method of treatment for articulation impairment. Australian Journal of Human Communication Disorders, 19, 3-22.
Slater, A., Mattock A., Brown E., Burnham D., & Young A. (1991). Visual processing of stimulus compounds in newborn infants. Perception, 20, 29-33.
1988
Burnham, D., Vignes G., & Ihsen E. (1988). The effect of movement on infants' memory for visual compounds. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 6, 351-360.
Dodd, B., & Burnham D. (1988). Processing speechread information. The Volta Review: New Reflections on Speechreading, 90, 45-60.
Forgas, J., Burnham D., & Trimboli L. (1988). Mood, memory and social judgements in children Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 697-703.
1987
Burnham, D. (1987). The role of movement in object perception by infants Perceptual Development in Early Infancy: Problems and Issues, 143-172., New York
Burnham, D., Earnshaw L. J., & Quinn M. C. (1987). The development of categorical identification of speech Perceptual Development in Early Infancy: Problems and Issues, 237-275., New York
1986
Burnham, D. (1986). Developmental loss of speech perception: Exposure to and experience with a first language. Applied Psycholinguistics, 7, 207-239.
Burnham, D., Chisholm E., & Harris M. J. (1986). Fatherhood: A Practical Guide , Sydney
1983
Burnham, D. (1983). Apparent relative size in the judgement of apparent distance Perception, 12, 683-700.
1981
Burnham, D., & Dickinson R. G. (1981). The determinants of visual capture and visual pursuit in infancy. Infant Behavior and Development, 4, 341-357.
Burnham, D., & Day R. H. (1981). Infants' perception of shape and color in laterally moving patterns. Infant Behavior and Development, 4, 341-357.
1979
Burnham, D., & Day R. H. (1979). Detection of color in rotating objects by infants and its generalization over changes in velocity. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 28, 191-204.
1978
Dua, J. K., & Burnham D. (1978). A laboratory comparison of systematic desensitisation, flooding, and punishment procedures in the extinction of the human avoidance response. Australian Journal of Psychology, 30, 79-87.

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