本文對普通話存在連續現象的兩個調位,即陰平和去聲進行了感知實驗,結果發現,普通話陰平和去聲調位之間雖然在基頻參量上表現出類別感知界限,但一些內在、外在因素會同時影響到感知邊界的位移。與普通話陰平與陽平感知實驗結果比較更揭示了漢語升調和降調感知的不平衡性。對不同聲調調型感知特性的認識有助于我們觀察和探索聲調的共時和歷時變化現象。

A perception experiment was conducted on Mandarin tone 1 and tone 4 which share continuous ending frequencies.The result shows a categorical perceptual mode,though certain intrinsic and extrinsic factors are found to affect the perceptual boundary at the same time.A comparison between the result from this experiment and that from an earlier one by Chan et al(1975) which focused on Mandarin tone 1 and tone 2 further reveals the asymmetry in perceiving a rising contour tone and a falling contour tone.Awareness of the tonal perceptual mechanisms and the properties will be beneficial in future investigations of certain synchronic phenomena of tonal variations and historical rules of tone change.