Auditory free classification: methods and analysis.

The free classification paradigm and its potential application to perceptual acoustic and auditory research are summarized. Specific methods for the application of the auditory free classification paradigm in speech research are then described, including techniques for stimulus preparation, data collection, and statistical analysis, based on a sample auditory free classification study of regional dialect variation. The results suggest that auditory free classification is a promising paradigm for examining the perceptual classification and similarity of speech and nonspeech auditory stimulus materials.