# The motor theory of speech perception reviewed (2) **Abstract:** NIH-PA Author Manuscript More than 50 years after the appearance of the motor theory of speech perception, it is timely to evaluate its three main claims that (1) speech processing is special, (2) perceiving speech is perceiving gestures, and (3) the motor system is recruited for perceiving speech. We argue that to the extent that it can be evaluated, the first claim is likely false. As for the second claim, we review findings that support it and argue that although each of these findings may be explained by alternative accounts, the claim provides a single coherent account. As for the third claim, we review findings in the literature that support it at different levels of generality and argue that the claim anticipated a theme that has become widespread in cognitive science. The motor theory of speech perception (see, e.g., Liberman, Cooper, Shankweiler, & StuddertKennedy, 1967; Liberman & Mattingly, 1985) is among the most cited theories in cognitive psychology.1 However, the theory has had a mixed scientific reception. On the one hand, it has few proponents within the field of speech perception, and many authors cite it primarily to offer critical commentary (e.g., Sussman, 1989). On the other hand, it is perhaps the only theory of speech perception recognized outside the field of speech, and there, its reception has been considerably more positive (e.g., Rizzolatti & Arbib, 1998; Williams & Nottebohm, 1985). NIH-PA Author Manuscript With the deaths of Alvin Liberman and I **Authors:** [[Author Manuscript]]