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An Investigation into the Auditory Attributes of Volume and Density in Listening to Speech Sounds

Infante, Linda
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1566463066606973

Abstract Details

1979, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, Communication Studies.
Speech pathologists often encounter voices that defy classification using voice measurements presently available. Stevens (1975) demonstrated that pure tones can be described in terms of pitch, intensity, volume and density. Available voice profiles allow for the rating of pitch and intensity but do not provide for the evaluation of volume or density. The purpose of these studies was to determine the feasibility of judging the auditory attributes of volume and density in spoken speech. Density has been defined as "compactness, concentration or hardness of sound", while volume is defined as "size of the sound, how large it appears." (Stevens, 1975) A small number of highly trained listeners, using the technique of magnitude estimation judged selected isolated vowels, CVC syllables and sentence stimuli in separate studies. In vowel and sentence stimuli the attribute of density could be judged consistently by some listeners. Volume could not be consistently judged. In this experimenter's opinion, the voices used in the study were too similar in volume to permit a satisfactory test of usefulness of this attribute to voice description. The second major part of the study consisted of a large group of subjects with limited training using an equal interval scale. These subjects judged the attribute of density in both isolated vowel and sentence stimuli. These subjects were able to rank the talkers in a fashion similar to the small group of highly trained subjects. In summary, the following results were shown: trained listeners can judge the attribute of density consistently in isolated vowels and sentence stimuli but not in eve context; judgments of volume could not be considered reliable due to the limited selection of voices used, and untrained listeners could judge density in both vowel and sentence stimuli with reasonable interjudge consistency. Unexpectedly, the lower pitched voices of males were judged more dense than the higher pitched female voices.
George Herman (Advisor)
Audiology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Infante, L. (1979). An Investigation into the Auditory Attributes of Volume and Density in Listening to Speech Sounds [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1566463066606973

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Infante, Linda. An Investigation into the Auditory Attributes of Volume and Density in Listening to Speech Sounds. 1979. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1566463066606973.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Infante, Linda. "An Investigation into the Auditory Attributes of Volume and Density in Listening to Speech Sounds." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 1979. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1566463066606973

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1566463066606973
88
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