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Purpose This research gathered pilot data on the effects of a typical collegiate athletic season on the male coach's voice. Materials and methods Ten male coaches and ten age- and sex-matched controls participated. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed to assess group differences in: 1) written self-reports obtained during one session, 2) acoustic and aerodynamic variables obtained during regular season and during off-season for the coaches and only once for the controls, and 3) auditory-perceptual data provided by three speech-language pathologists using the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice during one listening session. Data pertaining to the coaches’ regular season, to the coaches’ off-season, and to the control participants were designated as in-season, off-season, and control, respectively. Results Significant self-reported findings included more phonotraumatic behaviors in the coaches than in the controls and higher in-season than off-season and control vocal demand. The coaches’ history of voice problems was unrelated and the controls’ was related to respiratory illness and addressing a large audience. A significant acoustic finding was lower off-season than control low fundamental frequency. Finally, trained listeners perceived control loudness as more aberrant than off-season loudness and they noted vocal fry twice as many times in in-season and off-season than in control voices. Conclusions This study exposed traces of adverse voice reactions to coaching and confirmed that coaches harbor a job-based proclivity to voice overuse. Self-reported measures appeared to be the least and aerodynamic the most immune to phonatory exertion that pervades daily coaching tasks. Future studies are warranted to further delineate how athletic coaching interferes with voice production.

Management of variability of the cardiac rhythm (VCR) is widely applied as a marker of psycho emotional state in educational institutions. This approach is suitable for testing properties of the pupils for the detection of vocal signals. The aim of the study was a comparative analysis of VCR as an objective parameter corresponded with psycho-emotional tension and acoustic perception of the speech in youngsters under sophisticated condition of the competition between vocal signals pronounced by different individuals. Methods. VCR was measured in 44 male and female youngsters 1316 years old with the comparison of identification of competing acoustic signals random sequences of words simultaneously pronounced by male or female voice. VCR analysis provided distinction the prevalence of sympathetic versus parasympathetic tone reflecting high or moderate level of psycho-emotional tension. Results. Identification of target words pronounced by female voice in subjects with prevalence of sympathetic or parasympathetic tone was correct in 96% and 87% respectively. Target words pronounced by the male voice were correctly identified in 88% cases in both groups. It is suggested that in primary schools where women compose majority of teachers, the developing juvenile brain imprints the corresponding acoustic wave band. Under the conditions of psycho-emotional tension these links are realized with maximal effectiveness.

Background Many of the Arabic monosyllabic word lists that are currently available in the literature have some limitations and drawbacks. Some of these available lists include word structures that are not consonant-nucleus-consonant (CNC) such as cluster and disyllabic word structures. Other lists have poor phonetic or phonemic distribution balance and do not represent some phoneme appropriately in each list. Purpose The purpose of the present study is to create and validate eight digitally recorded lists of phonemically balanced CNC words that represent all Arabic phonemes, to be used in the evaluation of word recognition score (WRS) of Jordanian Arabic-speaking adults. These lists should be easily adapted by other Arab countries because of the simplicity of the words, and the balanced inclusion of all the Arabic phonemes. Research Design The present study is a prospective cross-sectional study. Study Sample Thirty-one (23 females, 8 males) normal hearing and healthy young adults (18–29 years old) participated in the present study. All participants were native speakers of Jordanian Arabic and had no history of ear disease or surgery. Lists The authors created all possible combinations of Arabic CNC words, and then created eight phonemically balanced lists with 26 words in each list. Each consonant was presented only once at the beginning of a word and once at the end of a word in each list. The lists were recorded using a Jordanian male voice and the intensity of each word was digitally calibrated. Data Collection and Analysis The pure tone average (PTA) of 0.5, 1, 2, 4 kHz was calculated for each participant, and the WRS was obtained for each intensity level in the range of –10 to 55 dB SL (ref. PTA) in 5 dB steps. Results No significant difference between right and left ear WRS was found at any intensity level. The WRSs from both ears were averaged and used in the repeated measure analysis of variance. Performance-intensity functions for all the lists showed some small but statistically significant differences between lists. However, none of these differences were clinically significant ( Conclusion The present study provides eight lists of recorded and calibrated CNC word lists. The obtained PI functions showed that these lists are suitable for Jordanian Arabic speaking adults. These lists can be easily generalized to other Arab countries after conducting the required follow-up research.

We can selectively attend to one of two simultaneous voices sharing a source location. Can we endogenously select the voice before speech is heard? Participants heard two digit names, spoken simultaneously by a male voice and a female voice, following a visual cue indicating which voice's digit to classify as odd or even. There was a substantial cost in reaction time and errors when the target voice switched from one trial to the next. In Experiment 1, with a highly familiar pair of voices, the switch cost reduced by nearly half as the cue-stimulus interval increased from 50 to 800 ms, indicating (contrary to previous reports) effective endogenous preparation for a change of voice. No further reduction in switch cost occurred with a longer preparation interval-this "residual" switch cost may be attributable to attentional "inertia." In Experiment 2, with previously unfamiliar voices, the pattern of switch costs was very similar, though repeated attention to the same target voice over a run of trials improved performance more. Delaying the onset of one voice by 366 ms improved performance, but the pattern of preparatory tuning effects was similar. Thus, endogenous preparation for a voice is possible, but it is limited in efficacy, as for some other attentional domains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

배경 및 목적: 소리는 음장을 지나 외이도, 중이, 내이 등으로 상행한다. 외이도는 음향에너지 특성이 유지되는 곳으로 공명에 의해 말소리의 음향학적 특성이 달라질 것으로 예상된다. 이 연구는 실이에서 음성의 포먼트 주파수를 분석하여, 외이 공명이 음성에 어떤 영향을 미치는지 알아보는데 목적이 있다. 방법: 모음은 사용 빈도가 높은 /ㅏ/, /ㅣ/, /ㅜ/,...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the emotional content of words marking brief intervals on the perceived duration of these intervals. Three independent variables were of interest: the gender of the person pronouncing the words, the gender of participants, and the valence (positive or negative) of the words in conjunction with their arousing properties. A bisection task was used and the tests, involving four different combinations of valence and arousing conditions (plus a neutral condition), were randomized within trials. The main results revealed that when the valence is negative, participants responded ‘short’ more often when words were pronounced by women rather than by men, and this effect occurred independently of the arousal condition. The results also revealed that overall, males responded ‘longer’more often than females. Finally, in the negative and low arousal condition, the Weber ratio was higher (lower sensitivity) when a male voice was used than when a female voice was used. This study shows that the gender of the person producing the stimuli whose duration is to be judged should be taken into account when analyzing the effect of emotion on time perception.

Purpose To investigate the effect of female versus male speakers' voice on the ability to recognize speech in noise in two groups of sensorineural hearing-impaired listeners, one group with impairment at low frequencies and the other at high frequencies. Method Eight participants with high-frequency hearing impairments (Hf-HI) and seven with low-frequency hearing impairments (Lf-HI) participated. Sixteen normal hearing (NH) participants served as reference. The sentences from the hearing in noise test, read by a female or a male speaker, were presented monaurally with a background noise. In an adaptive procedure, the mean speech recognition threshold, for 50% correctly recognized sentences, was calculated for the female and male voice and each test subject. Results The Hf-HI group had significantly greater difference in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) results between female and male voices. Irrespective of hearing impairment, the female voice required 2.1 dB better SNR. In addition, the NH group showed a smal...

Background:The diagnosis ‘acoustic shock’ has been made increasingly in the health care industry in recent years. This paper aims to question the validity of acoustic shock as an organic pathological entity.Methods:The experiences of 16 individuals diagnosed as having acoustic shock, within a medico-legal practice, are reviewed.Results:The commonest symptom was otalgia, followed by noise sensitivity, tinnitus, hearing disturbance and dizziness.Conclusion:The presence of noise-limiting technology in the workplace, the variation in the nature of the acoustic incident involved (ranging from a shriek, through feedback noise, to a male voice), and the marked variation in the time of symptom onset (following the acoustic incident) all suggest that the condition termed acoustic shock is predominantly psychogenic. Cases of pseudohypacusis indicate that malingering is a factor in some cases. Clusters of acoustic shock events occurring in the same call centres suggest that hysteria may play a part. The condition is usually only seen when work-related issues are apparent.

Summary Objectives of the Study In spite of voice being an important parameter of mate choice, none of the studies have described the acoustic characteristics of the sexually appealing voice. Method Two hundred adults (100 men and 100 women) in the age range of 18–24 years were asked to narrate a topic, which was recorded directly onto Computerized Speech Lab (CSL) 6103 hardware. Recorded stimuli were presented to the six judges, and they were asked to indicate if the voice is sexually appealing on a five-point rating scale. The voices, which are consistently identified as sexually very attractive and unattractive were subjected to cepstral analysis through CSL. Results The results of perceptual analysis revealed that 28 of the female voice samples and 39 of the male voice samples were rated as sexually attractive. These ratings were consistent within and across the judges. The cepstral analysis was then performed in all the voice samples and the results of independent t test revealed higher values of cepstral peak parameter (CPP) in the sexually attractive voices in comparison to the other voice samples in both the genders. The obtained results are discussed with respect to the harmonic organization in the voice samples. Conclusions The results of cepstral analysis in sexually attractive voices revealed higher values of CPP in comparison to the voices rated as sexually not appealing. This could be because of the presence of well-defined harmonic structure evidenced in the sexually appealing voice in comparison to voices rated as very unappealing. Our findings suggest that cepstral analysis is a good indicator of sexually appealing voice.

La tiroplastia de relajación está indicada en pacientes con alteraciones de la muda vocal (cambio de voz en la pubertad) resistentes al tratamiento con fonoterapia. El acortamiento de los pliegues vocales tiene como objetivo reducir la frecuencia de vibración, con lo cual el tono adquiere un carácter masculino.Presentamos el caso de un paciente masculino con puberfonía que alteraba su calidad de vida. Se revisan la técnica quirúrgica y los resultados.

Reference data for speech range profiles (SRP), voice range profiles (VRP), and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) are presented for Swedish males (n = 30). For comparisons, individual data for four male contact granuloma patients are also reported. For the vocally healthy group mean values were: speaking fundamental frequency 123 Hz (SD 12.1), speaking equivalent level, Leq, 72.2 dB (SD 2.1), SRP area 142 ST*dB (SD 24.1), and VRP area 1,706 ST*dB (SD 340). Mean VHI was 5 (SD 4.8). Test-retest recordings of VRP and SRP for three subjects suggested good reliability. SRP and VRP values for three of the patients fell more than 2 SD outside the reference values. Protocols and results are discussed and standardized recording and analyses procedures are suggested.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of postconceptional age and voice type (male and female) on heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Nineteen preterm infants born 31 weeks of gestation heard male and female voices on a weekly basis and their physiologic responses were recorded while hearing each voices. Results revealed that infants responded to the male voice with decreased HR as they grew older. Male voices, including the father's voice, can be considered an auditory stimulus for young preterm infants in the NICU.

No previous research has investigated the responsiveness of older adults (65–85 years) to different emergency fire signals during sleep. In this study the auditory arousal thresholds (AAT) of 45 older adults were compared across four signals; the high pitched T-3 (as in current US smoke alarms), a mixed frequency T-3 (500–2500 Hz), a 500 Hz T-3 and a male voice. Participants were carefully screened, including for hearing, and awoken from deep sleep in a repeated measures design. Sounds increased progressively in volume until awakening occurred. It was found that the median AAT for the most effective signal, the mixed frequency T-3, was 20 dBA lower than the median AAT of the least effective signal, the current US high frequency smoke alarm signal. This finding is consistent with previous research, where the high pitched signal required a significantly louder volume than alternatives to wake sleepers of different ages, including children. Those aged over 75 years are especially at risk for sleeping through high pitched signals, probably due to the normal age-related decline in the ability to hear high pitched sounds. The minimum pillow volume of 75 dBA is inadequate for those over 75 years if a 3000 Hz notification signal is used. It is recommended that the high frequency signal currently found in smoke alarms be replaced by an alternative signal that performs significantly better in awakening most of the adult population, once the nature of the best signal has been determined.

The purpose of this study was to extend understanding of the effects of aging on the male voice by obtaining and analyzing both acoustic and respiratory measures across the aging continuum. Aerodynamic measurements such as vital capacity (VC), maximum phonation time (MPT) and the acoustic measurement Speaking Fundamental Frequency (SFF) are used commonly in Speech-language Pathology to aid in the assessment and treatment outcomes of vocal dysfunction. However, current research lacks analysis of the interaction across these parameters within males. This study examined the changes of these parameters and interactions in males across various age groups. Acoustic measures of SFF, MPT, and VC were obtained in age groups of 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-69, N=35. Age and SFF were found to be statistically significant. No other statistically significant interactions were observed.

The attainment of a feminine-sounding voice is a highly desirable goal among male-to-female transgender (MFT) persons, but this goal may be difficult for many to accomplish. The characteristics associated with a feminine vocal quality include increases in fundamental frequency and in vocal breathiness. In this study, we used inverse-filtering of the airflow signal to indirectly assess vocal fold function in 13 MFT persons. Each participant was asked to sustain the vowel /a/ first in her biological male voice and then again in her female voice. In addition, these vowel productions were compared with vowels produced by age-matched biologic women and men. The results of the study revealed a significant increase in maximum flow declination rate during female voice production. Perceptual ratings of a feminine voice were associated with a fundamental frequency (F0) of 180 Hz or greater, although F0 did not differ significantly between male and female voice production. These results are discussed relative to the mechanisms that obtained a feminine-sounding voice.

The transition between ‘chest’ and ‘head’ register is essential for male opera singers in order to reach the higher pitches. The ‘passaggio’, which is a scale passage where this transition takes place, but also a maneuver of register equalization, is typically difficult to learn. Studies on parameters for a definition of this transition are restricted to a small number of singers so far. Audio, electroglottographic, and equivalent subglottic pressure signals of 11 male opera singers were recorded while singing scales on open back vowels and passing the register transition. A spectrum analysis of the audio signal revealed that the second harmonic (H2) dominates in ‘chest’, resonated by the first formant (F1), together with the fourth harmonic (H4), supported by the second formant (F2). During the passaggio, H2 level decreases because it loses the resonance of F1, while the third harmonic (H3) gains the resonance of F2. At this point the H4 level drops because that harmonic is no longer supported by F2. The transition from ‘chest’ to ‘head’ register is marked by characteristic changes in the amplitude patterns of the partials H2, H3, and H4, and the frequency progressions of the first two formants, defining an objective distinction between the two registers.

Transsexuality is a complex, permanent transposition involving a paradoxical feeling of belonging to the opposite sex. Furthermore, in the case of male-to-female transsexuals, the unchanged male voice, which is at odds with the female outward appearance, poses a serious obstacle to full social integration of the woman. One way of permanently raising the fundamental frequency, requiring little effort, is modified cricothyroidopexy via miniplates, which has been used in our hospital since 1993 following a technique developed by Isshiki (thyroplasty type IV). Until now, this operation has been performed on 67 female patients. To record the anatomical-morphological and functional data, preoperatively, post-operatively, and a year after the operation, a detailed voice diagnosis was made, laryngoscopy was carried out, X-rays were taken, and computer-assisted tomography was used to examine the larynx. Thus far, the functional results have been good. On average, the fundamental frequency has been raised by about one fourth. Whereas none of the female patients had a female-speaking voice before the operation, after the operation, about 30% of the patients' voices were in the female range, and 32% had at least a neutral-sounding voice.

Testosterone has been known to play an important role in the development of the postpubertal male voice for many centuries. In fact, the prevention of pubertal development of the voice by castrating young male singers was a well-known practice, especially in Italy beginning in the sixteenth century. The "castrati" were well known for their clear, high-pitched voices. Because of the resulting small larynx and vocal folds, castrati apparently produced a distinctive resonance as well as the high pitch, which cannot be matched even by the counter tenors of today. Busy voice labs occasionally see males with sex hormone deficiencies secondary to chromosomal or gonadal problems. This is a presentation of an unusual patient who was a trained tenor singer and was found to have hypogonadism on a premarital health examination. Administration of replacement testosterone resulted in significant vocal register and voice quality changes.

Ultrasound measurements of the vocal folds were taken for a number of boys passing through puberty. The boys were grouped according to their pubertal stage as defined by Tanner and there was a gradual increase in the length of the vocal folds as puberty progressed. The fundamental frequency of the boys' speaking voice was recorded via laryngography and a good correlation between the length of the vocal folds and the frequency of the voice was seen. The sudden drop in frequency seen between Tanner stages 3 and 4 did not correlate with similar changes in the length of the vocal folds at this time but stroboscopic findings suggest a change in the structure and mass of the vocal folds at this time of maximum frequency change.

This prospective, longitudinal study investigates the relationship between different parameters of the male speaking and singing voice during pubertal development. The data obtained consisted of 122 acoustic, laryngographic and clinical recordings of 26 musically untrained boys at different stages of puberty as defined by Tanner. The data show that: 1. The maximum changes in voice parameters occur between Tanner “G” stages 3 and 4. 2. The semitone range for the modal singing voice does not alter significantly throughout Tanner “G” stages 1 to 5. 3. There is an excellent correlation between the quantitatively measured singing range of modal voice (as shown on the laryngograph) and the keyboard derived perceptive singing range. 4. There is a constant relationship between the speaking fundamental frequency and the lowest singing frequency. The relevance of these parameters to clinical and musical practice is discussed.

The present study investigated the effect of voice gender on Mandarin tone perception by cochlear implant users who speak Chinese. Six cochlear implant users were recruited in this study with their own devices. Psychoacoustic experiment on Mandarin tone perception was carried out with the use of 160 monosyllabic words uttered by a male speaker and a female speaker. Clean speech materials and their noisy counterpart at 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio were tested. Experimental result showed that cochlear implant users could achieve relatively good Mandarin tone perception of 72% correct at clean condition. However, the tone perception performance significantly degraded in noise environment. No significant differences were found between male voice and female voice. Electrodogram analysis indicated that tone-related information was severely masked by noise on the electrode output of cochlear implant.

Histories of male voice choirs and the movement are documented in much greater detail elsewhere. However, in essence, the movement in the United Kingdom can trace its history back into the 19th century and the development of heavy industries in the north and south west of the country and, a little more recently, to Wales. As the movement spread and became more popular, choirs started to form outside the industrial heartlands and as late as the latter half of the 20th century new choirs were forming, initially as groups of friends or workmates. This chapter documents the state of play in the male voice movement in the United Kingdom in 21st century.

This chapter chronicles the development of male choral singing in the schools, churches, and communities of the United States. Particular focus is given to the relationship between choral music study in school settings and singing that occurs outside of schools and throughout the lifespan. A key factor in the persistence of males in choral activity is the experience of singing during the period of adolescent voice change. The development of theory and research about the developing male voice is presented in overview, with analysis of the influence on the current status of male singing in the United States. Several misalignments between research and reality are discussed, specifically in the areas of pedagogy, performance, practice, and gender stereotypes. The chapter concludes with suggestions from boys about how to increase male participation in choral singing.

Summary The purposes of this project were to discover (1) if the speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) levels of professional singers differ significantly from those of nonsingers and (2) if the age-related SFF patterns are similar for these two classes of individuals. Sixty professional singers and 94 nonsingers were recorded reading the first paragraph of the “Rainbow Passage;” both males and females were included. Three paired groups (young, middle, and old age) were studied; they were selected on the basis of health and age. The professional singer groups were further divided by a binary voice classification system, specifically that of soprano/alto for women and tenor/baritone for men. It was found that the sopranos and tenors exhibited significantly higher SFF levels then did the age-matched nonsingers, whereas the altos and baritones did not differ significantly from the controls. Relationships within the performer groups were mixed. For example, there appeared to be a systemic trend for the sopranos and tenors to exhibit higher SFF levels than the altos and baritones. Finally, although the nonsinger SFF levels varied significantly as a function of age, those for the professional singers did not.

The objective was to describe influences of sex hormones on the male voice in an elderly cohort. Sixty-three elderly males were recruited to undergo assessment of voice parameters, stroboscopy, voice-related questionnaires, a blood draw, and an ultrasound examination of the laryngeal skeleton. The group was divided into men with normal hormonal status and men with lowered levels of sex hormones, called hypogonades. Depending on the level of androgens, voice parameters did not differ. In subjects with decreased levels of estrogens, a significant increase in mean fundamental frequency, as well as changes of highest and lowest frequency plus a shift of the frequency range could be detected. We could detect significant changes of voice parameters depending on status of estrogens in elderly males. Androgens appear to have no impact on the elderly male voice. To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study that correlates sex hormones with voice parameters in elderly men.

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar a dinâmica vocal por meio da fonetografia em coristas de diferentes classificações vocais. MÉTODOS: Participaram 44 indivíduos, de 19 a 75 anos (média=51,9 anos) membros de um coral profissional; sendo, oito sopranos, 20 mezzo-sopranos, quatro tenores, sete barítonos e cinco baixos. Realizou-se a fonetografia, em sala acusticamente tratada. RESULTADOS: Foram obtidas as médias das freqüências mínimas e máximas, respectivamente: soprano 36st (130 Hz) e 72st (1084 Hz), mezzo-soprano 35st (124 Hz) e 68st (878 Hz); tenor 28st (85 Hz) e 65st (709 Hz), barítono 26st (74 Hz) e 59 (524 Hz) e baixo 26st (75 Hz) e 59st (513 Hz). Quanto às médias das intensidades mínimas e máximas, encontrou-se, respectivamente: soprano 64 dB e 131 dB, mezzo-soprano 75 dB e 123 dB, tenor 82 dB e 126 dB, barítono 75 dB e 121 dB e baixo 75 dB e 120 dB. Na análise estatística (Teste t de Student), observou-se diferença estatisticamente significante entre as vozes femininas: soprano apresentou maior freqüência máxima que mezzo-soprano. CONCLUSÃO: Tais achados indicam que a fonetografia permite o registro das características vocais relevantes para a classificação vocal de coristas, podendo auxiliar em uma classificação vocal adequada. PURPOSE: To characterize, by phonetography, the vocal dynamics of choristers with different vocal classifications. METHODS: Forty-four professional choir singers with ages between 19 and 75 years (average: 51.9 years old) participated in the study. The group included eight sopranos, 20 mezzo-sopranos, four tenors, seven baritones and five basses. The phonetography was carried out in an acoustically treated room. RESULTS: The averages of minimum and maximum frequency rates were obtained, respectively: soprano 36st (130 Hz) and 72st (1084 Hz), mezzo-soprano 35st (124 Hz) and 68st (878 Hz); tenor 28st (85 Hz) and 65st (709 Hz), baritone 26st (74 Hz) and 59st (524 Hz) and bass 26st (75 Hz) and 59st (513 Hz). Regarding the averages of minimum and maximum intensity rates, the following values were obtained, respectively: soprano 64 dB and 131 dB, mezzo-soprano 75 dB and 123 dB, tenor 82 dB and 126 dB, baritone 75 dB and 121 dB and bass 75 dB e 120 dB. Statistical analysis (Student's t-test) showed significant differences between female and male voice rates: soprano voices presented larger frequency maximum than mezzo-soprano. CONCLUSION: Data showed that phonetography allows the register of relevant vocal characteristics, helping the appropriate vocal classification of choristers.

The perception of human voices as naturally occurring sound objects may correspond to the detection of specific components of the frequency spectrum. In the current study, a psychophysical experiment was undertaken to investigate whether male and female listeners differed with respect to which frequencies were important in the perception of a male voice as a natural sound object. For females (but not males) the presence of low frequencies (220 Hz), but not high frequencies (4 kHz), was most crucial in the perception of a male voice as natural. This finding could be compatible with a neuroethological interpretation: low frequencies in the range that were studied are important in distinguishing male from female voices and mature from immature male voices.

Three experiments used the Coordinated Response Measure task to examine the roles that differences in F0 and differences in vocal-tract length have on the ability to attend to one of two simultaneous speech signals. The first experiment asked how increases in the natural F0 difference between two sentences (originally spoken by the same talker) affected listeners’ ability to attend to one of the sentences. The second experiment used differences in vocal-tract length, and the third used both F0 and vocal-tract length differences. Differences in F0 greater than 2 semitones produced systematic improvements in performance. Differences in vocal-tract length produced systematic improvements in performance when the ratio of lengths was 1.08 or greater, particularly when the shorter vocal tract belonged to the target talker. Neither of these manipulations produced improvements in performance as great as those produced by a different-sex talker. Systematic changes in both F0 and vocal-tract length that simulated an incremental shift in gender produced substantially larger improvements in performance than did differences in F0 or vocal-tract length alone. In general, shifting one of two utterances spoken by a female voice towards a male voice produces a greater improvement in performance than shifting male towards female. The increase in performance varied with the intonation patterns of individual talkers, being smallest for those talkers who showed most variability in their intonation patterns between different utterances.

Patients diagnosed with musical hallucinosis (MH) report hearing songs, melodies or orchestral music in the absence of a source of sound. Typically there is no delusional interpretation of the hallucinations.1 Because of the rareness of the disorder, reports of successful therapy have mostly been case studies. These have described treatment with neuroleptics, antidepressants and antiepileptics. There is some evidence that a cholinergic deficit is likely to play a role in different hallucinatory syndromes. Based on this evidence we treated two cases of MH with cholinergic drugs. ### Case No 1 A 54-year-old male patient reported MH since the age of 34 years. The hallucinations took the form of different songs sung by a male voice which he could not attribute to anyone known to him. The melodies were partly accompanied by the sounds of a piano or guitar. Sometimes the patient would also hear orchestral music. The hallucinations were predominantly perceived on the right-hand side. The patient described an increased intensity of the MH after a stroke at the age of 52 years. He had suffered infarctions of the left and right medial cerebral artery territories at the ages of 52 and 54 years, respectively. While no clinical symptoms remained of the infarction in the left hemisphere, the infarction in the right hemisphere had …

This study examined word level intelligibility differences between DECTalk and MacinTalk speech synthesizers using the Modified Rhyme Test in an open format transcription task. Three groups of listeners participated: inexperienced, speech-language pathologists, and speech synthesis experts. Results for between-subjects ANOVA showed that the expert group correctly identified a significantly higher number of words than each of the other listener groups. For the within-subjects factor of voice, simple effects ANOVA and post hoc contrasts within each group showed that listeners had higher intelligibility scores for the DECTalk male voice, Perfect Paul, than for the MacinTalk male voice, Bruce. No other pairwise gender/age-matched differences were found between the two synthesizers.

The changes in the male voice in relation to the biological characteristics of puberty were assessed longitudinally in 26 boys. Speaking and singing fundamental frequencies were analysed in relation to the Tanner staging of puberty, saliva testosterone levels, and the Cooksey classification of voice analysis. There were abrupt changes in voice characteristics between Tanner stages G3 and G4 and more gradually from stages C3 to C5 of Cooksey. Although testosterone concentrations were not predictive of the changes, there was a correlation with testis volume. Voice fundamental frequencies were seen to change abruptly in late puberty, in contrast with previous studies. There is a good correlation between the Tanner and Cooksey methods of classification during male puberty.

Individuals vary their speaking rate, and listeners use the speaking rate of precursor sentences to adjust for these changes [Kidd, G. R., ‘‘Articulatory‐rate context effects in phenone identification,’’ J. Exp. Biol.: Human Percep. Perfor. 15, 736–748 (1989)]. This speaking rate adjustment is not limited to speech from a single talker [Sawusch & Newman, ‘‘Perceptual normalization for speaking rate II: Effects of signal‐discontinuities,’’ Percep. Psychophys. 62, 285–300 (2002)]; if one speaker stops talking and another begins, listeners will use rate information from the first talker to interpret speech in the second. We examined how long this cross‐talker effect lasts. A male talker produced a carrier sentence at fast and slow speaking rates. A female talker then produced one or more subsequent words at a constant speaking rate. The final word in the female voice contained a duration‐based contrast. We examined how much intervening speech in the female voice was necessary before the male voice’s speaking...

Summary The purpose of the present study was to provide data on the intensitycharacteristics of young adult speakers in terms of conversational intensity level, conversational intensity range, and available intensity range. Subjects included 20 males and 20 females, ages 20–30 years. Each subject was asked to read the Rainbow Passage at a conversational intensity level, as softly as possible without whispering, and as loudly as possible, on 2 separate days 1 week apart. The second and third sentences of the three readings on both days were analyzed for various intensity parameters. Results revealed a conversational intensity level of 70.42 dB for males and 68.15 dB for females. When male and female intensity measures were compared, few statistically significant differences were found. Further, when intensity measures for the first and second readings were compared, few significant differences were found.

The discrimination of mono-syllable words (67S word-list) pronounced by a male and a female speaker was investigated in noise in 39 normal hearing subjects. The subjects listened to the test words at a constant level of 62 dB together with white or weighted noise in four S/N conditions. By processing the data with logit transformation, S/N-discrimination curves were presumed for each combination of a speech material and a noise. Regardless of the type of noise, the discrimination scores for the female voice started to decrease gradually at a S/N ratio of +10 dB, and reached 10 to 20% at-10 dB. For the male voice in white noise, the discrimination curve was similar to those for the female voice. On the contrary, the discrimination score for the male voice in weighted noise declined rapidly from a S/N ratio of +5 dB, and went below 10% at -5 dB. The discrimination curves seem to be shaped by the interrelations between the spectrum of the speech material and that of the noise.

The most common recording of CNC words used to test speech perception by persons with cochlear implants utilizes a single male talker. However, research has shown that CI recipients often have difficulty perceiving speech by persons with high F0 and formant frequencies (Loizou, P., Dorman, M., and Powell, V. 1998. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 103: 1141–1149). Presented here are CNC word lists recorded using an adult female talker. Ten normal hearing adults identified these words with 99% accuracy. Eight CI subjects also listened to the original (male voice) and new (female voice) recordings. The two star subjects identified the female speakers words 15% less accurately than the male speakers words (Male voice: 82% correct; Female voice: 67% correct). For the other CI subjects (mean performance around 40%) there was no effect of voice on their performance. Results of the acoustic analysis of all the stimuli will also be presented. [Research supported by a subcontract from Washington University in St. Louis, NIDCD R01 DC000581.]

The CNC word identification test is part of the speech test battery used to evaluate speech perception by persons fitted with cochlear implants [Luxford et al, Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgery, 126–127 (2001)]. This test uses ten lists of 50 relatively common, phonetically balanced English words per list [Peterson and Lehiste, J. Speech. Hear. Disorders, 27:62–70 (1962)]. The version of this test, currently standardized and used across the U.S., contains the words spoken by one male speaker. Research has shown, however, that persons with cochlear implants have more difficulty perceiving speech produced by women and children than speech produced by men [Loizou et al,. J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 103: 1141–1149 (1998)]. The ten CNC word lists were recorded as produced by an eleven‐year old girl. Each word was isolated and the word ready spoken by the same girl was added at the beginning of each stimulus sound file. Ten adults with normal hearing identified these words with 98% accuracy. Identification results will be obtained from persons fitted with cochlear implants and compared to the results of the same persons when listening to the original, male voice, CNC word lists. [Work supported by a UW‐Madison Hilldale Research Scholarship.]

Adult recipients of cochlear implants (Nucleus and Clarion) provided identifications and confidence ratings for two sets of 465 vowel‐like tokens which were synthesized with two fundamental frequency (F0) contours representative of a typical male voice and female voice. Formant combinations used for the stimulus sets sampled a large range encompassing all nonretroflex vowels of American English. Subjects assigned each token to one of ten American English vowel qualities or to a category indicating it was not one of the ten, and rated their confidence of identification on a five‐point scale. Various perceptual maps were constructed from these responses based on number of agreements per token, most often used ID category per token, and average ratings. These maps will be compared with similar maps derived from normal hearing subjects. Comparison and discussion will address general differences in perceptual vowel spaces and rating patterns between the subject groups, as well as specific differences related t...

Previous studies of Babine/Witsuwit’en have shown speaker differences in the production of glottalized stops [Davis and Hargus, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 100, 2690 (1996)]. The present study investigates native listeners’ perception of the glottal/nonglottal contrast. Ten subjects were presented with 16 naturally produced minimal pairs contrasting glottalized and voiceless unaspirated stops or affricates. These tokens, interspersed with 18 control minimal pairs, were presented in random order. Listeners’ judgments were recorded on a forced‐choice answer sheet. The task was performed twice, once with a male voice and once with a female voice. Subjects showed greater confusion when identifying members of the glottal/nonglottal contrast than when identifying members of the control contrasts (84% correct versus 93% correct). Among control items, voiceless unaspirated and voiceless aspirated pairs were correctly distinguished 97% of the time. ANOVA results considering all experimental factors (subject, speaker, place of articulation, etc.) will be presented. In addition, acoustic analyses of correctly identified versus confused glottal/nonglottal pairs will be presented. Particular attention will be paid to significant factors (VOT, F0) from earlier production studies.

Most speech research with infants occurs in quiet laboratory rooms with no outside distractions. However, in the real world, speech directed to infants often occurs in the presence of other competing acoustic signals. To learn language, infants need to attend to their caregiver's speech even under less than ideal listening conditions. We examined 7.5-month-old infants' abilities to selectively attend to a female talker's voice when a male voice was talking simultaneously. In three experiments, infants heard a target voice repeating isolated words while a distractor voice spoke fluently at one of three different intensities. Subsequently, infants heard passages produced by the target voice containing either the familiar words or novel words. Infants listened longer to the familiar words when the target voice was 10 dB or 5 dB more intense than the distractor, but not when the two voices were equally intense. In a fourth experiment, the assignment of words and passages to the familiarization and testing phases was reversed so that the passages and distractors were presented simultaneously during familiarization, and the infants were tested on the familiar and unfamiliar isolated words. During familiarization, the passages were 10 dB more intense than the distractors. The results suggest that this may be at the limits of what infants at this age can do in separating two different streams of speech. In conclusion, infants have some capacity to extract information from speech even in the face of a competing acoustic voice.

The properties of linguistic attention were examined by recording event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to probe stimuli mixed with dichotically presented prose passages. Subjects either shadowed (repeated phrase by phrase) or selectively listened to one passage while ERPs were recorded from electrodes overlying midline sites, left-hemisphere speech areas, and corresponding areas of the right hemisphere. Mixed with each voice (a male voice in one ear, a female voice in the other) were four probe stimuli: digitized speech sounds (but or /a/ as in father) produced by the same speaker and tone bursts at the mean fundamental and second formant frequencies of that voice. The ERPs elicited by the speech probes in the attended ear showed an enhanced negativity, with an onset at 50 ms-100 ms and lasting up to 800 ms-1,000 ms, whereas the ERPs to the second formant probes showed an enhanced positivity in the 200 ms-300 ms latency range. These effects were comparable for shadowing and selective listening conditions and remained stable over the course of the experiment. The attention-related negativity to the consonant-vowel-consonant probe (but) was most prominent over the left hemisphere; other probes produced no significant asymmetries. The results indicate that stimulus selection during linguistic attention is specifically tuned to speech sounds rather than simply to constituent pure-tone frequencies or ear of entry. Furthermore, it appears that both attentional set and stimulus characteristics can influence the hemispheric utilization of stimuli. Language: en

When lists of word pairs were presented simultaneously in a dichotic monitoring task to three groups of right-handed subjects aged 5, 7 and 11 years, more target words were responded to, and reaction times was shorter, when these occurred in the right rather than the left ear. The magnitude of the effect did not change with age. A signal detection analysis showed that the right ear advantage was due to greater sensitivity of the right ear, rather than a response bias. Hand effects were assessed separately by using binaural stimulation in which each ear received two inputs, one in a male voice and the other in a female voice. The right hand responded to target words in one voice, and the left hand to target words in the other voice. The contribution of a right hand superiority to the ear effect was found to be minimal. The effects of language acquisition and attention strategies on the right ear advantage are discussed. It was concluded that at 5 years of age the left hemisphere is specialized for the analysis of speech signals. This produces a right ear advantage in competitive verbal listening.

123 newborn infants were tested for changes in arterial oxygen status as an index of response to three voices, one of these being the maternal voice. Male infants responded more than female infants to their mother's voice, but female infants showed a higher response to the other female voice and the male voice. Black infants of each sex responded more than white infants to the maternal voice and to the other female voice. White female infants responded more than black female infants to the male voice.

The formant regions of vowels sustained by well‐known male operatic singers were compared with each other and with those of untrained voices. Since vowel samples from commercial phonograph records were too short for electrical harmonic analysis, these samples were re‐recorded on circular grooves. Analysis consisted of measuring the energy content of the individual harmonic partial tones. The result of this method seemed to be more informative in many ways than those obtained by using the sound spectrograph which shows only the general formant regions. Three important formants were found in the male voice, although the third of these was more prominent in trained voices. A fourth of minor importance occurred in trained voices only. The frequency positions of the three important formants are found to be in dose agreement for the various voices analyzed.

Summary In this experiment 60 undergraduates were given a serial learning task to assess the possibility of an auditory von Restorff effect. Fifteen males and 15 females learned a list of nine words presented aurally (recorded) with the same male voice (control groups). Fifteen males and 15 females (experimental groups) learned the same list as the control groups except that the sixth word was spoken by a female voice: i.e., it was isolated. The results of this study parallel the results of studies using visual stimuli. The von Restorff effect was demonstrated with auditory stimuli in that one of the experimental groups (female) learned the list with significantly fewer errors than the comparable control group. No difference was found between the male groups.

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Studies emphasizing laryngeal fundamental as the cue for speaker sex do not account for the fact that in modal register there is a large range of f0 that is produceable by both sexes. Evidence that vocal tract resonance characteristics are a cue to speaker sex is presented. Listeners rated whispering voices on a confidence scale as to speaker‐sex identification. A significant nonparametric correlation was found between a measure of vocal tract resonance characteristics and listener ratings. The fact that the male voice with the vocal tract resonance characteristics most like those of the females was the only voice not confidently and accurately identified and the fact that when the distinctly female and distinctly male voices were taken separately there was no significant correlation suggest that there is a cutoff point between what is considered female voice quality and male.