Anthony Holbrook

Speech and Language Characteristics of an Aging Population

Publisher Summary This chapter presents four measures of speech acoustics that are needed to specify the speech signal. These measures are the fundamental vocal frequency, vocal intensity, speech sound duration, and the composition of the wave form of speech, which identifies the speech spectrum. There is a wide range of studies that describe speech spectra. In some instances, investigators have concentrated their attention upon the acoustic characteristics of particular speech sounds. For example, Holbrook and Fairbanks (1962) traced the movements of diphthong formants, while Fairbanks and Grubb (1961) and Peterson and Barney (1952), among others, provided valuable information regarding the acoustic characteristics of the vowels of the language. Information concerning consonant spectra has been provided by Halle, Hughes, and Radley and Heinz and Stevens, among others. Measures of fundamental frequency information have been provided by numerous investigators on the mean fundamental frequency and range in populations of widely differing ages

A device for automatic modification of vocal frequency and intensity

A system for automatic control of fundamental vocal frequency and intensity is described. The system is essentially a frequency and intensity discriminating circuit which provides immediate feedback information regarding vocal performance in connected speech. Vocal fundamental frequency target areas appropriate to the age and sex of subjects may be selected and varied at will. Applications to the speech of the deaf and to individuals with voice disorders are discussed.

Oral/manual motor reaction times and delayed auditory feedback disturbances among normally speaking females

Abstract Research has indicated that stuttering and nonstuttering groups can be differentiated on the basis of certain motor reaction time variables. This study evaluated the manual and oral reaction times to a 1000 Hz stimulus tone in 39 normally speaking college females. Speech disfluencies of the subjects (Ss) were identified by a four-judge panel and correlated with reaction time scores. Although no significant correlations were obtained, it was observed that Ss with faster oral and manual reaction times tended to have more disfluencies under delayed auditory feedback.