Effects of speech style, room acoustics, and vocal fatigue on vocal effort

Bottalico, Pasquale; Graetzer, Simone; Hunter, Eric J.

doi:10.1121/1.4950812

Cited by 62 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The relationship of SPL and self-reported vocal effort with speech style, room acoustics and vocal fatigue, have been presented in Bottalico et al . 7 The mean values for the variables Effort (%), ΔSPL (dB), std_ΔSPL (dB), fo (Hz) and std_fo (Hz) for males and females and Dt_p (%) are reported in Table I for the 12 conditions (2 styles, 3 rooms and 2 panels).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More details on and the rationale of the experimental method are given in Bottalico et al 7 Speech signals were processed to calculate measures of phonation time ( D t_p ) and fundamental frequency ( fo ).…”

Section: Experimental Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This level represents the background noise present in a classroom during group activities. 9 More details on the room acoustics parameters are given in Bottalico et al 7 …”

Section: Experimental Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on the same experiment, Bottalico et al 7 reported the effects of room acoustics, voice style (corresponding to normal and raised levels) and short-term vocal fatigue on Sound Pressure Level centered per subject (ΔSPL) and self-reported vocal effort, control, comfort and clarity. The second aim of the current study was to predict self-reported vocal effort from objective measurements, combining the results of the voice parameters analyzed in this study with the results from Bottalico et al 7 Based on the standard ISO 9921, 8 vocal effort can be quantified by means of voice SPL.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The second aim of the current study was to predict self-reported vocal effort from objective measurements, combining the results of the voice parameters analyzed in this study with the results from Bottalico et al 7 Based on the standard ISO 9921, 8 vocal effort can be quantified by means of voice SPL. However, it has been hypothesized that other vocal parameters should also be considered to better predict self-reported vocal effort.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Speech Adjustments for Room Acoustics and Their Effects on Vocal Effort

Bottalico

2017

Journal of Voice

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Objectives The aims of the present study are: (1) to analyze the effects of the acoustical environment and the voice style on time dose (Dt_p,) and fundamental frequency (mean fo and standard deviation std_fo), while taking into account the effect of short term vocal fatigue; (2) to predict the self-reported vocal effort from the voice acoustical parameters. Methods Ten male and ten female subjects were recorded while reading a text in normal and loud styles, in three rooms - anechoic, semi-reverberant and reverberant –with and without acrylic glass panels 0.5 m from the mouth, which increased external auditory feedback. Subjects quantified how much effort was required to speak in each condition on a visual analogue scale after each task. Results (Aim1) In the loud style, Dt_p, fo and std_fo increased. The Dt_p was higher in the reverberant room compared to the other two rooms. Both genders tended to increase fo in less reverberant environments, while a more monotonous speech was produced in rooms with greater reverberation. All three voice parameters increased with short-term vocal fatigue. (Aim2) A model of the vocal effort to acoustic vocal parameters is proposed. The SPL (Sound Pressure Level) contributed to 66% of the variance explained by the model, followed by the fundamental frequency (30%) and the modulation in amplitude (4%). Conclusions The results provide insight into how voice acoustical parameters can predict vocal effort. In particular, it increased when SPL and fo increased and when the amplitude voice modulation (std_ΔSPL) decreased.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Experimental Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This level represents the background noise present in a classroom during group activities. 9 More details on the room acoustics parameters are given in Bottalico et al 7 …”

Section: Experimental Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Speech Adjustments for Room Acoustics and Their Effects on Vocal Effort

Bottalico

2017

Journal of Voice

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Impact of Face Masks on Speech Acoustics and Vocal Effort in Healthcare Professionals

et al. 2021

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Objectives/Hypothesis: We investigated speech acoustics and self-reported vocal symptoms in mask-wearing healthcare professionals. We hypothesized that there would be an attenuation of spectral energies and increase in vocal effort during masked speech compared to unmasked speech.Study Design: Within and between subject quasi-experimental design.Methods: We prospectively enrolled 21 healthcare providers (13 cisgender female, 8 cisgender male; M = 32.9 years; SD = 7.9 years) and assessed acoustics and perceptual measures with and without a face mask in place. Measurements included: 1) acoustic Vowel Articulation Index (VAI); 2) cepstral and spectral acoustic measures; 3) traditional vocal measures (e.g., fundamental frequency, intensity); 4) relative fundamental frequency (RFF); and 5) self-reported ratings of vocal effort and dyspnea.Results: During masked speech, there was a significant reduction in VAI, high-frequency information (>4 kHz), and RFF offset 10, as well as a significant increase in cepstral peak prominence and perceived vocal effort. Further analysis showed that high-frequency attenuation was more pronounced when wearing an N95 mask compared to a simple mask.Conclusions: Face masks pose an additional barrier to effective communication that primarily impacts spectral characteristics, vowel space measures, and vocal effort. Future work should evaluate how long-term mask use impacts vocal health and may contribute to vocal problems.

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