Cultural and language differences in voice quality perception: A preliminary investigation using synthesized signals

Edwin M.-L. YIU, Bruce MURDOCH, Kathryn HIRD, Suk Han Polly LAU, Elaine Mandy HO

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlespeer-review

49 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Perceptual voice evaluation is a common clinical tool. However, to date, there is no consensus yet as to which common quality should be measured. Some available evidence shows that voice quality is a language-specific property which may be different across different languages. The familiarity of a language may affect the perception and reliability in rating voice quality. Aims: The present study set out to investigate the effects of listeners' cultural and language backgrounds on the perception of voice qualities. Methods and Procedures: Forty speech pathology students from Australia and Hong Kong were asked to rate the breathy and rough qualities of synthesized voice signals in Cantonese and English. Outcome and Results: Results showed that the English stimulus sets as a whole were rated less severely than the Cantonese stimuli by both groups of listeners. In addition, the male Cantonese and English breathy stimuli were rated differently by the Australian and Hong Kong listeners. Conclusions and Implications: These results provided some evidence to support the claim that cultural and language backgrounds of the listeners would affect the perception for some voice quality types. Thus, the cultural and language backgrounds of judges should be taken into consideration in clinical voice evaluation. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)107-119
JournalFolia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica
Volume60
Issue number3
Early online dateMar 2008
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2008

Citation

Yiu, E. M.-L., Murdoch, B., Hird, K., Lau, P., & Ho, E. M. (2008). Cultural and language differences in voice quality perception: A preliminary investigation using synthesized signals. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica, 60(3), 107-119. doi: 10.1159/000119746

Keywords

  • Voice assessment
  • Perceptual voice
  • Voice quality
  • Dysphonia

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Cultural and language differences in voice quality perception: A preliminary investigation using synthesized signals'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.