Fluency in spontaneous speech predicts individual variance in executive function among seniors

Purpose The study sets out to investigate inter- and intraspeaker variation in German infant-directed speech (IDS) and considers the potential impact that the factors gender, parental involvement, and speech material (read vs. spontaneous speech) may have. In addition, we analyze data from 3 time points prior to and after the birth of the child to examine potential changes in the features of IDS and, particularly also, of adult-directed speech (ADS). Here, the gender identity of a speaker is considered as an additional factor. Method IDS and ADS data from 34 participants (15 mothers, 19 fathers) is gathered by means of a reading and a picture description task. For IDS, 2 recordings were made when the baby was approximately 6 and 9 months old, respectively. For ADS, an additional recording was made before the baby was born. Phonetic analyses comprise mean fundamental frequency (f0), variation in f0, the 1st 2 formants measured in /i: ɛ a u:/, and the vowel space size. Moreover, social and behavioral data were gathered regarding parental involvement and gender identity. Results German IDS is characterized by an increase in mean f0, a larger variation in f0, vowel- and formant-specific differences, and a larger acoustic vowel space. No effect of gender or parental involvement was found. Also, the phonetic features of IDS were found in both spontaneous and read speech. Regarding ADS, changes in vowel space size in some of the fathers and in mean f0 in mothers were found. Conclusion Phonetic features of German IDS are robust with respect to the factors gender, parental involvement, speech material (read vs. spontaneous speech), and time. Some phonetic features of ADS changed within the child's first year depending on gender and parental involvement/gender identity. Thus, further research on IDS needs to address also potential changes in ADS.

Download Full-text

Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Naturalness in Speakers of Varying Gender Identities

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00337 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (7) ◽

pp. 2054-2069

Author(s):

Brandon Merritt ◽

Tessa Bent

Keyword(s):

Spontaneous Speech ◽

Identification Accuracy ◽

Rating Task ◽

Gender Identification ◽

Identification Task ◽

Male And Female ◽

Perceptual Evaluation ◽

Speech Training ◽

And Gender ◽

Speech Naturalness

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate how speech naturalness relates to masculinity–femininity and gender identification (accuracy and reaction time) for cisgender male and female speakers as well as transmasculine and transfeminine speakers. Method Stimuli included spontaneous speech samples from 20 speakers who are transgender (10 transmasculine and 10 transfeminine) and 20 speakers who are cisgender (10 male and 10 female). Fifty-two listeners completed three tasks: a two-alternative forced-choice gender identification task, a speech naturalness rating task, and a masculinity/femininity rating task. Results Transfeminine and transmasculine speakers were rated as significantly less natural sounding than cisgender speakers. Speakers rated as less natural took longer to identify and were identified less accurately in the gender identification task; furthermore, they were rated as less prototypically masculine/feminine. Conclusions Perceptual speech naturalness for both transfeminine and transmasculine speakers is strongly associated with gender cues in spontaneous speech. Training to align a speaker's voice with their gender identity may concurrently improve perceptual speech naturalness. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12543158

Download Full-text

Assessment of Some Contemporary Theories of Stuttering That Apply to Spontaneous Speech

Contemporary Issues in Communication Science and Disorders ◽

10.1044/cicsd_31_s_123 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 31 (Spring) ◽

pp. 123-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 58

Author(s):

Peter Howell

Keyword(s):

Spontaneous Speech

Download Full-text

Executive Functions and Clinical and Academic Outcomes in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2020_persp-19-00143 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. 1221-1230

Author(s):

Jane Roitsch ◽

Kimberly A. Murphy ◽

Anastasia M. Raymer

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Academic Outcomes ◽

Graduate Program ◽

Performance Outcomes ◽

Future Research ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Grade Point ◽

Praxis Ii ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Preliminary Study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate executive function measures as they relate to clinical and academic performance outcomes of graduate speech-language pathology students. Method An observational design incorporating correlations and stepwise multiple regressions was used to determine the strength of the relationships between clinical outcomes that occurred at various time points throughout the graduate program (clinical coursework grades throughout the program and case study paper scores at the end of the program), academic outcomes (graduate grade point average and Praxis II exam in speech-language pathology scores), and executive function (EF) scores (EF assessment scores, self-reported EF scores). Participants were 37 students (36 women, M age = 24.1) in a master's degree program in speech-language pathology at a southeastern U.S. university during the 2017–2018 academic year. Results Findings of this preliminary study indicated that a limited number of objective EF scores and self-reported EF scores were related to clinical and academic outcomes of graduate speech-language pathology students. Conclusion As results of this preliminary study suggest that EF tests may be related to clinical and academic outcomes, future research can move to study the potential role of EF measures in the graduate admissions process in clinical graduate programs such as speech-language pathology.

Download Full-text

Functional Spontaneous Speech Phenomena

Perspectives on Fluency and Fluency Disorders ◽

10.1044/ffd17.2.17 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 17-20

Author(s):

Jean E. Fox Tree

Keyword(s):

Spontaneous Speech

Download Full-text

Clinical Decision-Making for Stroke and Aphasia in the Older Adult

Perspectives on Gerontology ◽

10.1044/gero14.1.4 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 4-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jacqueline Hinckley

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Cerebrovascular Disease ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Clinical Decision Making ◽

Clinical Decision ◽

Cognitive Profile ◽

Focal Lesion ◽

Cognitive Profiles ◽

Supportive Communication ◽

Spaced Retrieval

Abstract A patient with aphasia that is uncomplicated by other cognitive abilities will usually show a primary impairment of language. The frequency of additional cognitive impairments associated with cerebrovascular disease, multiple (silent or diagnosed) infarcts, or dementia increases with age and can complicate a single focal lesion that produces aphasia. The typical cognitive profiles of vascular dementia or dementia due to cerebrovascular disease may differ from the cognitive profile of patients with Alzheimer's dementia. In order to complete effective treatment selection, clinicians must know the cognitive profile of the patient and choose treatments accordingly. When attention, memory, and executive function are relatively preserved, strategy-based and conversation-based interventions provide the best choices to target personally relevant communication abilities. Examples of treatments in this category include PACE and Response Elaboration Training. When patients with aphasia have co-occurring episodic memory or executive function impairments, treatments that rely less on these abilities should be selected. Examples of treatments that fit these selection criteria include spaced retrieval and errorless learning. Finally, training caregivers in the use of supportive communication strategies is helpful to patients with aphasia, with or without additional cognitive complications.

Download Full-text