Political persuasion in a Spanish electoral debate

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Hidalgo Downing
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Political Discourse ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Persuasive Strategies ◽  
Turn Taking ◽  
Initial Hypothesis ◽  
Communicative Strategy ◽  
Political Persuasion ◽  
Frequency Intensity

Abstract In this paper, we study the elements of political discourse where persuasion is present as communicative strategy. In particular, we focus on the analysis of intonation and affectivity in a two-candidate Spanish electoral debate (Hidalgo Downing and Nieto y Otero 2014; Ponsonnet 2014; Reber 2012).The methodology consisted in selecting the openings and closings of each turn, taking the act as analysis unit (Briz 2003); for the acoustic analysis we have examined three parameters – fundamental frequency, intensity and vowel durations –, and four strategies for the positive affective bonds: assertiveness, inclusion, specificity and naturalization, in order to pursue the initial hypothesis on whether it is possible to find relations between intonation and affectivity. The analysis shows that both candidates use affective bonds and intonation to enhance persuasion, although there are interesting differences between candidates and between openings and closings. While openings show greater number and variety of strategies, both verbal and intonational, closings show lower intonational contours and less variation, therefore openings showing higher use of positive persuasive strategies, whereas in closings, there are no strategies addressed to the hearer, the most frequent being assertiveness. As for intonational contours, there is a general lowering in all values.

Fundamental Frequency, Intensity, and Vowel Selection: Effects on Measures of Phonatory Stability

1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1189-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marylou Pausewang Gelfer
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Selection Effects ◽  
Analysis Software ◽  
Voice Production ◽  
Speaking Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Frequency Intensity

Measures of phonatory stability such as jitter, shimmer, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are increasingly used in clinics and laboratories, yet questions about the effects of various aspects of voice production on these acoustic variables have received only limited attention. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of frequency, intensity, and vowel selection on those measures of phonatory stability. Twenty-nine young adult females were used as subjects. Each subject produced vocalizations at her speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) and one octave above SFF; at 60, 70, and 80 dB; and on the vowels /i/ and /a/, for a total of 12 vocalizations per subject. These vocalizations were then analyzed, using CSpeech acoustic analysis software, to obtain measures of jitter, shimmer, and SNR. Results revealed that frequency, intensity, and vowel selection all affected various phonatory stability measures, with the highest perturbation values almost always occurring in the low frequency-low intensity condition. Implications and physiological explanations for the results of the study were presented.

Rhetorical moves in political discourse: closing statements by presidential candidates in US primary election debates

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Schubert
Keyword(s):  
Political Discourse ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Election Campaigns ◽  
Sample Analysis ◽  
Presidential Candidates ◽  
Primary Election ◽  
Presidential Primary ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Discourse Studies ◽  
Political Persuasion

Abstract Presidential primary debates in the USA are commonly concluded by brief closing statements, in which the competitors outline the central messages of their election campaigns. These statements constitute a subgenre characterized by a set of recurring rhetorical moves, which are defined as functional units geared towards the respective communicative objective, in this case political persuasion. Located at the interface of rhetorical move analysis and political discourse studies, this paper demonstrates that moves and embedded steps in closing statements fulfill the persuasive function of legitimizing the respective candidate as the most preferable presidential successor. The study is based on the transcripts of 98 closing statements, which were extracted from eight Democratic and eleven Republican primary debates held between August 2015 and April 2016. Typical moves, such as projecting the speaker’s future political agenda or diagnosing the current situation in America, are presented with the help of illustrative examples, frequencies of occurrence, and a sample analysis of a complete closing statement.

Frequency, Intensity, and Target Matching Effects on Photoglottographic Measures of Open Quotient and Speed Quotient

1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
David G. Hanson ◽  
Bruce R. Gerratt ◽  
Gerald S. Berke
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Significant Interaction ◽  
Normal Male ◽  
Similar Frequency ◽  
Intensity Changes ◽  
Male Subjects ◽  
Target Matching ◽  
Frequency Intensity

Measurements of Open Quotient (OQ) and Speed Quotient (SQ) were made from photoglottographic signals of normal male subjects during phonation. Samples were obtained at spontaneous levels of fundamental frequency and intensity, and at nine specified frequency/intensity combinations. OQ increased with fundamental frequency. OQ change was not significant for change in intensity and there was no significant interaction between frequency and intensity. Changes in SQ with variations of frequency and intensity were not significant. However, SQ did increase significantly when spontaneous phonation was compared to target matching phonation at similar frequency/intensity. Changes in both OQ and SQ across comfortable frequency and intensity ranges were relatively small in comparison to changes in OQ and SQ reported for pathological phonation.

Perception of expressive prosodic speech acts performed in USA english by L1 and L2 speakers

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-45
Author(s):  
Donna Erickson ◽  
Albert Rilliard ◽  
João Antônio de Moraes ◽  
Takaaki Shochi
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Cultural Comparison ◽  
Cross Cultural Comparison ◽  
Frequency Code ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
L1 And L2

Attitudes have been described for different languages, with varying labels or contexts of occurrence for same labels. It renders cross-cultural comparison uncertain. A corpus was designed to bypass these limitations. This paper focuses on USA English produced by L1 and L2 speakers. The best performances in 9 attitudes are used in a forced-choice test, in both audio and visual modalities. Results show that 6 categories group the presented attitudes in coherent sets. The cultural origin affects marginally the categorisation of the expressions. An acoustic analysis of the fundamental frequency and intensity allows to test the predictions of two theoretical propositions – the Frequency code and the Effort code. It concludes to a main coherence of cross-language expressivity, and discusses differences. For negative expressions of imposition, L1 speakers follow the Frequency code – and L1 listeners expect this; L2 speakers use the Effort code in the same situations, leading to confusions in the audio-only modality. Differences for seduction and irony are also discussed.

scholarly journals Conflicting Communication Strategies of Election Debates in Spanish and Ukrainian Political Discourse

2020 ◽  
pp. 59-71
Author(s):  
Laura Floyd
Keyword(s):  
Political Discourse ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Communicative Interaction ◽  
General Direction ◽  
Parliamentary Elections ◽  
Political Debates ◽  
Political Agitation ◽  
Card Index ◽  
Communicative Strategy ◽  
Conflict Interaction

The article analyzes the conflicting communication strategies of the participants of the election debates in Spain in 2019. The peculiarities of communicative interaction of Spanish politicians in the conditions of political agitation on the eve of the parliamentary elections are considered the main strategies of their interaction are singled out. The purpose of the analysis was to identify and characterize the main communication strategies used by Spanish politicians during the 2019 election campaign during a televised debate. The material of the study was a card index of text fragments of speeches by Spanish politicians A. Lastro, C. Alvarez, I. Monteros, G. Rufian, A. Esteban, and others. A total of 350 micro texts were analyzed, which allowed us to identify communicative conflict as the main type of interaction in the pre-election discourse. The article defines that communicative strategy in political discourse is a general direction of interaction of politicians, which directs language means in order to realize the intention – to influence the addressee. In the pre-election discourse of political debates, the main strategies are focusedon conflict interaction, within which strategies of discrediting and manipulation aresingled out. The strategy of discrediting involves reducing the communicative status of the opponent and is represented by tactics of accusation and insults. The main linguistic means of implementing the strategy of discrediting are stylistically reduced vocabulary and grammatical forms of dialogic nature. The strategy of manipulation is implemented through the tactics of interpretation, declaration and intimidation. At the linguistic level, manipulation involves the use of abstract vocabulary, precedent phenomena and expressive and evaluative means.

scholarly journals George Ridpath’s use of evaluative adjectives as manipulative and persuasive strategies during the War of the Spanish Succession (1710-1713)

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Raquel Sánchez Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Political Discourse ◽  
Persuasive Strategies ◽  
Political Discourse Analysis ◽  
Stuart Period

This paper analyses evaluative adjectives in George Ridpath’s political writings during the War of the Spanish Succession (1710-1713), in a corpus which comprises two journals, four years and 291 numbers, with the purpose of examining how this author used language as a weapon to shape and manipulate Great Britain’s public opinion during the Stuart period. For that, I have employed Wilson’s approach to Political Discourse Analysis (2001) and van Dijk’s polarisation (1999) as well as Allan and Burridge’s understanding of euphemism and dysphemism (1991). The results permit to value Ridpath’s contribution as a very influential but controversial pamphleteer who wrote about the War of the Spanish Succession within Great Britain’s context.

Maternal Accommodation in Infant-Directed Speech during Mother's and Twin-Infants' Vocal Interactions

2003 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 481-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsuko Niwano ◽  
Kuniaki Sugai
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Vocal Response ◽  
Vocal Responses ◽  
Fraternal Twin ◽  
Maternal Speech ◽  
Vocal Interactions ◽  
Vocal Fundamental Frequency ◽  
At Home

In this study a mother's instinctive accommodations of vocal fundamental frequency (f0) of infant-directed speech to two different infants was explored. Maternal speech directed to individual 3-mo.-old fraternal twin-infants was subjected to acoustic analysis. Natural samples of infant-directed speech were recorded at home. There were differences in the rate of infants' vocal responses. The mother changed her f0 and patterns of intonation contour when she spoke to each infant. When she spoke to the infant whose vocal response was less frequent than the other infant, she used a higher mean f0 and a rising intonation contour more than when she spoke to the other infant. The result suggested that the mother's speech characteristic is not inflexible and that the mother may use a higher f0 and rising contour as a strategy to elicit an infant's less frequent vocal response.

scholarly journals Intonational Patterns of Nonverbal Vocalizations in People With Dementia

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 563-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Samuelsson ◽  
Lars C. Hydén
Keyword(s):  
Disruptive Behavior ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Pitch Range ◽  
Interactional Pattern ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Nonverbal Vocalizations ◽  
The Mean

Nonverbal vocalizations in dementia are important clinically since they generally have been regarded as disruptive behavior that is disturbing. The aim of the present study is to describe the interactional pattern, including the prosodic package, of nonverbal vocalizations in a participant in a late stage of dementia. The acoustic analysis shows that the vocalizations do not differ significantly from the verbal utterances regarding mean fundamental frequency or pitch range. The mean fundamental frequency, F0, of the utterances from Anna was significantly higher than the mean F0 from the other elderly participants. The analysis demonstrates that there is a singing-like type of vocalizations that does not resemble the previously described patterns of nonverbal vocalizations. This pattern of the nonverbal vocalization does not resemble the intonation of Anna’s verbal utterances. The other participants perceive Anna’s vocalizations as potentially meaningful turns. Nonverbal vocalizations in clinical settings should be taken as communicative contributions.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty changes fundamental frequency of the voice - a prospective study

2000 ◽  
Vol 114 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibylle Brosch ◽  
Christiane Matthes ◽  
Wolfgang Pirsig ◽  
Thomas Verse
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Velopharyngeal Insufficiency ◽  
Sleep Study ◽  
Muscle Sparing ◽  
Level I ◽  
Second Formant ◽  
A Prospective Study ◽  
Excised Tissue ◽  
The Voice

The aim of the study was to find whether a muscle-sparing uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and tonsillectomy cause a measurable change in the voice. The fundamental frequency and the first two formants of five sustained vowels were measured before and nine (six to 15) months following operation. The operation consisted of tonsillectomy and UPPP with preservation of the musculature of the soft palate. All patients received a pre- and post-operative 12-canal polysomnography (level-I sleep study). No patient showed signs of any post-operative velopharyngeal insufficiency. Acoustic analysis showed a significant raising of the fundamental frequency of up to 10 Hz. There was also a lowering of the second formant in two of the five vowels. This was correlated with the volume of the excised tissue. The minimal changes will probably have no significance for those who place no special reliance on their voice, but the possible post-operative changes should be made clear to singers and those relying on their voice for professional reasons.

scholarly journals A comparative study of phonetogram parameters among female trained Hindustani classical singers, untrained singers and non-singers

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 1527
Author(s):  
Ankur Bandhopadhyay ◽  
Indranil Chaterjee ◽  
Sanghamitra Dey
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Respiratory System ◽  
Trained Subjects ◽  
Speech Task ◽  
Level Of Confidence ◽  
Accessible Method ◽  
Classical Singers ◽  
Frequency Intensity ◽  
Female Subjects

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Vocal sound is based on the complex yet co-ordinated interaction of phonatory system, resonatory system and respiratory system. Phonetography is a practicable and readily accessible method to investigate and map the quantitative potentialities of vocal output. The objectives of the present study were to determine the phonetogram of trained (Hindustani classical) singers, untrained singer sand non-singers elicited from singing as well as speech task to see if statistically significant differences were present which may indicate an effect of training.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> 90 female subjects between the ages 20-45 (mean age 34.2 years for trained subjects, 26.3 years for untrained subjects and 25.8 years for non-singers) divided into three groups each group consisting of 30 subjects. For the singing task, the individuals had to phonate |a| at habitual level by traversing through eight musical scales. In the speech task, the subjects were asked to count from one to twenty in Bengali at habitat level and at Sustainable cohorts of intensity. This was recorded using phonetogram software Dr. Speech (version 4). The parameters considered were fundamental frequency, intensity, semitones and area.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The study revealed that in both tasks singing and non-singing task for all three groups in all the four parameters of phonetogram significant differences were seen (p=0.000) at 95% level of confidence.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The present study depicted the phonetographic profile of a genre of trained singers and tracked out the parameters on which differences are pronounced between a trained and untrained singer and non-singer.</p>

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