Effects of Altered Intensity Feedback on Speech in Healthy Speakers

Authors

Keywords:

PERCEPTION, COMMUNICATION, SPEECH, SPEECH INTENSITY, ALTERED AUDITORY FEEDBACK, AUDITORY FEEDBACK

Abstract

This study examined the role of auditory feedback in speech intensity regulation in healthy adults. Ten participants completed five speech production tasks (vowel, sentence reading with/without instructions to ignore feedback, and conversation at one/six meter interlocutor distances) under various altered intensity feedback (AIF) conditions. AIF conditions ranged from plus/minus 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15dB SPL relative to the equivalent (0dB) condition. Speech intensity values obtained for each of the thirteen AIF conditions were submitted to a linear regression analysis and the resulting slope and intercept values were compared. The average slope for the altered intensity feedback function was found to be significantly steeper for the conversation tasks (-.16) than for the reading tasks (-.07). No difference in slope was found for the comparison of the reading tasks with and without instructions to ignore altered feedback or for the comparison of conversations at one- and six-meter interlocutor distances. It appears that speech tasks with greater communicative demands (i.e. conversation) show larger compensatory responses to altered intensity feedback than tasks with lower communicative demands (reading or prolonged vowels). Results suggest that demands of the speech task can interact with auditory feedback to influence the regulation of speech intensity.

Author Biographies

Anita Senthinathan, SUNY Buffalo State

MClSc in Speech Language Pathology and PhD Candidate in Speech and Language Sciences.

Scott G Adams, Western University

Professor

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Communication Sciences and Disorders

Clinical Neurological Sciences

Additional Files

Published

2020-10-05 — Updated on 2020-11-13

Versions

How to Cite

1.
Senthinathan A, Adams SG. Effects of Altered Intensity Feedback on Speech in Healthy Speakers. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2020 Nov. 13 [cited 2026 Apr. 29];48(3):43-52. Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/3263

Issue

Vol. 48 No. 3 (2020)

Section

Article - Speech Sciences

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