Skip to content
1981
  1. Home
  2. A-Z Publications
  3. Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies
  4. Online First Articles
  5. Online First Article
image of Finnish and Brazilian-Portuguese listeners’ evaluation of voice characteristics in Brazilian-Portuguese speaking actresses and non-actresses

Abstract

Auditory-perceptual evaluation is an important tool in voice training and voice therapy. International comparisons have been made for clinical evaluation tools such as GRBAS. Similar comparisons have not been made in the field of voice training. This study compares Finnish and Brazilian-Portuguese listeners’ evaluation of voice characteristics in Brazilian-Portuguese speaking actresses and non-actresses. Thirty experienced actresses and 30 non-actresses, all native speakers of Brazilian-Portuguese, were recorded for a 200-word reading task in habitual conversational loudness. Six perceptual voice characteristics were rated, including overall voice quality, type of voice production (from breathy to strained), sonority, suitability of average pitch for the speaker, pitch range and nasality. The inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities were good or moderate in both Brazilian and Finnish raters, except for nasality. Finnish and Brazilian raters’ evaluations correlated strongly in voice quality, suitability of pitch and range (rho = 0.76, 0.62 and 0.82, respectively, p = 0.000). Moderate correlation was found for voice production (rho = 0.51, p = 0.000) and sonority (rho = 0.59, p = 0.000). Evaluations of nasality did not correlate. Small but significant differences were obtained in the mean evaluations, for example, Finns rated the pitch range higher (Bra =4.92 vs. Fin = 5.56, T-test, p < 0.001). Both groups evaluated actresses’ voices more positively. The results seem to suggest that voice experts share some international standards in voice quality evaluations, although ratings of some aspects may differ. This finding is in line with the cross-cultural comparisons of the evaluation of dysphonic voices.

© 2024 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jivs_00079_1
2024-06-17
2024-09-20
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Aalto, A. and Parviainen, K. (1985), Auta Ääntäsi, 5. laajennettu painos, Keuruu: Otava.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Aderhold, E. (2021), Sprecherziehung des Schauspielers: Grundlagen und Methoden, Berlin: Henschelverlag.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Anders, L. C., Hollien, H., Hurme, P., Sonninen, A. and Wendler, J. (1988), ‘Perception of hoarseness by several classes of listeners’, Folia phoniatrica, 40:2, pp. 91–100.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Andreeva, B., Demenko, G., Möbius, B., Zimmerer, F., Jügler, J. and Oleskowicz-Popiel, M. (2014), ‘Differences of pitch profiles in Germanic and Slavic languages’, Proceedings of Interspeech 2014: 15th Annual Conference of the International Speech Communication Association, Singapore, 14–18 September, Baixas: ISCA, pp. 1307–11.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Barbosa, P. A. and Albano, E. C. (2004), ‘Brazilian Portuguese’, Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 34:2, pp. 227–32.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Bauer, H. (1973), ‘Klinik der Stimmstörungen’, P. Biesalski, G. Böhme, F. Frank and R. Luchsinger (eds), Biesalski, Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie, Stuttgart: Georg Thieme Verlag, pp. 165–93.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Behlau, M. and Murry, T. (2011), ‘International and intercultural aspects of voice and voice disorders’, in D. E. Battle (ed.), Communication Disorders in Multicultural and International Populations, 4th ed., Missouri: Elsevier, pp. 174–207.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Bele, I. V. (2002), ‘Professional speaking voice, a perceptual and acoustic study of male actors’ and teachers’ voices’, Ph.D. thesis, Oslo: University of Oslo.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Bele, I. V. (2005), ‘Reliability in perceptual analysis of voice quality’, Journal of Voice, 19:4, pp. 555–73.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Bele, I. V. (2007), ‘Dimensionality in voice quality’, Journal of Voice, 21:3, pp. 257–72.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Bele, I. V., Laukkanen, A.-M. and Sipilä, L. (2010), ‘Effects of a three-week vocal exercise program using the Finnish Kuukka exercises on the speaking voice of Norwegian broadcast journalism students’, Logopedics, Phoniatrics, Vocology, 35:4, pp. 150–65, https://doi.org/10.3109/14015430903578779.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Berry, C. (1995), Your Voice and How to Use It, 2nd ed., London: Virgin Books.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Best, C. T. (2019), ‘The diversity of tone languages and the roles of pitch variation in non-tone languages: Considerations for tone perception research’, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00364.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Blankenship, B. (2002), ‘The timing of nonmodal phonation in vowels’, Journal of Phonetics, 30:2, pp. 163–91.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Brinca, L., Batista, A. P., Tavares, A. I., Pinto, P. N. and Araújo, L. (2015), ‘The effect of anchors and training on the reliability of voice quality ratings for different types of speech stimuli’, Journal of Voice, 29:6, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2015.01.007.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Brownell, J. (2018), Listening: Attitudes, Principles, and Skills, 6th ed., New York: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Chan, I. L. and Chang, C. B. (2019), ‘Perception of nonnative tonal contrasts by Mandarin–English and English–Mandarin sequential bilinguals’, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 146:2, pp. 956–72.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Chan, K. M. K. and Yiu, E. M.-L. (2006), ‘A comparison of two perceptual voice evaluation training programs for naive listeners’, Journal of Voice, 20:2, pp. 229–41, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2005.03.007.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Cooper, M. (1973), Modern Techniques of Vocal Rehabilitation, Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Das, A., Zhao, G., Levis, J., Chukharev-Hudilainen, E. and Gutierrez-Osuna, R. (2020), ‘Understanding the effect of voice quality and accent on talker similarity’, Interspeech 2020, virtual conference, 25–29 October, Shanghai, China, pp. 1763–67.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Dejonckere, P. H., Remacle, M., Fresnel-Elbaz, E., Woisard, V., Crevier, L. and Millet, B. (1998), ‘Reliability and clinical relevance of perceptual evaluation of pathological voices’, Revue De Laryngologie – Otologie – Rhinologie, 119:4, pp. 247–48.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. DeVore, K. and Cookman, S. (2009), The Voice Book: Caring for, Protecting, and Improving Your Voice, Chicago: Chicago Review Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Ding, H., Hoffmann, R. and Jokisch, O. (2017), ‘Prosodic correlates of voice preference in Mandarin Chinese and German: A cross-linguistic comparison’, in Konferenz Elektronische Sprachsignalverarbeitung, Dresden: TUDpress, pp. 83–90.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Doty, N. D. (1998), ‘The influence of nationality on the accuracy of face and voice recognition’, American Journal of Psychology, 111:2, pp. 191–214.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Eadie, T. L. and Baylor, C. R. (2006), ‘The effect of perceptual training on inexperienced listeners’ judgments of dysphonic voice’, Journal of Voice, 20:4, pp. 527–44.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Englert, M., v. Latoszek, B. B. and Behlau, M. (2022), ‘The impact of languages and cultural backgrounds on voice quality analyses’, Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica, 74:2, pp. 141–52.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Erickson, D. et al. (2020), ‘Cross cultural differences in arousal and valence perceptions of voice quality’, in Speech Prosody 2020, Tokyo, Japan, 25–28 May, pp. 720–24.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Esposito, C. M. (2010), ‘The effects of linguistic experience on the perception of phonation’, Journal of Phonetics, 38:2, pp. 306–16.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Forsmark, K. (1977), Sa du nåt? En bok om röst- og talvård, Stockholm: LiberLäromedel.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Garellek, M. and Keating, P. (2011), ‘The acoustic consequences of phonation and tone interactions in Jalapa Mazatec’, Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 41:2, pp. 185–205.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Ghio, A., Weisz, F., Baracca, G., Cantarella, G., Robert, D., Woisard, V., Fussi, F. and Giovanni, A. (2011), ‘Is the perception of voice quality language-dependant? A comparison of French and Italian listeners and dysphonic speakers’, in 12th Annual Conference of the International Speech Communication Association, Florence, Italy, 27–31 August, pp. 525–28.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Gordon, M. and Applebaum, A. (2010), ‘Acoustic correlates of stress in Turkish Kabardian’, Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 40:1, pp. 35–58.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Gordon, M. and Ladefoged, P. (2001), ‘Phonation types: A cross-linguistic overview’, Journal of Phonetics, 29:4, pp. 383–406.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Hakulinen, L. (1979), Suomen kielen rakenne ja kehitys (‘The structure and development of the Finnish language’), 4th ed., Helsinki: Otava.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Hartelius, L., Theodoros, D., Cahill, L. and Lillvik, M. (2003), ‘Comparability of perceptual analysis of speech characteristics in Australian and Swedish speakers with multiple sclerosis’, Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica, 55:4, pp. 177–88.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Hillman, R. (2003), ‘Overview of the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) instrument developed by ASHA Special Interest Division 3’, in The 32nd Annual Symposium on the Care of the Professional Voice, 4 June, Philadelphia, PA: AJSLP.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Hirano, M. (1989), ‘Objective evaluation of the human voice: Clinical aspects’, Folia phoniatrica, 41:2–3, pp. 89–144, https://doi.org/10.1159/000265950.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Iivonen, A. (1998), ‘Intonation in Finnish’, in Intonation Systems: A Survey of Twenty Languages, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 314–30.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Ilomaki, I., Laukkanen, A.-M., Leppanen, K. and Vilkman, E. (2008), ‘Effects of voice training and voice hygiene education on acoustic and perceptual speech parameters and self-reported vocal well-being in female teachers’, Logopedics, Phoniatrics, Vocology, 33:2, pp. 83–92, https://doi.org/10.1080/14015430701864822.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Iwarsson, J. and Petersen, N. R. (2012), ‘Effects of consensus training on the reliability of auditory perceptual ratings of voice quality’, Journal of Voice, 26:3, pp. 304–12.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Järvikivi, J., Vainio, M. and Aalto, D. (2010), ‘Real-time correlates of phonological quantity reveal unity of tonal and non-tonal languages’, PloS One, 5:9, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012603.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Jónsdottir, V., Laukkanen, A.-M. and Siikki, I. (2003), ‘Changes in teachers’ voice quality during a working day with and without electric sound amplification’, Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica, 55:5, pp. 267–80, https://doi.org/10.1159/000072157.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Keating, P., Kuang, J., Garellek, M., Esposito, C. M. and Khan, S. u. D. (2023), ‘A cross-language acoustic space for vocalic phonation distinctions’, Language, 99:2, pp. 351–89.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Kempster, G. B., Gerratt, B. R., Verdolini, A. K., Barkmeier-Kraemer, J. and Hillman, R. E. (2009), ‘Consensus auditory-perceptual evaluation of voice: Development of a standardized clinical protocol’, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 18:2, pp. 124–32, https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2008/08-0017).
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Koo, T. K. and Li, M. Y. (2016), ‘A guideline of selecting and reporting intraclass correlation coefficients for reliability research’, Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 15:2, pp. 155–63, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2016.02.012.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Kreiman, J., Gerratt, B. R. and Ito, M. (2007), ‘When and why listeners disagree in voice quality assessment tasks’, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 122:4, pp. 2354–64.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Kreiman, J., Gerratt, B. R. and Khan, S. u. D. (2010), ‘Effects of native language on perception of voice quality’, Journal of Phonetics, 38:4, pp. 588–93.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Ladefoged, P. and Maddieson, I. (1998), ‘The sounds of the world’s languages’, Language, 74:2, pp. 374–76.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Laukkanen, A.-M. (2003), ‘On the goals and bases of vocal exercises’, in R. Dal Vera (ed.), Film, Broadcast and e-Media Coaching and Other Contemporary Issues in Professional Voice and Speech Training Presented by the Voice and Speech Review, Cincinnati, OH: Voice and Speech Trainers Association, Incorporated, pp. 255–62.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Lennes, M. (2010), ‘Finnish sound structure: Phonetics, phonology, phonotactics and prosody’, Puhe ja kieli, 30:2, pp. 121–24.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Leppänen, K., Laukkanen, A.-M., Ilomäki, I. and Vilkman, E. (2009), ‘A comparison of the effects of voice massage and voice hygiene lecture on self-reported vocal well-being and acoustic and perceptual speech parameters in female teachers’, Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica, 61:4, pp. 227–38, https://doi.org/10.1159/000228000.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Lessac, A. (1967), The Use and Training of the Human Voice: A Practical Approach to Speech and Voice Dynamics, Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Lewis, J. A. (2002), Social Influences on Female Speakers’ Pitch, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Loakes, D. and Gregory, A. (2022), ‘Voice quality in Australian English’, JASA Express Letters, 2:8, https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0012994.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Master, S., De Biase, N., Chiari, B. M. and Laukkanen, A.-M. (2008), ‘Acoustic and perceptual analyses of Brazilian male actors’ and nonactors’ voices: Long-term average spectrum and the “actor’s formant”’, Journal of Voice, 22:2, pp. 146–54, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2006.09.006.
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Master, S., De Biase, N. G. and Madureira, S. (2012), ‘What about the “actor’s formant” in actresses’ voices?’, Journal of Voice, 26:3, pp. e117–22.
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Mennen, I., Schaeffler, F. and Docherty, G. (2007), ‘Pitching it differently: A comparison of the pitch ranges of German and English speakers’, in ICPhS 2007 Proceedings of 16th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Saarbrücken, 6–10 August, pp. 1769–72.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. Nilsson, T., Laukkanen, A.-M. and Syrjä, T. (2022), ‘Effects of sixteen month voice training of student actors applying the Linklater voice method’, Journal of Voice, 36:5, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.08.014.
     [Google Scholar]
  59. Ohala, J. J. (1983), ‘Cross-language use of pitch: An ethological view’, Phonetica, 40:1, pp. 1–18.
     [Google Scholar]
  60. Ohara, Y. (1992), ‘Gender-dependent pitch levels: A comparative study in Japanese and English’, in K. Hall, M. Bucholtz and B. Moonwomon (eds), Locating Power: Proceedings of the Second Berkeley Women and Language Conference, vol. 2, pp. 468–77.
     [Google Scholar]
  61. Ohara, Y. (1999), ‘Performing gender through voice pitch: A cross-cultural analysis of Japanese and American English’, in U. Pasero and F. Braun (eds), Wahrnehmung und Herstellung von Geschlecht: Perceiving and Performing Gender, Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 105–16.
     [Google Scholar]
  62. Olwage, G. (2004), ‘The class and colour of tone: An essay on the social history of vocal timbre’, Ethnomusicology Forum, 13:2, pp. 203–26.
     [Google Scholar]
  63. Parsa, V. and Jamieson, D. G. (2001), ‘Acoustic discrimination of pathological voice: Sustained vowels versus continuous speech’, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 44:2, pp. 327–39, https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2001/027).
     [Google Scholar]
  64. Pegoraro Krook, M. I. (1988), ‘Speaking fundamental frequency characteristics of normal Swedish subjects obtained by glottal frequency analysis’, Folia phoniatrica, 40:2, pp. 82–90.
     [Google Scholar]
  65. Perkins, W. H. (1971), Speech Pathology: An Applied Behavioral Science, St Louis, MO: The C. V. Mosby.
     [Google Scholar]
  66. Podesva, R. J. and Callier, P. (2015), ‘Voice quality and identity’, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 35, pp. 173–94, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190514000270.
     [Google Scholar]
  67. Proctor, D. F. (1968), ‘The physiologic basis of voice training’, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 155:1, pp. 208–28.
     [Google Scholar]
  68. Richter, B. (2014), Die Stimme: Grundlagen, künstlerische Praxis, Gesunderhaltung, Berlin: Henschel Verlag.
     [Google Scholar]
  69. Rodenburg, P. (1993), The Right to Speak: Working with the Voice, London: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  70. Shewell, C. (2013), Voice Work: Art and Science in Changing Voices, Bognor Regis: John Wiley & Sons.
     [Google Scholar]
  71. Suomi, K., Toivanen, J. and Ylitalo, R. (2008), Finnish Sound Structure: Phonetics, Phonology, Phonotactics and Prosody (Studia humaniora ouluensia 9), Oulu: University of Oulu, https://oulurepo.oulu.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/36099/isbn978-951-42-8984-2.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. Accessed 24 May 2024.
     [Google Scholar]
  72. Sweeney, T., Grunwell, P., Leahy, M., Malone, J. and Sell, D. (1996), ‘Nasality and nasal airflow: Definition of terms’, Journal of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, 6:1, pp. 65–76.
     [Google Scholar]
  73. Szakay, A. (2012), ‘Voice quality as a marker of ethnicity in New Zealand: From acoustics to perception 1’, Journal of Sociolinguistics, 16:3, pp. 382–97.
     [Google Scholar]
  74. Titze, I. R. (2001), ‘Acoustic interpretation of resonant voice’, Journal of Voice, 15:4, pp. 519–28.
     [Google Scholar]
  75. Ullakonoja, R. (2007), ‘Comparison of pitch range in Finnish (L1) and Russian (L2)’, in Proceedings of the 16th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, Saarbrücken, 6–10 August, Saarbrücken: Universität des Saarlandes, pp. 1701–04.
     [Google Scholar]
  76. Verdolini, K., Druker, D. G., Palmer, P. M. and Samawi, H. (1998), ‘Laryngeal adduction in resonant voice’, Journal of Voice, 12:3, pp. 315–27.
     [Google Scholar]
  77. Waaramaa, T., Lukkarila, P., Järvinen, K., Geneid, A. and Laukkanen, A.-M. (2021), ‘Impressions of personality from intentional voice quality in Arabic-speaking and native Finnish-speaking listeners’, Journal of Voice, 35:2, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2019.09.003.
     [Google Scholar]
  78. Wagner, A. and Braun, A. (2003), ‘Is voice quality language-dependent? Acoustic analyses based on speakers of three different languages’, Language, 6:4, pp. 1–4, https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/icphs-proceedings/ICPhS2003/papers/p15_0651.pdf. Accessed 24 May 2024.
     [Google Scholar]
  79. Yamaguchi, H., Shrivastav, R., Andrews, M. L. and Niimi, S. (2003), ‘A comparison of voice quality ratings made by Japanese and American listeners using the GRBAS scale’, Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica, 55:3, pp. 147–57.
     [Google Scholar]
  80. Yanushevskaya, I., Gobl, C. and Ní Chasaide, A. (2018), ‘Cross-language differences in how voice quality and f0 contours map to affect’, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 144:5, pp. 2730–50.
     [Google Scholar]
  81. Yiu, E. M.-L, Murdoch, B., Hird, K., Lau, P. and Ho, E. M. (2008), ‘Cultural and language differences in voice quality perception: A preliminary investigation using synthesized signals’, Folia phoniatrica et logopaedica, 60:3, pp. 107–19.
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/jivs_00079_1
Loading
Finnish and Brazilian-Portuguese listeners’ evaluation of voice characteristics in Brazilian-Portuguese speaking actresses and non-actresses
Intellect ; https://doi.org/10.1386/jivs_00079_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jivs_00079_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jivs_00079_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keywords: overall voice quality ; auditory-perceptual evaluation ; non-actresses ; normal/supranormal voice ; cross-cultural ; linguistic/cultural background ; voice training

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error