Biomedical subjects

C D Starr

Publications and source records attributed to C D Starr.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1993

Vocal fatigue among teachers.

Recordings were made at the beginning and end of workdays of teachers who experience vocal fatigue (n = 22) and those who do not experience fatigue (n = 17). Those who experienced fatigue were recorded on days in which they did and did not fatigue. Both groups evaluated their vocal characteristics, each time they made a recording. Subsequently, a listener panel evaluated the same characteristics from the recordings. Both groups estimated the amount and characteristics of their talking time, completed a psychological evaluation and provided medical histories. The authors interpret the data obtained as indicating that the vocal characteristics of teachers who fatigue and those who do not fatigue are similar on days the former group does not fatigue and that the two groups are similar in the amount and loudness of their talking time, at work and at home. However, teachers who fatigue tend to spend more time in activities that appear to be vocally demanding and are more likely to perceive situations as being anxiety producing. Teachers who fatigue tend to be in good health, but have had more hearing problems and allergies than their colleagues and more of their family members have had voice problems.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Effects of extended speaking on resonance of patients with cleft palate.

Groups of listeners and rating scales were used to study the effects of extended speaking on resonance and voice quality in eight adults with cleft palate and mild to moderate hypernasality and a matched group of noncleft adults, with normal resonance and voice quality. Authors interpret their findings as indicating that resonance changes were greater and vocal quality changes less, for the cleft group, but that changes were not extensive nor always in the direction of increased hypernasality or decreased vocal quality.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Effects of pubertal changes on the speech of persons with cleft palate.

The effects of puberty on the speech of persons with cleft palate and normal to moderate degrees of resonance distortion were investigated. Listeners were rated for resonance, articulation, and speech acceptability from recordings made prepuberty and postpuberty for 18 males who received no surgery during the time they went through puberty. Results suggest that changes were minimal and did not always result in speech improvement or deterioration.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Use of the phonation analyzer as a clinical tool.

Isshiki's (1981) proposed index of glottal flow efficiency (ac/dc ratio) and an instrument designed to measure the index (PA 500) were evaluated. Measurements of glottal flow, SPL, and fundamental frequency obtained from the PA 500 were compared with measurements obtained from more established laboratory instruments and found to be similar. Then the PA 500 was used to obtain measurements from 50 subjects without voice disorders or laryngeal pathology, 14 subjects with voice disorders and no laryngeal pathology, and 41 subjects with voice disorders and laryngeal pathology. Comparisons of ac/dc ratios revealed some significant differences among subject groups. However, when Isshiki's proposed cutoff ratio (ac/dc = 0.50) was used to determine which subjects had laryngeal pathology, 33% of the 105 subjects were misidentified. Data collected in the study provided an opportunity to evaluate Hirano's (1981) suggestion that glottal flow rates of 200 cc/s may be considered abnormal. When this flow rate was used as a cutoff score to determine which subjects had laryngeal pathology, 24% of the 105 subjects were misidentified. High variability in measurements obtained from subjects in each of the groups studied suggest that it is unlikely that ac/dc ratios or glottal flow measures, by themselves, will prove to be effective in identifying subjects with laryngeal pathology.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Effects of feedback filtering on nasalization and self-perception of nasality.

The effects of feedback filtering on nasality perception were investigated by having speakers produce sentences while hearing their voices unfiltered and low-pass filtered with cut-off frequencies of 1000, 500, and 300 Hz. As they spoke, speakers judged the nasality in their productions using a ratio scale. Measurements of nasalization were made with a miniature accelerometer attached to the side of the speaker's nose. Data obtained indicate that the speakers decreased their nasalization slightly when they heard their voices low-pass filtered at each cut-off frequency. However, they did not perceive consistent changes in their own nasality during the filtered conditions. These findings are interpreted as suggesting that nasalization is influenced by filtering air-conducted auditory information and that relationships between the acoustic correlates of nasalization and self-perception of nasality are complex.

Feedback↗

PubMed1984

The effects of listening conditions on speech rating obtained in a clinical setting.

The effects of listening conditions on speech ratings from trained listeners were assessed in a clinical setting. The listening conditions were: (1) while face-to-face with the patient; (2) while observing the patient through a mirror and listening via a sound system; and (3) while listening to a tape recording of the patient. Analysis of 100 patients rated under each listening condition revealed no significant condition effects for resonance and articulation judgments. Voice ratings in the face-to-face condition were different from those made in the other conditions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1984

Speech ratings by speech clinicians, parents and children.

Ratings of speech samples of children with cleft palate were obtained from speech clinicians in a Cleft Palate Clinic, speech clinicians in the public schools, parents of children with clefts, parents of children without clefts, children with clefts and children without clefts. Analyses of the obtained ratings suggest that nasality and articulation ratings obtained from adult groups do not differ appreciably. Correlations between ratings of nasality and articulation are interpreted as suggesting that speech clinicians are more likely to differentiate between these two variables than other listener groups.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

Indentikit Model II--a potential tool for judging cosmetic appearance.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Identi-kit Model II as a tool for investigation of social reactions to cosmetic variations associated with facial anomalies. In one study, a group of judges rated cosmetic appearance from photographs, while another group rated cosmetic appearance from Identi-Kit constructions. A high correlation was found between ratings obtained from the two sets of stimuli. In a second study, three groups of different judges rated cosmetic appearance of Identi-Kit constructions with three types of facial stigmata associated with facial clefting. Ratings of appearance were found to vary systematically as the number of stigmata were increased. Based on the findings of these studies, the authors suggest that Identi-Kit constructions may be useful for investigating the effects of changing specific facial characteristics while holding others constant.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1979

A study of relationships between judgments of speech and appearance of patients with orofacial clefts.

A series of six studies was designed to examine the effects of subjects' appearance on listeners' judgments of nasal speech and to examine the effects of nasal speech on viewers' judgments of attractiveness. In three studies, pictures of male and female subjects with varying degrees of orofacial clefts were paired with tape-recorded speech samples with varying degrees of nasality, and judges rated speech acceptability. Results of two-way analysis of variance failed to support the idea that appearance has an effect on ratings of nasality. In three other studies, the same stimuli were used to examine the effects of nasal speech on judges' ratings of appearance. Results of a two-way analysis of variance indicated that nasality had an effect on ratings of appearance. As the severity of nasality increased, ratings of attractiveness decreased. Results imply that a decrease in nasality may enhance the way persons with cleft lips are perceived cosmetically.

Cleft Lip↗

PubMed1971