Biomedical subjects

Z Breznitz

Publications and source records attributed to Z Breznitz.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

Verbal indicators of depression.

Speech content, voice quality, and temporal pacing of speech were evaluated for 11 well and 11 depressed women. Sadness was the dominant mood of the depressed women's speech, whereas happiness and mood neutrality characterized the well women's speech. The well women's tone of voice changed with the content of their speech. The well women spoke with a wide range of fundamental frequency, and the average fundamental frequency of their voices changed according to speech content. In contrast, the depressed women spoke with a narrow range of fundamental frequency, and the average fundamental frequency of their speech was unaffected by speech content. The depressed women spoke with longer pauses than the well women did. The results of this study contribute to the understanding of measures for assessing depression.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Vocalization and pauses in fast-paced reading.

Previous research (Breznitz, 1987a) indicated that prompting first-graders to read faster than usual increases their comprehension. The present study was conducted to clarify which of the speech elements that comprise reading time is affected when reading pace is accelerated. First-graders (N = 76) read aloud three parallel forms of a comprehension test, at self- and fast-paced rates consecutively, followed by a second self-paced reading. Vocalization time, pause time, pause frequency, and the average length of vocalizations and pauses were determined with an automatic vocal transaction analyzer. During fast-paced reading, children made fewer and shorter pauses, vocalized at a faster rate, and tended to speak in longer units. The speech characteristics indicative of fast-paced reading were significantly correlated with reading comprehension, even during self-paced reading, and can serve as indicators of effective reading.

Attention↗

PubMed1988

Toddlers' concentration: does maternal depression make a difference?

Twenty-five mother-toddler dyads with depressed mothers were compared with 25 dyads with well mothers on measures of attention during 20 min of spontaneous play in a home-like setting. Children of depressed women focused attention on more objects for shorter durations. Group differences could be accounted for by mothers' involvement in their children's play. Depressed women initiated and terminated more instances of attention to objects than well mothers. Correlations between maternal behaviors and children's attention were statistically significant. Results support the hypothesis that poorer attention of children of depressed women is at least in part mediated by inculcation.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Speech patterning of natural discourse of well and depressed mothers and their young children.

The speech behavior of 14 depressed and 18 nondepressed mothers during conversations with their 3-year-old children was examined in this study. Given the general motor retardation, reduced energy level, and social withdrawal of depressed individuals, the speech patterns of depressed mothers were predicted to differ from the speech patterns of well mothers. Depressed mothers vocalized less often and responded less quickly to the cessation of their children's speech than healthy mothers. However, in a mildly stressful situation (awaiting a doctor's visit) the depressed mothers, but not the healthy mothers, significantly increased their level of speech productivity. Children of the depressed mothers spoke less than children of healthy women, particularly while sitting and eating lunch with their mothers. The observed difference in the mothers' behaviors was interpreted as an indication that the 2 groups of children are exposed to very different patterns of socialization. The offspring of depressed women are being taught both to keep social interaction to a minimum and to be overreactive to even mild stresses. The differences in the children's behavior may indicate that already these 3-year-old children have learned to keep their interactions with their mother to a minimum. This manner of adaptation may have negative effects on the child's continued social, emotional, and cognitive development.

Adult↗