Partners:
Everis, Spain
ETH, Switzerland
UZH, Switzerland
Freiburg, Germany
MA Systems, UK
Bristol, UK
Xiwrite, Italy
Ultrasis, UK
Jaume, Spain
Valencia, Spain
Lanzhou, China
EU-Grant (FP7):
248544
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Normative Voice Recordings
Spoken languages are characterized by rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech (prosody).
Languages can be classified according to the distinctive prosodic units that constitute
the languages’ specific rhythm and sound made up by the mode of pronunciation, pitch or tone,
emphasis patterns, and intonation (accent). Linguists classify languages as being either
«stress-timed» with highly complex syllables, «syllable-timed»
with less complex syllables, or «mora-timed» with relatively simple syllables.
Stress-timed languages include English and German, and syllable-timed languages French,
Italian, and Spanish. Additional modifying factors are gender, age, and educational level.
In consequence, any approach to quantifying a speaker’s affective state through voice
analysis must necessarily take language-, gender-, age-, and education-specific components
into account in order to distinguish between «natural fluctuations» and
«significant changes» of clinical relevance. We have carried out normative
studies with 2 stress-timed languages (English, German) and 3 syllable-timed languages
(French, Italian, Spanish) in order to determine the respective criteria and threshold
values. The study samples were stratified according to gender, age, and education. Test
persons were invited to present the 3 types of text twice at 14-day intervals and at a fixed
time in the morning according to the following scheme: (1) counting out loud from 1 to 40;
(2) reading out loud the emotionally neutral text; (3) reading out loud the emotionally
stimulating text; and (4) counting out loud again from 1 to 40.
The resulting normative values are constituent parts of our «Voice-App»
that allows test persons to monitor their affective state over time by daily 2-minute voice
recordings.
Depressive-Voice App: Get involved in health prevention! |
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References
Braun S, Botella C, Bridler R, Chmetz F, Delfino JP, Herzig D, Kluckner VJ, Mohr C, Moragrega I, Schrag Y,
Seifritz E, Soler C, Stassen HH: Affective State and Voice: Cross-Cultural Assessment of Speaking Behavior and
Voice Sound Characteristics. A Normative Multi-Center Study of 577+36 Healthy Subjects. Psychopathology 2014;
47(5): 327-340
Delfino JP, Barragán E, Botella C, Braun S, Bridler R, Camussi E, Chafrat V, Lott P, Mohr C,
Moragrega I, Papagno C, Sanchez S, Seifritz E, Soler C, Stassen HH: Quantifying Insufficient
Coping Behavior under Chronic Stress. A cross-cultural study of 1,303 students from Italy,
Spain, and Argentina. Psychopathology 2015; 48: 230-239
Mohr C, Braun S, Bridler R, Chmetz F, Delfino JP, Kluckner VJ, Lott P, Schrag Y, Seifritz E,
Stassen HH: Insufficient Coping Behavior under Chronic Stress and Vulnerability to Psychiatric
Disorders. Psychopathology 2014; 47: 235-243
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Voice recordings are carried out as self-assessments in the test person's home environment by
means of a 2nd-generation microphone with integrated A/D-converter that plugs into any standard USB port
of a laptop or netbook. An easy-to-use "voice app" is currently available for Laptops, Tablets, and
Smartphones under Windows and Android. The iPhone version is in preparation.
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