Effects of alcohol on the acoustic-phonetic properties of speech: perceptual and acoustic analyses - PubMed (original) (raw)

Effects of alcohol on the acoustic-phonetic properties of speech: perceptual and acoustic analyses

D B Pisoni et al. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1989 Aug.

Abstract

This report summarizes the results of a series of studies that examined the effects of alcohol on the acoustic-phonetic properties of speech. Audio recordings were made of male talkers producing lists of sentences under a sober condition and an intoxicated condition. These speech samples were then subjected to perceptual and acoustic analyses. In one perceptual experiment, listeners heard matched pairs of sentences from four talkers and were required to identify the sentence that was produced while the talker was intoxicated. In a second perceptual experiment, Indiana State Troopers and college undergraduates were required to judge whether individual sentences presented in isolation were produced in a sober or an intoxicated condition. The results of the perceptual experiments indicated that groups of listeners can significantly discriminate between speech samples produced under sober and intoxicated conditions. For acoustic analyses, digital signal processing techniques were used to measure acoustic-phonetic changes that took place in speech production when the talker was intoxicated. The results of the acoustical analyses revealed consistent and well-defined changes in speech articulation between sober and intoxicated conditions. Because speech production requires fine motor control and timing of the articulators, it may be possible to use acoustic-phonetic measures as sensitive indices of sensory-motor impairment due to alcohol consumption.

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Figures

Fig. 1

Fig. 1

Listeners’ mean percentage of correct responses by talker (second perceptual experiment).

Fig. 2

Fig. 2

ROC space for individual talkers by listener group (second perceptual experiment).

Fig. 3

Fig. 3

Percentage of sentences produced under intoxication which had a longer duration than the same sentences produced by the same talkers while sober.

Fig. 4

Fig. 4

Pitch variability across sentences produced by talkers while sober and intoxicated.

Fig. 5

Fig. 5

Waveforms of the /d/ sound in the word “dishes” produced by four talkers. Top trace: sober condition, bottom trace: intoxicated condition, (time between tick-marks, 19.2 msec).

Fig. 6

Fig. 6

Waveforms of the /ʤ/ sound in the word “pajamas” produced by four talkers. Top trace: sober condition, bottom trace: intoxicated condition, (time between tick-marks, 12.8 msec).

Fig. 7

Fig. 7

Waveforms of the /ʤ/ and /k/ sounds in the end of the word “garbage” and the beginning of the word “cans” produced by four talkers. Top trace: sober condition, bottom trace: intoxicated condition, (time between tick-marks, 19.2 msec for talkers in top panels, 25.6 msec for talkers in bottom panels).

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