The effect of age on the perception of healthy, aging, and disordered voices
Open Access
Author:
Trotti, Rachel
Area of Honors:
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Nicole Etter (She/Her), Thesis Supervisor Carol Anne Miller, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Communication Sciences and Disorders Voice Percepetion of voice
Abstract:
This study has been conducted with the goal of better understanding the terminology that older adults utilize while describing different voices. Ten participants were recruited to listen to ten different voice samples and then draw various conclusions about the age, sex, disorder severity, and personality of the speaker’s voice. After each sample, the participants would estimate the individual's age, sex, quality of voice, and they were asked to describe both the voice and the personality of the speaker. The voice recordings used in this study included those that differ in biological sex, age, and level of voice disorder. Results were organized and arranged in word clouds and tables. The terminology utilized by our older participants appeared more negative as the level of voice disorder increased. This study, along with others, may be used to better understand how the presence of a voice disorder impacts the way an individual is perceived by the listener.
