Gender Differences in Prosodic Characteristics of Speech in the Task of Serial Subtracting of Sevens

Abstract

Summary Significant differences in speech between genders are contained in nonsegmental correlates, i.e. in the prosody and paralinguistics. Pronunciation differences between genders are more numerous than those in grammatical form. This study aims to detect temporal prosodic patterns and investigate gender differences in performing serial sevens subtraction (SSS). One hundred students of medicine (equal number of males and females) voluntarily participated in the investigation. SSS was performed by asking the participant to perform mental arithmetic consisting of repeatedly subtractions of sevens, beginning from one thousand. The students had to pronounce aloud and simultaneously write the results for five minutes. The original program for the analysis of digital signals (ADS) converted the speech signal samples into digital data. MANOVA showed significant gender differences for a group of characteristics of the SSS test: F (11, 75)=4.06, p=0.000. The number of samples per each minute and the total number of samples during five minutes was higher in males compared to females. The average length of articulation of three-digit numbers, average length of articulation and length of pauses between the linguistic units, as well as between the samples, was shorter in males for each of these five minutes and for the „average“ minute. The maximum intensity of speech was higher in males for each of the five minutes. Average duration of mispronunciations, with end results being correct, was longer in women in the first, second, and fourth minute, as well as for the „average“ minute. A conclusion may be drawn that shorter utterances and pauses in men suggest the advantage on the part of men in SSS task, and not greater verbal fluency in general in men.