Listener Ratings Research Articles

Automated acoustic analysis of task dependency in adductor spasmodic dysphonia versus muscle tension dysphonia

Distinguishing muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) from adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) can be difficult. Unlike MTD, ADSD is described as "task-dependent," implying that dysphonia severity varies depending upon the demands of the vocal task, with connected speech thought to be more symptomatic than sustained vowels. This study used an acoustic index of dysphonia severity (i.e., the Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia [CSID]) to: 1) assess the value of "task dependency" to distinguish ADSD from MTD, and to 2) examine associations between the CSID and listener ratings. Case-Control Study. CSID estimates of dysphonia severity for connected speech and sustained vowels of patients with ADSD (n = 36) and MTD (n = 45) were compared. The diagnostic precision of task dependency (as evidenced by differences in CSID-estimated dysphonia severity between connected speech and sustained vowels) was examined. In ADSD, CSID-estimated severity for connected speech (M = 39. 2, SD = 22.0) was significantly worse than for sustained vowels (M = 29.3, SD = 21.9), [P = .020]. Whereas in MTD, no significant difference in CSID-estimated severity was observed between connected speech (M = 55.1, SD = 23.8) and sustained vowels (M = 50.0, SD = 27.4), [P = .177]. CSID evidence of task dependency correctly identified 66.7% of ADSD cases (sensitivity) and 64.4% of MTD cases (specificity). CSID and listener ratings were significantly correlated. Task dependency in ADSD, as revealed by differences in acoustically-derived estimates of dysphonia severity between connected speech and sustained vowel production, is a potentially valuable diagnostic marker.

A Study of Accentedness in the Speech of Chinese EFL Learners

This paper investigates accentedness in the speech of Chinese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). 20 native English listeners rate for accentedness, comprehensibility and intelligibility after listening to 30 sentences produced by 28 Chinese EFL learners and 2 native English speakers. Through the rating task and a questionnaire, the study reveals: a) that among different aspects of pronunciation , prosodic features have a significant correlation with accentedness; moreover, they play the most important role in affecting comprehension of accented speech; b) that there is a significant negative correlation between accentedness and comprehension of accented speech; and c) that the English native speakers hold a fairly tolerant and postive attitude towards accentedness. Pedagogical implications of the study are discussed to shed light on English Phonetics teaching.

Reliably Biased: The Role of Listener Expectation in the Perception of Second Language Speech

Second language pronunciation research and teaching relies on human listeners to assess second language speakers’ performance. Most applied linguists working in this area have been satisfied that listener ratings are reasonably reliable when well‐controlled research protocols are implemented. We argue, however, that listeners demonstrate a certain amount of reliability in their ratings of speakers stemming from shared expectations of a speaker's language and social groups, rather than from the speech itself. In this article, we discuss evidence from perceptual psychology, sociolinguistics, and phonetics demonstrating a sizable listener influence on speech perception. We conclude by suggesting ways for research and teaching to acknowledge and contend with the role of the listener.

Toward Validation of the Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID) as an Objective Treatment Outcomes Measure

To examine the validity of the Cepstral Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID) as an objective treatment outcomes measure of dysphonia severity. Pre- and posttreatment samples of sustained vowel and connected speech productions were elicited from 112 patients across six diagnostic categories: unilateral vocal fold paralysis, adductor spasmodic dysphonia, primary muscle tension dysphonia, benign vocal fold lesions, presbylaryngis, and mutational falsetto. Listener ratings of severity in connected speech were compared with a three-factor CSID model consisting of the cepstral peak prominence (CPP), the low-to-high spectral energy ratio, and its standard deviation. Two additional variables, the CPP standard deviation and gender, were included in the five-factor CSID model to estimate severity of vowels. CSID-estimated severity for sustained vowels and connected speech was strongly associated with listener ratings pretreatment, posttreatment, and change observed pre- to posttreatment. Spectrum effects were examined, and severity of dysphonia did not influence the relationship between listener perceived severity and CSID-estimated severity. The results confirm a robust relationship between listener perceived and CSID-derived dysphonia severity estimates in sustained vowels and connected speech across diverse diagnoses and severity levels and support the clinical utility of the CSID as an objective treatment outcomes measure.

Tongue–Palate Contact Pressure, Oral Air Pressure, and Acoustics of Clear Speech

The authors compared articulatory contact pressure (ACP), oral air pressure (Po), and speech acoustics for conversational versus clear speech. They also assessed the relationship of these measures to listener perception. Twelve adults with normal speech produced monosyllables in a phrase using conversational and clear speech. Target phonemes were /t, d, s, z, l, n/. ACP was measured at a point of articulatory contact; Po was sensed by a catheter open in the posterior oral cavity. ACP was increased to a greater extent in clear speech for /t, d, z/. Po was increased to a greater extent for /t, d/. Acoustic changes also occurred in terms of segment durations, speaking rate, and CV dB ratio. Regression analysis indicated that segment duration was the strongest predictor of listener ratings of speech clarity, followed by an index of articulatory effort and speaking rate. Articulatory effort, as indexed by ACP, Po, and CV dB ratio, was increased to varying degrees depending on the consonant. Greatest changes occurred for /t, d/. Durational measures at both the segment and the phrase level were also important for predicting listener ratings of speech clarity.

Comparison between perceptual assessments of nasality and nasalance scores

There are different reports of the usefulness of the Nasometer™ as a complement to listening, often as correlation calculations between listening and nasalance measurements. Differences between findings have been attributed to listener experience and types of speech stimuli. To compare nasalance scores from the Nasometer with perceptual assessments, for the same and different Swedish speech stimuli, using three groups of listeners with differing levels of experience in judging speech nasality. To compare nasalance scores and blinded listener ratings of randomized recordings using three groups of listeners and two groups of speakers. Speakers were either classified as having hypernasal speech or speech with typical speech resonance. Listeners were speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working predominantly with resonance disorders, other SLPs and untrained listeners. Correlations (r(s)) between hypernasality ratings and nasalance scores for each listener group and speech stimuli were calculated. For both groups of SLPs all correlations between perceptual ratings and nasalance scores were significant at p= 0.01. The correlations between the nasalance scores and ratings by listeners in the SLP groups were higher than those for the untrained listener group regardless of stimulus type. Post-hoc Mann-Whitney U-tests showed that the only difference that was significant was expert SLP group versus untrained listener group. Secondly, correlations between perceptual ratings and oral stimulus nasalance scores were higher when the perceptual ratings were based on spontaneous speech rather than on the oral stimulus. However, a Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that the difference was not significant. A third finding was that correlations between oral stimulus nasalance scores and perceptual scores were higher than those between mixed stimulus nasalance scores and perceptual scores. A Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that the difference was significant. The Nasometer might be useful for the SLP with limited experience in assessing resonance disorders in differentiating between hyper- and hyponasality. With listener reliability for ratings of hypernasality still being an issue, the use of a nasalance score as a complement to the perceptual evaluation will also aid the expert SLP. It will give an alternative way of quantifying speech resonance and might help in especially hard to judge cases.

Intensive treatment of dysarthria secondary to stroke

This study investigated the impact of a well-defined behavioral dysarthria treatment on acoustic and perceptual measures of speech in four adults with dysarthria secondary to stroke. A single-subject A–B–A experimental design was used to measure the effects of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT® LOUD) on the speech of individual participants. Dependent measures included vocal sound pressure level, phonatory stability, vowel space area, and listener ratings of speech, voice and intelligibility. Statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in vocal dB SPL and phonatory stability as well as larger vowel space area were present for all participants. Listener ratings suggested improved voice quality and more natural speech post-treatment. Speech intelligibility scores improved for one of four participants. These data suggest that people with dysarthria secondary to stroke can respond positively to intensive speech treatments such as LSVT. Further studies are needed to investigate speech treatments specific to stroke.

Listener perception of single-shot small arms fire

The ability to identify and interpret impulse sounds from small arms weaponsfire is a very important element of a soldier’s situational awareness that is criti-cally needed to avoid potential danger. For example, differentiation of hostilefrom friendly weapons fire can indicate the need for increased vigilance andcanrevealtheapproximatelocationofanenemyelement.Inaddition,estimationofweaponsizecanbeusedtoinfertheresourcesofanenemyelement.Despitethepotential operational importance of these sounds, little is known about listenerperception of impulse weapons sounds. The present work investigates listenerability to differentiate signatures of various small arms weapons on the basis ofhigh-quality recordings of single-shot impulse sounds. Experiment 1 measuredlistener perceived similarity for paired small arms impulse sounds. A multi-dimensional scaling solution (MDS) based on listener ratings showed significantoverlap in perceptual space for most rifle sounds, but the mappings of handgunsounds were largely segregated from all rifle sounds. These mappings corre-lated well with measured source and sound properties of the small arms weap-ons. Experiment 2 measured discrimination performance for selected sets ofcontrasted weapon pairings. In general, discrimination performance correlatedwell with the listener perceptual space measured in Experiment 1, with bestperformance for handgun-rifle pairings and worst performance for rifle-riflepairings. © 2012 Institute of Noise Control Engineering.

Effects of seeing the interlocutor on the production of prosodic contrasts (L)

This study investigated whether the production of prosodic focus and phrasing contrasts was modified when interlocutors could only hear each other [auditory only (AO)], compared to when they could hear and see each other [face to face (FTF)]. The prosodic characteristics of utterances produced by six talkers were examined using both acoustic and perceptual measures (ratings of the degree of focus or clarity of the statement-question contrast). The acoustic measures showed a range of differences between narrow focus and between phrasing contrasts and some of these differences were greater in the AO setting than the FTF one. The listener's ratings of focus and phrasing showed a clear difference between the AO and FTF conditions, with perceptual attributes of both narrow focus and echoic question phrasing being rated as clearer in the AO condition. To explain these results it is proposed that talkers compensate for the lack of visual prosodic cues in the AO condition by taking extra care (relative to FTF conditions) to ensure the effective transmission of prosodic cues.

SIG 5 Perspectives Vol. 21, No. 2, October 2011

You have accessPerspectives on Speech Science and Orofacial DisordersCE Questions1 Oct 2011SIG 5 Perspectives Vol. 21, No. 2, October 2011Earn 0.1 CEUs on This Issue James M. Hillenbrand James M. Hillenbrand Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.1044/ssod21.2.1-ce SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationTrack Citations ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In Hillenbrand: Acoustic Analysis of Voice: A Tutorial 1. A challenge associated with use of the airborne acoustic signal to study vocal function is that it is quite distinct from the signal that enters the ear. it requires the use of very expensive, sophisticated laboratory equipment. it strongly emphasizes the lower frequency components of the voice signal. it not only reflects laryngeal function, but also resonant characteristics of the vocal tract. 2. A disadvantage of performing acoustic analysis on monotone sustained vowels is that analysis results do not necessarily generalize to connected speech. is that it introduces problems associated with individual variability in speaking style. stems from a lack of acoustic analysis approaches that may be used with this vocal task. is that sustained vowels are technically difficult to record. 3. Jitter or pitch perturbation is defined as an estimate of the cycle-to-cycle fluctuation in the amplitudes of adjacent pitch pulses. estimates the relative energy located in the high frequency regions of the sound spectrum. is one of many measures that reflect signal periodicity. has a single, well-defined method of calculation uniformly implemented within the professional discipline. 4. A measure that is strongly correlated with listener ratings of breathiness is Cepstral Peak Prominence (CPP). fundamental frequency. jitter. vocal intensity. 5. A challenge associated with using acoustic measures to infer underlying laryngeal pathology is that we have a very poor understanding of laryngeal pathology. audio recording equipment does not currently have the fidelity to accurately record pathological voice qualities. there are currently no acoustic measures that correlate with perceptual ratings of voice. different laryngeal pathologies can exhibit similar acoustic features such as turbulent noise. Callahan Mandulak: “I Can See What You're Saying”: Clinical Utility of Spectral Moment Analysis 6. Spectral moment analysis can distinguish between [s] and [f] due to the degree of categorical distinction between sibilant and nonsibilant fricatives. the distinctive spectral shapes of sibilant fricatives versus nonsibilant fricatives. the difference in appearance of sibilant and nonsibilant fricatives on a spectrogram. the relationship between auditory-perceptual analysis of sibilant versus nonsibilant fricatives. 7. The consonant [s] has higher frequency noise energy compared to [ʃ] because periodic sound waves contain higher frequency noise compared to aperiodic noise. articulation of [s] requires a sublingual space to be created for resonance of aperiodic noise. [ʃ] is produced posterior to [s], reflecting distinct articulatory configurations and therefore differing acoustic output. increased airflow for [s] production increases the frequency of noise contained in the fricative. 8. A time-history plot displaying fricative production allows for inspection of qualitative details regarding individual speaker's speech sound patterns, including duration or degree of distinction. comparison of group data for the purposes of determining statistically significant differences. documentation of speech outcomes from a quantitative standpoint. objective computation of fricative duration. 9. It is important to inspect data such as range of performance for an individual speaker's speech production skills in addition to group data because individual speakers often behave differently than the group average. it is not important to investigate the range of normal performance. adult speakers all produce the fricatives [s] and [ʃ] with similar dynamic patterns. individual speaker data is not as important as group data. 10. Which of the following statements is true about spectral moment analysis and children with repaired cleft palate? Spectral moment analysis would not be useful to measure pre- and post-intervention progress on specific obstruent consonant targets. Children with repaired cleft palate have velopharyngeal dysfunction and hypernasal resonance, which can be objectively measured with spectral moment analysis. The turbulence produced by fricative consonants is not typically distorted in children with repaired cleft palate, and therefore spectral moment analysis would not be adequately utilized for speech assessment. Spectral moment analysis provides an objective measure of articulation skill. Additional Resources FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 21Issue 2October 2011Pages: C1-C2 History Published in issue: Oct 1, 2011 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library Metrics Topicsasha-topicsasha-sigsasha-article-typesCopyright & Permissions© 2011 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationPDF downloadLoading ...

The social validity of script training related to the treatment of apraxia of speech

Background: Social validity is an important yet under-examined aspect of treatment efficacy that determines how the effects of treatment are perceived by people other than the clinician/researcher. This is particularly true of treatments to improve the speech of adults with acquired neurogenic disorders. Aims: The purposes of this investigation were to evaluate the social validity of a modified script training treatment protocol, to explore how aspects of a client's speech correspond to varying rater judgements, and to determine which of the listener ratings were most predictive of ratings of overall quality. Methods & Procedures: A total of 124 young, naïve listeners were asked to rate the quality of speech of an 81-year-old woman with moderate–severe apraxia of speech during utterances with varying levels of script correctness (low, medium, high), number of errors (low, high), and rate (slow, faster). Judgements were made on the understandability, ease of production, naturalness, and overall quality of speech. Outcomes & Results: All main effects and interactions were statistically significant. As script correctness, speaking rate, and number of errors increased, listener ratings were significantly more favourable. Interactions demonstrated increasing correctness, error, and rate with significantly more favourable listener ratings. The listener ratings that predicted improved perceptions of overall quality, weighted highest to lowest, were: understandability, naturalness, and ease of production. Error types were analysed and revealed that phrase repetitions appeared to be perceived positively and that unintelligible words and interjections appeared to be perceived negatively. Conclusions: The modified script training protocol applied to a woman with marked apraxia of speech appeared to be socially valid with these naïve raters. Listeners appeared to be sensitive to the amount and the quality of speech output generated by the speaker. Listeners appeared to perceive struggle behaviours as negative, increased speech output (including repetitions and empty speech) as positive, faster speech (closer to a normal speaker's average word per minute) as preferable to slow speech, and more understandable speech and more natural speech as better quality speech. Based on these data, the accuracy and fluency of script production are important treatment goals.

Determining Perceived Sound Quality in a Simulated Hearing Aid Using the International Speech Test Signal

Based on speech segments from female talkers of different languages, the International Speech Test Signal (ISTS) has speech-like acoustic properties but is not intelligible. This study investigated whether sound quality ratings for the ISTS are similar to ratings obtained for linguistically meaningful speech. A simulated hearing aid was used to process the ISTS for a variety of noise, nonlinear, linear, and combined nonlinear and linear processing conditions. The sound quality of the test conditions was rated by both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired (HI) listeners. Listeners' ratings were then modeled using the Hearing Aid Sound Quality Index (HASQI). The HASQI predictions indicated how closely the ISTS sound quality ratings were to listener ratings of American English. In the normal-hearing group, correlations between HASQI predictions and listener ratings were 0.90 for nonlinear processing, 0.78 for linear processing, and 0.88 for combined processing. In the HI group, correlations between HASQI predictions and listener ratings were 0.96 for nonlinear processing, 0.94 for linear processing, and 0.96 for combined processing. Since the ISTS is intended for use with hearing aids, the accuracy of the HASQI predictions for the HI listeners reinforces the validity of using this signal for hearing aid sound quality ratings and predictions.

Acoustic characteristics of public speaking: Anxiety and practice effects

This study describes the relationship between acoustic characteristics, self-ratings, and listener-ratings of public speaking. The specific purpose of this study was to examine the effects of anxiety and practice on speech and voice during public speaking. Further examination of the data was completed to examine the illusion of transparency, which hypothesizes that public speakers think their anxiety is more noticeable to listeners than it really is. Self-rating and acoustic speech data were reported on two separate speeches produced by 16 college-aged individuals completing coursework in interpersonal communication. Results indicated that there were significant relationships between acoustic characteristics of speech and both self- and listener-ratings of anxiety in public speaking. However, self-ratings of anxiety were higher than listener ratings, indicating possible confirmation of the illusion of transparency. Finally, data indicate that practice patterns have a significant effect on the fluency characteristics of public speaking performance, as speakers who started practicing earlier were less disfluent than those who started later. Data are also discussed relative to rehabilitation for individuals with communication disorders that can be associated with public speaking anxiety.

Word durations in non-native English

In this study, we compare the effects of English lexical features on word duration for native and non-native English speakers and for non-native speakers with different L1s and a range of L2 experience. We also examine whether non-native word durations lead to judgments of a stronger foreign accent. We measured word durations in English paragraphs read by 12 American English (AE), 20 Korean, and 20 Chinese speakers. We also had AE listeners rate the ‘accentedness’ of these non-native speakers. AE speech had shorter durations, greater within-speaker word duration variance, greater reduction of function words, and less between-speaker variance than non-native speech. However, both AE and non-native speakers showed sensitivity to lexical predictability by reducing second mentions and high-frequency words. Non-native speakers with more native-like word durations, greater within-speaker word duration variance, and greater function word reduction were perceived as less accented. Overall, these findings identify word duration as an important and complex feature of foreign-accented English.

Speech intelligibility and perceptions of communication effectiveness by speakers with dysarthria following traumatic brain injury and their communication partners

Primary objective: This study examined differences in perceived communicative effectiveness between a group of eight participants with chronic dysarthria following TBI and their nominated communication partners (TBIP). The relationship between communicative effectiveness and listener ratings of speech intelligibility was also examined.Research design: Group comparison design.Methods and procedures: The Communicative Effectiveness Survey was completed by the participants with TBI and their communication partner. Speech intelligibility of the eight adults with dysarthria was rated by nine naive listeners using direct magnitude estimation.Main outcomes and results: The participants with TBI tended to rate their communicative effectiveness higher than their TBIP; however, this trend was not significant. No significant differences were noted between the TBI and TBIP groups in ratings of communicative effectiveness in various communication settings. No significant relationship was found between conversation level intelligibility and perceptions of communicative effectiveness, as rated by individuals with TBI and TBIP.Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the need for collaborative participation in the therapeutic process by all stakeholders. The lack of correlation between speech intelligibility and perceived communicative effectiveness highlights the need for careful examination of activity and participation during assessment and goal-setting.

Bidirectional interference between speech and postural stability in individuals with Parkinson's disease

Because people frequently talk while engaged in other activities, and because Parkinson's disease (PD) is known to diminish multi-tasking performance, this study examined dual task interference between speaking and postural stability in nine individuals with PD, seven age-matched, and 10 healthy young controls. Participants repeated a target utterance and performed a rise to toes task in both single and dual task conditions. Diphthong transitions were measured from audio recordings and postural variables reflecting planning, coordination, and stability were derived from a multi-camera motion capture system and force plate recordings. Thus, sensitive measures of both speech and postural control were obtained. The group with PD performed more poorly than both control groups for the isolated postural task, but their single task speech measures did not differ from the controls, in spite of listener ratings which indicated mild-to-moderate dysarthria severity. The group with PD showed evidence of bidirectional dual task interference in that there were reduced diphthong extents and slopes along with smaller, slower, and less stable postural movements. These results indicate that concurrent performance of speech and a challenging postural control task impairs speech and postural stability in persons with PD and may result in greater risk during daily activities.

The Role of Listener Experience on Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) Ratings of Postthyroidectomy Voice

To determine whether experienced and inexperienced listeners rate postthyroidectomy voice samples similarly using the Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V). Prospective observational study of voice quality ratings of randomized and blinded voice samples was performed. Twenty-one postthyroidectomy patients' voices, representing a wide range of severities, were rated using a custom-automated version of the CAPE-V. Ten male and 11 female voices were rated by 10 experienced and 10 inexperienced listeners. Experienced listeners consisted of 5 otolaryngologists (ENTs) and 5 speech-language pathologists (SLPs); inexperienced listeners were medical professionals with no formal training or experience in voice disorders. Inexperienced listeners rated voices as more severely impaired than experienced listeners for all CAPE-V parameters (p < or = .003). Those without experience in voice disorders had lower intra- and interrater reliability (e.g., r = .838 and .528, respectively, for overall severity) than those with experience in voice disorders (e.g., r = .911 and .722, respectively, for overall severity) for all parameters. Among experienced listeners, ENTs and SLPs rated voices similarly for most parameters. Experienced and inexperienced listeners judged voice quality differently given minimal training with the use of the CAPE-V. SLPs and ENTs rated postthyroidectomy voice quality similarly. These findings indicate that the CAPE-V can be used reliably and similarly by professionals who specialize in voice disorders.

First language attrition in foreign accent perception

This study investigates first language attrition in perception of a foreign accent in one’s native language. Although studies of first language attrition abound, there are very few studies on L1 attrition in perception of adults. Furthermore, there is apparently no research dealing with L1 attrition in foreign accent identification. The present study is perhaps the first to investigate this issue, which has implications for both L1 and L2 attrition in perception. The study compares accent ratings of four different groups rating native and nonnative Brazilian Portuguese. The four listener groups comprised (a) Brazilian Portuguese listeners in Brazil, (b) Brazilian Portuguese listeners in the USA, (c) American English listeners in Brazil with Portuguese experience, and (d) American English listeners in the USA with Portuguese experience. There was no apparent attrition in the ability to distinguish between native and nonnative speakers, and in fact all four groups could distinguish between native and nonnative speakers. However, other aspects suggest attrition because the ratings of the Brazilian listeners in the USA were different from the Brazilian listeners in Brazil. In addition, there were slight differences between the American listeners in the USA and those in Brazil.

EPG patterns in a patient with phonemic paraphasic errors

Auditorily-detected phonemic paraphasias such as substitutions are said to characterize aphasias such as Wernicke’s and conduction aphasia. However previous research has shown that the articulatory details underlying such substitutions recorded by techniques such as Electropalatography (EPG) may reveal a level of complexity not detected by the auditory analysis alone. Articulatory anomalies such as so-called Misdirected Articulatory Gestures (MAGs) may accompany the production of the substitutions and are variously perceived by listeners. A perceptual study is carried out in which 16 adult listeners rate sounds identified on the basis of EPG analysis as potential substitutions, on a scale from alveolar to velar. Some of the target sounds looked like ‘pure’ substitutions from the EPG patterns and some exhibited MAGs. Listener judgements were not always entirely predictable on the basis of EPG patterns. The occurrence of the anomalous EPG patterns (and the auditory results) is explored further in terms of a modified spreading activation model and implications for clinical management are discussed.

Listener Perception of the Effect of Abdominal Kinematic Directives on Respiratory Behavior in Female Classical Singing

Breath management training in classical singing is becoming increasingly physiologically focused, despite evidence that directives focusing on chest-wall kinematic (ribcage and abdominal) behavior effect minimal change in acoustical measures of singing. A direct and proportionate relationship between breathing behavior and vocal quality is important in singing training because singing teachers rely primarily on changes in sound quality to assess the efficacy of breath management modification. Pedagogical opinion is also strongly divided over whether the strategy of retarding the reduction in abdominal dimension during singing has a negative effect on vocal quality. This study investigated whether changes in abdominal kinematic strategy were perceptible and whether listeners preferred a particular strategy. Fourteen experienced singing teachers and vocal coaches assessed audio samples of five female classical singers whose respiratory kinematic patterns during singing had been recorded habitually and under two simple, dichotomous directives: Gradually drawing the abdomen inward and gradually expanding the abdomen, during each phrase. Listeners rated the singers on standard of singing and of breath management. Ratings analysis took into consideration changes in kinematic behavior under each directive determined from the respiratory recordings. Listener ratings for two singers were unaffected by directive. For three singers, ratings were lower when the directive opposed habitual kinematic behavior. The results did not support the pedagogical assumption of a direct and proportional link between respiratory behavior and standard of singing or that the abdomen-outward strategy was deleterious to vocal quality. The findings demonstrate the importance of considering habitual breathing behavior in both research and pedagogical contexts.