Vocal Stress Research Articles

Effects of Occupation-Specific Vocal Stress on the Mental Health of Day Care Teachers

Introduction: Kindergarten teachers are exposed to numerous kinds of strains, such as noise, which can negatively affect their voices. This cross-sectional study investigates whether and to what extent the profession-specific high vocal demand is associated with the educators’ mental health. Methods: One hundred and ninety-two kindergarten teachers from Magdeburg, Germany and its surrounding areas aged 43.4 ± 12.8 years, voluntarily participated in a survey. Vocal demand and vocal demand response, general strain factors, and mental health were assessed by using questionnaires (self-check on voice demands, Rudow checklist, General Health Questionnaire, and Maslach Burnout Inventory). The statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS. Results: The interviewed educators felt stressed by the excessive number of work tasks and children in each class, noisy work environment, and loud conversations. In addition, educators complained of headaches and neck pain (66%), while 28% of them experienced hoarseness and a burning throat. The mental health of 39 of the educators was impaired, and nine were at an increased risk of burnout. Self-reported voice effort correlated low with mental health (r = 0.287; p < 0.001) and burnout risk (r = 0.306; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The vocal demands on educators in day care settings are very high, which is a major associated factor for the development of burnout syndrome and is also associated with headaches and neck pain. Measures for the prevention of occupational voice disorders and voice training should be a mandatory part of the educators’ training and must be offered as in-service training.

How an utterance is regarded as implying disagreement: an analysis of confirmation requests in Japanese decision-making meetings

Abstract This study describes how confirmation requests can be regarded as implying disagreement in Japanese decision-making meetings. By using the methodology of Conversation Analysis, I examined two specific sequential environments where participants in meetings are more likely to imply their disagreements through confirmation requests: (i) after a participant reports on his or her proposal and (ii) after a silence caused by a stalled discussion. The detailed analysis of the composition and sequential location of confirmation requests in these contexts revealed that linguistic items, vocal stress, or even conversational contexts can make a confirmation request heard as implying disagreement. In addition, choosing a confirmation request to imply disagreement is not a random decision but a thoughtful selection depending on the asymmetrical epistemic status or related to the management of topic progression in meetings.

Management and reduction of fraud by analysis of the insurer’s internal and external vulnerabilities and contributions

"Fraud is a dynamic phenomenon: when the industry discovers a „scam” – a specific pattern of fraud – and sets up barriers to prevent it from recurring, another scam takes place – a new pattern is developed by fraudsters. The motivations for committing fraud vary: from opportunists who submit a fraudulent request as a way to recover their insurance premium, probably encouraged by a change in public attitudes towards crime without victims to criminal networks that use fraud as a regular source of revenue generation. The legal, organizational and commercial constraints under which the insurance industry operates often have a negative impact on existing fraud prevention, detection and investigation practices. Initially, the fight against insurance fraud focused on identifying the characteristics of fraudulent claims and fraudulent claimants – the empirical phase / traditional approach and the role that insurance company employees played in this phase was a major one. Then, given the wave of interest in the insurance industry, emphasis was placed on the use of approaches such as: a) cognitive interviewing and vocal stress analysis that were used in forensic investigation, as well; b) data extraction techniques, specially developed for fraud detection. Are just these effective? The material will try to analyze the vulnerabilities and contributions, both internal and external, that are introduced by the policies, procedures and controls implemented by the insurer within the organization."

Automatic Detection and Classification of Voice Pathology

The result of rough vocal use is commonly voice pathology. Poor vocal practice can result in worse exceptional of voice, vocal fatigue, and vocal stress. This research utilizes glottal signal (signal produced by vocal folds) parameters to help out in identify voice disorders linked to vocal folds pathologies. For each recorded speech, the respective glottal signal is acquired. We select the most relevant as far as pathological / normal discrimination is concerned from the enormous set of parameters obtained. In this paper a new glottal signal parameter Maximum Opening Quotient (MOQ) is calculated to find Pathological / Normal speech discrimination. Using distinct options, the outcomes are compared. Support Vector Machine (SVM) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) algorithms are used for classifications. Result shows that the average efficiency rise 2.1% using the newly studied glottal parameter Maximum Opening Quotient (MOQ), which is a major contribution of this research.

Implementation and evaluation of a teacher intervention program on classroom communication

Background: Media frequently report on overall work-place challenges in Swedish schools, including teachers’ working conditions, their well-being, and students’ declining results. Language is the key to success in every school subject. Therefore, optimal language learning environments are important. Poor sound environments affect teachers’ vocal health, their general well-being, and students’ performance. To provide better conditions for teachers and students, it is necessary to combine optimized room acoustics with other preventive measures such as vocal training and evidence-based tools to improve classroom communication. Teachers play a key role in the classroom and need knowledge and skills in communicative strategies to ensure first-class communication. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of an intervention program for primary-school teachers comprising strategies for enhanced language learning and interactions in the classroom, with focus on teachers’ verbal and body communication (voice, gaze, and gesture).Methods: Teachers (n = 25) from seven schools teaching in school year 3–6 participated. Assessments were made pre/post intervention and at 5-weeks and 3-months follow-up. The assessments included teachers’ self-assessments (questionnaires) of vocal health, self-efficacy, stress, burnout, and psychosocial work-environment.Results: The main results were significant decrease in voice problems at the 3-months follow-up and significant decrease of both stress and degree of burnout at 5-weeks follow-up. Self-efficacy score had increased significantly at 5-week follow-up.Conclusion: It can be concluded that the intervention program improves teachers’ self-reported vocal health, decreases their perception of stress, and degree of burnout whilst increasing their sense of self-efficacy in classroom management.

Клинико-диагностический алгоритм работы врача-оториноларинголога с профессионалами голоса

Diagnosis and treatment of larynx diseases in voice professionals are an important task of otorhinolaryngology. 244 voice professionals have visited Phoniatric Department of Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Ear, Throat, Nose and Speech. The condition of larynx was assessed by videoendolaryngoscopic and videoendolaryngostroboscopy methods. Larynx pathology was found in 212 patients, 32 persons were healthy. The main causes of dysphonias were the continuous vocal stress, work in sick condition, the diseases of endocrine, gastroduodenal, respiratory, neural system. 77 patients with voice disorders were diagnosed with functional dysphonia, 61 patients – with acute or chronic laryngitis. The cause of hoarseness in 46 persons were the vocal fold nodules, and in 28 patients – the vocal fold polyps. The article describes the clinical manifestations of pathological changes of the larynx. Based on the studied voice disorder etiological factors and clinical picture of the larynx, the authors developed a clinical and diagnostic algorithm of otorhinolaryngologist’s work with voice professionals.

Reflux symptoms in professional opera soloists

BackgroundProfessions distinguished by repeated vocal stress carry a high risk of developing gastroesophageal reflux symptoms (GERS) which may affect vocal performance. AimsTo investigate the prevalence of self-reported GERS in professional opera soloists. MethodsA validated questionnaire regarding self-reported GERS (heartburn, regurgitation, chest pain, dysphagia, hoarseness, and cough) and lifestyle habits was administered to 116 professional opera soloists (mean age 34.1 ± 7.3 years, F:M ratio 1:1.1). Age and sex-matched opera choristers and control subjects were used as control. Prevalence rate ratios (PRRs) adjusted for confounding factors were evaluated. ResultsAmong GERS, belching (33.6%), heartburn (19.8%), and dysphagia (15.5%) were the most commonly reported by soloists. In particular, a higher risk of heartburn (PRR 2.61, 95% CI 1.45–4.69) and dysphagia (PRR 2.58, 95% CI 1.31–5.10) was reported in soloists as compared to choristers. The prevalence of obesity and late dinner was higher in both choristers and soloists in comparison to the population sample (p < 0.001). GERS was more common among soloists who received pharmacologic treatment and their prevalence was unrelated to the years of singing activity. ConclusionsProfessional opera soloists, regardless of the length of their career, are predisposed to developing GERS. Physicians should encourage patients to correct preventable risk factors. A prolonged pharmacological treatment might be needed.

Vocal stress associated with a translocation of a family herd of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the Kruger National Park, South Africa

We used vocal indicators to examine the effect of a translocation of an African elephant family herd within the Kruger National Park. These animals were moved 300 km from their home range, but returned unaided to this range within 23 days. We found that translocation resulted in a change in the mean fundamental frequency of low-frequency elephant vocalizations, known as rumbles. The rumbles increased significantly in pitch compared with pre-translocation levels during the 23 days the animals spent outside their normal home range. Mean fundamental frequency returned close to pre-translocation level by the time the animals had navigated their way back to their previous home range. Raised pitch is known to be an indicator of stress in humans and other animals. The observed acoustic results are consistent with a physiological measure of stress, faecal glucocorticoid metabolite levels, which were monitored from the same animals during the study and have already been reported elsewhere. To our knowledge, this is the first report of prolonged monitoring of vocal stress response in free-ranging animals. Measuring behavioural responses, such as vocalizations, may provide an objective non-invasive method for assessing stress. This could help in determining the effects that particular management actions might have on elephants.

Ações de promoção e prevenção à saúde vocal de professores: uma questão de saúde coletiva

OBJETIVO: analisar possíveis ações para a prevenção e a promoção da saúde vocal de professores através da análise de interações entre aspectos vocais, ocupacionais e preventivos. MÉTODO: um estudo qualitativo-quantitativo foi realizado numa escola pública do estado de São Paulo com 26 professores. Desenvolveu-se um programa de aprimoramento vocal que contou com avaliação laringológica, aplicação de questionário e intervenção preventivo-terapêutica em grupo. Para quantificar o grau de associação entre os aspectos vocais, ocupacionais e preventivos, foi utilizado o Teste Qui-quadrado. RESULTADOS: observou-se que a maioria dos professores (exceto dois) referiram algum tipo de queixa relacionada ao uso da voz na profissão. Foram observadas alterações laríngeas em três dos dez professores que se submeteram à avaliação laringológica. Quanto ao estresse, 20 referiram estresse de alguma natureza, e destes, 10 referiram estresse vocal. Treze professores participaram da intervenção. Entretanto, apenas cinco concluíram-na. Houve significância estatística na associação entre a quantidade de sintomas vocais e a participação na intervenção preventivo-terapêutica, mostrando que participaram da intervenção, os professores com mais de três sintomas vocais. Também foi observada tendência à associação entre indisponibilidade de tempo e referência a estresse vocal. CONCLUSÃO: acredita-se que a saúde vocal do professor esteja amplamente relacionada a aspectos ocupacionais, mesmo não tendo sido encontrado significância estatística em todas as associações investigadas. As ações preventivas devem valorizar as atuações multi ou interdisciplinares, os trabalhos de sensibilização para a percepção da importância da voz no ensino, a identificação e atenuação de fatores de risco, os programas de aprimoramento vocal e a integração entre todos os atores envolvidos com a escola.

The Effect of Teaching Experience and Specialty (Vocal or Instrumental) on Vocal Health Ratings of Music Teachers

The current study sought to determine the relationship among music teachers’ length of teaching experience, specialty (vocal or instrumental), and ratings of behaviors and teaching activities related to vocal health. Participants ( N = 379) were experienced ( n = 208) and preservice ( n = 171) music teachers, further categorized by specialty, either vocalists ( n = 198) or instrumentalists ( n = 181). Teachers provided demographic information, vocal health ratings for selected behaviors, and ratings of perceived vocal stress in selected teaching activities. Years of teaching experience had a significant effect for four behaviors and one teaching activity. Specialty had a significant effect for two behaviors and three teaching activities. The interaction of years of teaching experience and specialty was significant for the following behaviors: clearing the throat, getting adequate sleep, and breathing secondhand smoke. The interaction of years of teaching experience and specialty was significant for the following teaching activities: verbal instruction while students play instruments, speaking over noisy classroom conditions, hall duty, and lunch duty. Overall, ratings provided by preservice teachers tend to reflect healthier practices. Suggestions for further research include instrumentalists’ perceived vocal stress, how perceptions can be shaped to aid prevention of vocal disorders in teachers, and vocal health opinions where diverse experience levels are explored more deeply.

Stress and Deception in Speech: Evaluating Layered Voice Analysis*

This study was designed to evaluate commonly used voice stress analyzers--in this case the layered voice analysis (LVA) system. The research protocol involved the use of a speech database containing materials recorded while highly controlled deception and stress levels were systematically varied. Subjects were 24 each males/females (age range 18-63 years) drawn from a diverse population. All held strong views about some issue; they were required to make intense contradictory statements while believing that they would be heard/seen by peers. The LVA system was then evaluated by means of a double blind study using two types of examiners: a pair of scientists trained and certified by the manufacturer in the proper use of the system and two highly experienced LVA instructors provided by this same firm. The results showed that the "true positive" (or hit) rates for all examiners averaged near chance (42-56%) for all conditions, types of materials (e.g., stress vs. unstressed, truth vs. deception), and examiners (scientists vs. manufacturers). Most importantly, the false positive rate was very high, ranging from 40% to 65%. Sensitivity statistics confirmed that the LVA system operated at about chance levels in the detection of truth, deception, and the presence of high and low vocal stress states.

Vocal Hygiene Perceptions of Experienced and Preservice Music Teachers

The purpose of this study is to compare perceptions of vocal hygiene at different levels of music teaching experience. The following survey information from 659 music teachers with various levels of teaching experience forms the basis of the analysis: voice use in teaching, perceived risk of voice disorders in teaching, ratings of vocal behaviors, personal voice problems, and ratings of perceived vocal stress in teaching activities. The teachers are grouped according to level of experience: late career, early career, or preservice. Majorities in all groups believe (a) teaching equals high voice disorder risk, (b) vocal problems affect the career, and (c) career change to preserve voices would be unlikely. Using Likert-type scales, the teachers rated the healthiness of selected vocal behaviors and perceived vocal stress in selected teaching activities. Overall, they rate drinking water the healthiest behavior and smoking the unhealthiest. For teaching activities, they rate speaking over noisy classroom conditions highest for causing vocal stress, and they rate demonstration singing the lowest. Significant differences emerge in ratings from the three groups of teachers for four behaviors (speaking in noisy environments, drinking water, clearing throat, and consuming alcohol) and four teaching activities (opening remarks, vocal instruction while students sing, speaking over noisy classroom conditions, and lunchroom duty).

The relative effectiveness of vocal hygiene training and vocal function exercises in preventing voice disorders in primary school teachers

Voice disorders in teachers have a significant impact on their occupational functioning and well being. Teachers are believed to have a high prevalence of voice problems because of the unfavourable acoustic environments in which they work and the high vocal demands and stress levels associated with teaching. Although the types of voice problems teachers experience should be preventable because they are caused by factors that teachers can change, there is limited information available regarding the effectiveness of different preventative strategies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of vocal hygiene training (VH) and vocal function exercises (VFE) in reducing vocal symptoms and vocal misuse, and increasing knowledge of voice care, maximum phonation time, and maximum phonational frequency range in school teachers. Thirty-seven teachers from four schools in Melbourne, Australia, participated in the study. Schools were randomly allocated to one of three groups: VH, VFE, and no-treatment control. The VH and VFE participants reported improved vocal characteristics and voice knowledge after training while the control group showed deterioration on most variables. The VH participants showed greater improvements than the VFE participants. These findings indicate that preventative voice training for teachers is likely to be effective.

Vocal Fold Stress in Voice Overuse and Abuse

Vocal Fold Stress in Voice Overuse and Abuse

Analysis of factors affecting vocal fold impact stress using a mechanical model

High mechanical stress levels in the vocal folds likely contribute to pathological changes to the tissue such as vocal nodules. Vocal fold collision during phonation was modeled as a dynamic contact problem in order to calculate stress levels during impact. The model incorporated a 3-D, linear elastic, finite element representation of a single vocal fold, a rigid midline surface, and a simplified aerodynamic waveform. The effects of fold geometry, material properties, and sub-glottal pressure on peak impact stress were calculated. Impact stress time course and the relationship between sub-glottal pressure and peak impact stress agree with published experimental measurements [Jiang and Titze, J. Voice 8, 132–144 (1994)]. Identification of high-stress configurations will promote better understanding of the etiology, persistence, and treatment of certain pathological voice changes. [Work supported by the Whitaker Foundation.]

Different Games, Different Rules: Why Americans and Japanese Misunderstand Each Other

Japan and the United States are in closer contact politically and economically than ever before, yet in many ways our nations are as far from mutual understanding as ever. Misconceptions and miscommunications between East and West continue to plague this important relationship, frustrating the best efforts of both cultures to work together. Stereotypes abound: Americans see Japanese as evasive and inscrutable, while Japanese see Americans as pushy and selfish. What causes these persistent misunderstandings, and what can be done to avoid them? Fluent in both languages and at home in both cultures, Haru Yamada brings an insiders perspective and a linguists training to this difficult question, illuminating the many reasons why Americans and Japanese misunderstand one another. Social organization, she explains, shapes the way we talk. Because American and Japanese cultures value different kinds of social relationships, they play different language games with different sets of rules. In America, for instance, Aesop's fable about the grasshopper and the ants ends with the ants scorning the foolhardy grasshopper. In Japan, however, the story has a very different ending: the ants invite the grasshopper in to share their winter meal, as they appreciate how his singing spurred them on during their summer labors. In the difference between these two endings, argues Yamada, lies an important lesson: Americans, because of their unique political history, value independence and individuality, while Japanese value mutual dependency and interconnectedness. The language of both cultures is designed to display and reinforce these values so that words, phrases and expressions in one language can have completely different connotations in another, leading to all manner of misunderstanding. Yamada provides numerous examples. In Japan, for instance, silence is valued and halting speech is considered more honest and thoughtful than fluid speech, while in America forthright, polished speech is valued. Likewise, the Japanese use word order to express emphasis, while Americans use vocal stress: a listener unaware of this difference may easily misunderstand the import of a sentence. In a lucid and insightful discussion, Yamada outlines the basic differences between Japanese and American English and analyzes a number of real-life business and social interactions in which these differences led to miscommunication. By understanding how and why each culture speaks in the way that it does, Yamada shows, we can learn to avoid frustrating and damaging failures of communication. Different Games, Different Rules is essential reading for anyone who travels to or communicates regularly with Japan, whether they are scientists, scholars, tourists, or business executives. But as Deborah Tannen notes in her Foreword to the book, even those who will never travel to Japan, do business with a Japanese company, or talk to a person from that part of the world, will find the insights of this book illuminating and helpful, because the greatest benefit that comes of understanding another culture is a better and deeper understanding of one's own.

Sociodemographic variables of a german sample of patients with contact granuloma

We report 28 German patients with contact granuloma (27 male, 1 female). Their mean age was 52 years (ranging from 35 to 70). Thirty-two percent were retired. The occupations of the others represented a wide range of different jobs. The majority of the sample had a middle educational level. Most patients lived with their family or with a partner. According to self-assessments, 68% had average daily strain on their speaking voice. All patients were nonsmokers. The patients felt themselves more disturbed by somatic troubles as the general population. Heartburn was felt by nearly half of the patients. A little more than half of the patients suffered from globus sensation. Thus, it is not possible at present to explain the laryngeal contact granuloma by sociodemographic data, vocal stress, or special somatic complaints in this sample. Therefore a multifactorial etiology should be supposed.

Effects of short‐term endotracheal intubation on vocal function

Transient voice change associated with endotracheal intubation has generally been attributed to vocal fold trauma. To assess the role of altered vocal fold function in transient voice change, a study was designed to evaluate the audioacoustic, endoscopic, and laryngostroboscopic characteristics of the postintubation voice. Vocal function of 10 patients undergoing short-term outpatient surgical procedures using general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation were studied preoperatively and postoperatively. A second group of 10 patients that did not have surgery or general anesthesia was used as an age-matched control. Fundamental frequency, frequency perturbation, electroglottography, endoscopy (including laryngeal stroboscopy), and subjective speech analysis by experienced listeners were used to assess vocal function. No consistent differences in fundamental frequency were observed, although patient-to-patient variation was marked. Statistically significant increases in cycle-to-cycle fundamental frequency variation (jitter) were found postoperatively in the majority of the postintubation patients (P less than 0.05). Electroglottography, laryngeal endoscopy, and stroboscopic laryngoscopy did not demonstrate consistent changes in glottic mucosal function. Listener judgments characterized the postintubation voice change by decreased intensity, increased roughness, and lowered affect without consistent changes in pitch. The perception of decreased affect in the voices (characterized by reduction in pitch variation, vocal stress, and increases in pause times) was a strong perceptual marker for change in the post-intubation voice. Objective measures of laryngeal function suggest that the glottic contribution to postintubation voice change is minimal and that this dysphonia is probably multifactorial.

Vocal stress and deception detection among Chinese

Chinese immigrants to the U.S. were randomly assigned to deception or truth telling conditions in a simulated job interview. Vocal stress indices were studied for three types of questions: descriptive (requiring brief response), narrative (requiring elaboration), and emotionally‐eliciting (requiring the interviewee to disclose emotions). Both male and female Chinese interviewees displayed significantly higher levels of vocal stress when revealing negative emotions about personal matters than when communicating descriptive or narrative answers. Male Chinese also displayed higher levels of vocal stress for a prepared lie than when communicating other descriptive answers. Vocal stress was not associated with deception among females, in contrast to the results of an earlier study. Further, male truth tellers were found to display elevated levels of vocal stress when disclosing personal information. The validity of the vocal stress index as a measure of stress and discomfort appears limited to prepared lies an...

Voice Stress Evaluators and Lie Detection

Proponents of vocal stress analysis systems argue that they are able to detect spoken deception by analysis of "stress" in the voice signal. Presumably, they do so by examining traces made by laryngeal microtremors which, they claim exist in the voice, are associated with stress, and ultimately are associated with lying. However, most research that seeks to identify the relationships between microtremors and laryngeal function has produced negative results, and data on the ability of voice analyzers to detect stress from speech--or to identify spoken deception--have been negative or "mixed" in nature. Since perspectives based on available results leave a number of questions unanswered, a series of experiments has been undertaken. The first was focused on the basic acoustic/temporal correlates of stress in voice (the subject of an earlier report), the second on examination of stress by commercial voice analyzers, and the third on the detection of relatively high-risk lies by this same type of voice analysis procedure. It was found that correct stress/nonstress identifications occurred only at chance levels; the lie/nonlie identification scores were quite similar with professional "examiners" performing at about the same level of accuracy as other auditors. The following review is divided into two parts: a history of the controversy and a presentation of the two cited experiments.