Jimmy Pinto, Sally Gallena, Ph.D.
Speech-Language Pathologists’ Perceptions of Student Clinicians’ Voice
The human voice is comprised of components that provide clues about the speaker including
age, gender, nationality, and even physical and psychological health. However, due
to the subjective nature of our perception, we may create inaccurate representations
of individuals based solely on what we hear. Prior research has investigated how voice
components are utilized to further listeners’ perceptions to include attributes such
as physical attractiveness, politeness, and dominance (Borkowska & Pawlowski, 2011;
Puts, Hodges, Cardenas, & Gaulin, 2007; Riding, Lonsdale, & Brown, 2006).
There is one vocal trend that has become a phenomenon among young American women known
as vocal fry, a distinct vocal quality that is created by a unique vocal fold vibratory
pattern (Abdelli-Beruh, Wolk, & Slavin, 2014; Wolk, Abdelli-Baruh, & Slavin, 2012).
Research has found that some listeners perceive speakers having vocal fry as positive,
whereby the listener forms a positive image of the speaker as being a successful professional
(Yuasa, 2010). However, other research supports that listeners perceive vocal fry
as negative placing the speaker at a professional disadvantage (Anderson, Klofstad,
Mayew, & Venkatachalam, 2014). This present study investigated how the use of vocal
fry among young women who will soon enter the speech-language pathology (SLP) profession,
impacts the perception and impressions of experienced SLPs who may be hiring or supervising
them.
Method
Descriptive cross-sectional and survey research designs were conducted to analyze
data from two participant groups. One group included 32 female SLP graduate students
from Loyola University Maryland who provided a voice sample consisting of two recordings
in their typical speaking voice. Two experienced listeners assigned each recordings
to one of two categories: 1) normal sample with vocal fry on linguistically appropriate
words or 2) abnormal sample with an excessive amount of vocal fry. Twelve recordings
were selected - 5 normal and 7 abnormal. A Qualtrics survey was completed by 149 practicing
SLPs requiring them to provide demographic information and perceptual ratings and
impressions for 12 voice samples.
Results
Out of the 32 SLP student participants, vocal fry was identified in approximately
a third of the students. The mean average percentages for abnormal samples were: competent
(79%), hirable (78%), educated(80%), and professional(76%) as compared with normal
samples which were: competent(89%), hirable(90%), educated(90%), and professional(89%).
The practicing SLPs were more accurate correctly identifying the normal samples as
well.
Discussion
Based upon a small sample of graduate SLP students, vocal fry is a present trend among
young women. This study contributes to previous research suggesting that vocal fry
negatively impacts the speaker and may be placing individuals at a professional disadvantage.
These results suggest that individuals should attempt to limit the amount of vocal
fry in a professional environment. These findings also suggest that practicing SLPs
are less likely to accurately identify vocal fry, however, still perceived vocal fry
use negatively.
References
Abdelli-Beruh, N. B., Wolk, L., & Slavin, D. (2014). Prevalence of vocal fry in young
adult male
American English speakers. Journal of Voice, 28(2), 185-190.
Anderson, R. C., Klofstad, C. A., Mayew, W. J., & Venkatachalam, M. (2014). Vocal
fry may
undermine the success of young women in the labor market. PloS one, 9(5), e97506.
Borkowska, B., & Pawlowski, B. (2011). Female voice frequency in the context of dominance
and attractiveness perception. Animal Behaviour, 82(1), 55-59.
Puts, D. A., Hodges, C. R., Cárdenas, R. A., & Gaulin, S. J. (2007). Men's voices
as dominance
signals: vocal fundamental and formant frequencies influence dominance attributions
among men. Evolution and Human Behavior, 28(5), 340-344.
Wolk, L., Abdelli-Beruh, N. B., & Slavin, D. (2012). Habitual use of vocal fry in
young adult
female speakers. Journal of Voice, 26(3), e111-e116.
Yuasa, I. P. (2010). Creaky voice: A new feminine voice quality for young urban-oriented
upwardly mobile American women? American Speech, 85(3), 315-337.