No abstract

This work comprises an experimental investigation approach of expressive speech that integrates methodological procedures of perceptual and acoustic analyses. As the object of this work, we have focused on voice quality and vocal dynamics. Speech samples from the four main personality-distinct characters in the animated feature film “Zootopia” dubbed by Brazilian voice actors have been analysed. Due to the expressive function of voice quality, we have posed the following question: what types of voice quality and vocal dynamics settings were used by the voice actors in the Brazilian dubbing of “Zootopia” to compose the vocal profiles of the characters? Perceptual evaluation of the 54 speech stimuli was performed using the Vocal Profile Analysis protocol (Laver & Mackenzie Beck, 2007). Acoustic measures were automatically extracted using the ExpressionEvaluator script (Barbosa, 2008) for PRAAT. The profiles for each of the four characters were composed based on the psychological traits described in the film script. The results of the acoustic analysis, the perceptual analysis of voice quality and vocal dynamics settings were correlated using the MFA (Multiple Factor Analysis) method in the R environment based on 40 variables (quantitative and qualitative) and it turned out that the speech stimuli were distributed in 6 clusters according to the variables analysed. The quantitative variables that presented the highest correlation percentage were: Standard Deviation of f0 Derivative, Standard Deviation of Spectral Tilt, f0 Median. The qualitative variables that presented the highest correlation percentage were: Lowered Larynx, Lip Rounding, Breathy Voice and Minimised Pitch Range. The research has presented evidence in favor of the symbolic use of phonic matter and contributions to the understanding of how vocal stereotypes are established.

The objective of this work is to investigate the congruence between non-verbal and verbal cues in persuasive speech. The selected corpus comprises video excerpts in which artists from divergent political perspectives provide support to the minister of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court. The research methodology comprises: annotation of the video excerpts; text analysis; automatic analysis of the speakers' facial expressions and emotions by means of the FaceReader; analysis of the vocal quality and prosodic settings by means of the VPA; acoustic analysis of the data by means of the ExpressionEvaluator (Barbosa, 2009); and multivariate statistical analysis, applying MFA in R, package FactorMinerR, to correlate qualitative and quantitative variables. Results indicate the interplay among facial and vocal prosodies and intended persuasiveness.

This study considers instances of voice quality settings under a sound-symbolic and synesthetic perspective, focusing on the auditory impressions these settings might have on listeners' attributions of meaning effects and associations between vocal and visual features related to emotional expression. Three perceptual experiments are carried out. The first experiment examined the impressionistic effects of eight voice quality settings characterized by differences in pitch. The second experiment examined the impressionistic effects of seven voice quality settings characterized by productions with the presence or absence of turbulent airflow, irregularity, and tenseness. The third experiment investigated associations between facial expressions of basic emotions and voice quality characteristics. Data are considered in terms of acoustic (fundamental frequency values), articulatory (reduced or expanded length of the vocal tract), perceptual impressions of size (big/small), strength (strong/weak), brightness (dark, clear), and distinctiveness (muffled/distinct), and visual features (facial expressions of the basic emotions sadness, happiness, anger, disgust, fear, and neutrality). The results provide corroborating evidence of existing links between sound and meaning and are discussed in relation to the frequency, production, sirenic biological codes, phonetic metaphors, and the vocal and facial gestures involved in emotional expression.

Os objetivos deste artigo, desenvolvido no âmbito do projeto AMPER-POR, são: analisar acusticamente e perceptivamente as características prosódicas de emissões de fala produzidas por três falantes masculinos e três femininos, habitantes de uma comunidade de prática caiçara do litoral norte do Estado de São Paulo; e apresentar o contexto regional e cultural no qual os referidos habitantes estão inseridos. Fazem parte do corpus, três frases declarativas e três interrogativas e enunciados semi-espontâneos. Os resultados apontam que a melodia da fala dos membros da comunidade de prática caiçara se distingue pela extensão maximizada e pela variabilidade alta do pitch.