Monopitched Expression of Emotions in Different Vowels

Abstract

Fundamental frequency (F₀) and intensity are known to be important variables in the communication of emotions in speech. In singing, however, pitch is predetermined and yet the voice should convey emotions. Hence, other vocal parameters are needed to express emotions. This study investigated the role of voice source characteristics and formant frequencies in the communication of emotions in monopitched vowel samples [a:], [i:] and [u:]. Student actors (5 males, 8 females) produced the emotional samples simulating joy, tenderness, sadness, anger and a neutral emotional state. Equivalent sound level (L_eq), alpha ratio [SPL (1–5 kHz) – SPL (50 Hz–1 kHz)] and formant frequencies F1–F4 were measured. The [a:] samples were inverse filtered and the estimated glottal flows were parameterized with the normalized amplitude quotient [NAQ = f_AC/(d_peakT)]. Interrelations of acoustic variables were studied by ANCOVA, considering the valence and psychophysiological activity of the expressions. Forty participants listened to the randomized samples (n = 210) for identification of the emotions. The capacity of monopitched vowels for conveying emotions differed. L_eq and NAQ differentiated activity levels. NAQ also varied independently of L_eq. In [a:], filter (formant frequencies F1–F4) was related to valence. The interplay between voice source and F1–F4 warrants a synthesis study.

Perception of emotionally loaded vocal expressions and its connection to responses to music. A cross-cultural investigation: Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Russia, and the USA

“…Consequently, differences between emotions may occur only on higher threshold levels, i.e., later in the expression. Glottal behavior has likewise been reported to affect valence perception by Laukkanen et al (1997) and (Waaramaa et al, 2008, 2010). ) Thus, from the communicative perspective, expression of valence seems to precede the expression of gender or the actual emotion in speech samples.…”

Intonation and Emotion: Influence of Pitch Levels and Contour Type on Creating Emotions

“…Indeed, it is rather linear and, accordingly, easier to characterize and distinguish in acoustic terms. 6 Another explanation for this clear recognition offered by authors, such as Waaramaa et al, 5 is based on the fact that ''humans have had to be aware of a possible threat and be sensitively attuned to negative signals especially.'' Similarly, joy, which is also a basic emotion, though with a high level of activity, is easier to perceive than calmness and anxiety, particularly because, as Aubergé and Cathiard 28 have proven, amusement is greatly audible (84%) compared with nonamusing stimuli.…”

“…Conversely, sadness and desire tend overall to be formed at the lower end. 5,16,17 In this respect, the results of Mozziconacci's 2 research are interesting. It shows that joy obtained a suitable percentage of identification for the sample of 62%, whereas for sadness, the result was 97%.…”

“…3,4 These emotions illustrate opposed states and levels of heightened or little activity and positive and negative values. 5 The emotions chosen are joy, anxiety, sadness, and calmness.…”

The contribution of phonation type to the perception of vocal emotions in German: An articulatory synthesis study

“…They found that the order of emotions from smallest to largest NAQ value was anger, neutral, joy, sadness, and tenderness, meaning that anger has the most pressed voice, and tenderness the most breathy voice. However, the difficulties and effort involved in the reliable extraction of glottal flow signals by inverse filtering so far limited its application to short vowel segments (Airas and Alku, 2006;Waaramaa et al, 2008;Patel et al, 2011). Besides glottal flow parameters, also the averaged spectral energy distribution of utterances was found to differ significantly across emotions (Banse and Scherer, 1996;Johnstone and Scherer, 1999), but its relation to PT and the underlying production mechanisms has not been clarified in detail.…”