Articles tagged with Speech
Research at Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics found that slight variations in vocal tract anatomy impact vowel pronunciation, while cultural transmission amplifies these differences. This study sheds light on individual variation in speech and its role in shaping languages.
A study of hundreds of basketball half-time speeches found that negative coaches' emotions at halftime led to higher scores in the second half. While expressing positive emotions can motivate, negative emotions can also drive performance, but only up to a point.
A MU researcher studied the relationship between stress and voice disorders, finding that stress-induced brain activations can lead to conditions like muscle tension dysphonia. The study suggests that stress can trigger physiological changes affecting speech control.
Researchers created a thin, skin-like artificial throat that can convert throat movements into sounds. The device, about double the size of a person's thumbnail, uses laser-scribed graphene and measures vocal cord vibrations to produce speech-like sounds.
Researchers found toddlers who spent more time in groups with other children excelled at associating new words with objects. This skill is crucial for word learning and native language development.
A proof-of-concept study shows that a simple and inexpensive non-invasive device can improve speech understanding in hearing-impaired individuals and those with normal hearing. The device transforms low-frequency speech signals into tactile vibrations delivered on fingertips.
Researchers found speakers with voice disorders showed a tenfold increase in speech intelligibility errors compared to healthy speakers. Listeners also struggled with understanding words, especially those with 'breathiness' quality in their voices.
Arts education can offer ways to disclose what is hidden and give tools to examine the ignorance, misunderstandings, and false beliefs within the historical and cultural contexts of hate speech.
Researchers argue that speech technology is not a solution for low literacy rates, as reading trains the language prediction system. Skilled readers can predict upcoming words, which reduces processing load and frees up brain resources.
A new study uses AI to analyze voice patterns and diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans. The tool was able to distinguish between the voices of those with or without PTSD with high accuracy, suggesting a potential breakthrough in telemedicine approaches.
A new study finds that using 'the' with a plural noun to refer to a group of individuals creates a distancing effect, making the speaker appear less connected. The study analyzes data from U.S. House speeches and pundits on 'The McLaughlin Group', revealing patterns in politicians' use of 'the' based on their political leanings.
Researcher Maggie Pitts explores how people savor different types of communication, identifying seven categories including aesthetic, presence, nonverbal, recognition, relational, extraordinary, and implicitly shared communication. She finds that savoring can boost mood and quality of life.
Researchers create system that can reconstruct words a person hears with unprecedented clarity using speech synthesizers and artificial intelligence. The breakthrough could help people who cannot speak, such as those living with ALS or recovering from stroke, regain their ability to communicate with the outside world.
A study published in Developmental Science reveals that newborn babies are born with the ability to identify words in continuous speech. The researchers used Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to measure brain activity and discovered two mechanisms that enable infants to pick out individual words from a stream of sounds.
A study analyzes how hip-hop artists like Jay-Z and Public Enemy use 'cop voice' in their songs to interrogate police violence in black communities. Researchers identify the phenomenon of 'cop voice' as a racialized way of speaking used by police to provoke fear and extreme compliance from people of color.
A recent study found that passive exposure to unfamiliar speech sounds can improve adult language learners' ability to discriminate speech sounds. Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and Beijing Normal University used brain response measurements to measure discrimination ability after prolonged passive exposure.
New research reveals that people react less strongly to malicious speech on digital platforms, seeing victims as less harmed. The study found mixed results but suggests anonymity can dampen social cues, leading to numbing effects from online harassment.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals how the inner ear processes speech sound and separates it from other sounds. This discovery may improve diagnostic procedures for various hearing impairments.
Research published in Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica suggests that dummy use, breastfeeding, bottle use, and thumb sucking in early years do not cause or worsen phonological impairment, the most common type of speech disorder in children. The study found no significant association between sucking habits and speech delay.
A new study by Aalto University reveals that state-of-the-art hate speech detectors can be easily duped by humans, even with intentional typos and modifications. The researchers recommend improving data sets used to train machine learning models rather than refining model design.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a method to transform video content into another style, enabling applications like movie production and self-driving cars. The technique uses generative adversarial networks and incorporates temporal information to produce high-quality results.
Researchers at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development have identified a new tool for voice modification therapy in transgender women. Visual-acoustic biofeedback is used to adjust resonant frequencies, leading to more feminine-sounding speech and improved gender identity expression.
Research by Peter Selb and Simon Munzert found Hitler's 455 public appearances had surprisingly small effect on electoral outcomes. His personal involvement only positively impacted the 1932 presidential election, but overall campaign effects were minor.
A new study published in Springer's journal Sex Roles found that women who make hateful remarks on social media are more likely to be flagged and judged severely. Women's reactions to hate speech are also less accepted than those made by men, highlighting the need for online moderators to be sensitive to gender stereotypes.
A new study by UCLA communication researcher Greg Bryant found that people across cultures and continents can tell the difference between a fake laugh and a real one. The study, published in Psychological Science, used recordings of laughs from English-speaking friends and women who laughed on command to test participants' ability to i...
Researchers have found that the left hemisphere of the brain processes auditory speech information more rapidly than the right, thanks to a higher number of densely packed neurites in planum temporale. This microstructure is crucial for linguistic superiority.
Research by Ingo Titze and Anil Palaparthi found that animals' high radiation efficiency is due to wide mouths, high frequencies, and body acoustical reflecting chambers. Humans lack these traits, limiting our ability to make long-range calls like animals do. The study aims to improve human call efficiency for emergency situations.
Researchers found that antique Italian violins, such as those by Andrea Amati and Gasparo da Salo, can produce formants similar to the human singing voice. The study suggests that master violin-makers may have designed violins to emulate male voices, which could account for their storied tonal quality.
Researchers found that non-invasive brain stimulation technologies like tDCS and TMS significantly improve fine motor movement in stroke patients. These gains were also observed in healthy participants' non-dominant hands, suggesting potential therapeutic applications for these treatments.
Researchers have developed a local acoustic treatment using high-back chairs and retroreflective ceilings to reduce speech distraction in open-plan offices. This novel application uses sound reflections to enhance speech communication at short distances, reducing ambient noise disturbance.
A Cornell University study suggests that understanding biases is key to resolving conflicts over free speech, as psychological science has shown many types of bias can prevent opposing sides from accepting each other's arguments. The researchers argue that college experiences should involve challenging beliefs, even when uncomfortable.
The Boras extend their language reach by a factor of 100 using drummed speech with rhythmic units encoded in pauses between beats. Drummed speech allows them to convey meaning and distinguish words through tone and rhythm.
The new approach enhances audio-analysis machines to process noisy environments by combining scalograms and spectrograms with convolutional neural networks. This improves sound classification, enabling better identification of isolated sounds like gunshots and music or speech in complex scenes.
Neuroscientists at KU Leuven developed an EEG-based method to objectively and automatically assess speech understanding. The technique, which uses 64 electrodes, can measure brainwaves while a person listens to a sentence and determine whether they have understood it.
Researchers found that adult dogs were more likely to interact with speakers using 'dog-speak' containing dog-related words, suggesting improved social bonding. The study used naturalistic interactions between humans and dogs to test the effectiveness of this communication style.
Researchers identified a specific brain signal associated with speech understanding, which disappears when listeners don't understand or aren't paying attention. This discovery has potential applications in tracking language development, assessing brain function, and detecting early onset of dementia.
Richard Schoen was awarded the Lobachevsky Medal for his work on positive energy in general relativity and a complete solution to the Yamabe problem. The prize is part of Kazan Federal University's efforts to revive a tradition from 1895, with an award amount of $75,000 and recognition as a biennial honor.
A national survey experiment reveals that 53% of respondents supported denying service to same-sex couples, while 39% favored it for interracial couples. Support for service refusal extends beyond religious reasons, with many citing individual rights and libertarianism.
Researchers found that skilled voice impersonators can successfully deceive automatic speaker recognition systems by mimicking specific speakers. The study highlights the vulnerability of these systems to human-induced voice modifications, particularly those produced through imitation and disguise.
A study found that people attribute more humanlike qualities to those expressing opinions they disagree with when spoken aloud versus written. The medium of communication affects evaluations of the communicator, making speakers seem more intellectual and emotionally warm than writers.
A new study by OHSU researchers suggests that performing brain surgery on patients who are asleep can produce comparable or even better clinical outcomes than procedures conducted while the patient is awake. This approach has improved speech fluency and reduced motor function issues for patients undergoing deep-brain stimulation. The s...
Researchers developed a brain-training audiogame that improved elderly people's ability to understand words in noisy situations by 25%. The training was more effective than traditional hearing aids alone and showed lasting benefits.
Digital archivists from UT Austin collaborate with classicists to improve database preservation methods, enabling long-term accessibility of texts. The new approach preserves data and interactive applications separately, allowing for reuse in different contexts.
Princeton researchers identify a new cue in mother's speech to support babies' language learning: a shift in vocal timbre. This finding is consistent across women who speak 10 languages and can be reliably picked out by machine learning algorithms.
A new study by McGill University researchers reveals that the brain's motor signals play a crucial role in distinguishing complex sounds. By anticipating the occurrence of next tone, the motor system sharpens auditory perception, even when participants remain still.
A study by Michigan State University found that parents and siblings can improve their ability to communicate with special needs children using an online training program. The training provides interactive strategies for offering communication opportunities, commenting on activities, and waiting for responses. The researchers tested th...
A new study by University of Missouri researcher Brett Johnson found that while people dislike extreme speech, there is less support for outright censorship, instead advocating for clear policies promoting healthy public discourse.
A study published by UC San Francisco researchers has identified specific groups of neurons in the brain's temporal cortex that distinguish speaker, phonetics, and intonation. These neurons respond to changes in vocal pitch and help convey meaning and emotion in spoken language.
A study published in Brain found that people who hear voices can detect disguised speech-like sounds more quickly and easily than non-voice-hearers. Voice-hearers' brains automatically responded to meaningful sounds in the regions linked to attention and monitoring skills.
Researchers found that self-distancing language, such as using third-person pronouns, can lead to greater challenge and confidence in stressful situations. This approach was shown to promote a more confident and challenging mindset, rather than reducing anxiety or effort.
Researchers found a split between same words used by presidential candidates from different parties and what they mean, with semantic divide growing over time. This semantic shift can make dialogue difficult, if not impossible.
A two-year-old girl who suffered cardiac arrest after a cold water drowning accident showed significant neurological improvement with normobaric oxygen and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. After 39 sessions, she exhibited near-normal motor function, speech level greater than pre-drowning, and normal cognition.
A recent Frontiers article explores the origins of music and its significance in human society. The study reveals that music is closely tied to human emotions, bonding, and social cohesion, suggesting that it may have played a crucial role in shaping human culture.
Researchers at the University of Kansas conducted a study suggesting that explicit racial prejudice is a reliable predictor of the free speech defense of racist expression. The study found that people with high levels of prejudice were sensitive to their own freedom of expression and used the 'free speech' argument to justify their pre...
Researchers have discovered how individual neurons coordinate to anticipate events in the brain's auditory cortex. This process is impaired in neurological and psychiatric disorders such as dyslexia and ADHD. By understanding these mechanisms, scientists hope to develop new models for studying predictive signals in the brain.
A new study suggests that our speech is not just about speed, but also about conveying information efficiently. Researchers found that faster speech rates are associated with simpler word choices and syntax, while slower speech rates are linked to more complex words and structures. The study provides insights into how people craft thei...
Researchers at New York University have discovered a new verbal working memory architecture, which involves two brain networks. This finding has significant implications for the creation of artificial intelligence systems, such as speech translation tools, and may lead to improved human-like intelligence in machines.
A recent study published by the Acoustical Society of America found that listening to meaningful sounds, such as music or conversation, can decrease performance on cognitive tasks. In contrast, meaningless noises have a less significant impact on cognitive performance and subjective annoyance.
A team of researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and acoustic analysis to study how children's brains respond to emotional speech cues. They found that lower frequency characteristics in voice spectra may play a significant role in understanding brain activity and differentiating emotional processing.
A UBC study analyzing Trump's speech style and Twitter usage found grandiosity, informal language, and vocal pitch variation as statistical predictors of his success in the Republican primaries. The researchers suggest that these communication styles helped Trump win the nomination despite being shocking to many viewers.