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Adolescents' perceptions of normal and voice-disordered children
N J Lass1, D M Ruscello, K H Bradshaw
1Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, West Virginia University, Morgantown 26506-6122.
Journal of Communication Disorders
|August 1, 1991
Summary
Adolescents perceive children with voice disorders less positively than normal speakers. These perceptions of voice quality can impact social integration in schools.
Area of Science:
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Developmental Psychology
- Acoustic Phonetics
Background:
- Voice disorders can affect children's social interactions.
- Adolescent perceptions of speech characteristics are crucial for social development.
- Understanding listener perceptions aids in addressing communication challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare adolescent perceptions of voice-disordered versus normal-speaking children.
- To evaluate judgments on nonspeech vocal characteristics.
- To explore the impact of voice disorders on social perception.
Main Methods:
- 16 child speakers (8 voice-disordered, 8 normal) produced recorded phrases.
- 19 adolescents rated speakers on a 22-pair semantic differential scale.
- Nonspeech vocal characteristics were assessed.
Main Results:
- Normal speakers received more positive ratings on 68.2% of adjective pairs.
- Statistically significant differences in perception were found for 40.9% of pairs.
- Voice-disordered speakers were perceived less favorably.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents hold less favorable perceptions of voice-disordered children.
- These perceptions may influence social inclusion and mainstreaming efforts.
- Further research into developmental trends in voice perception is warranted.