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Do voice recordings reveal whether a person is intoxicated? A case study
K Johnson1, D B Pisoni, R H Bernacki
1Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Phonetica
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Speech analysis may detect alcohol intoxication. Analysis of Exxon Valdez captain's speech revealed changes similar to alcohol effects, but reliability needs further study.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Linguistics
- Acoustic Phonetics
- Toxicology
Background:
- Alcohol consumption can alter speech patterns.
- Previous research suggests a unique acoustic-phonetic signature associated with alcohol influence.
- The reliability and prevalence of alcohol-induced speech changes are not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of speech analysis for determining alcohol intoxication at the time of voice recording.
- To analyze speech samples from the captain of the Exxon Valdez around the time of the Prince William Sound accident.
Main Methods:
- Acoustic-phonetic analysis of speech tokens.
- Comparison of speech patterns with existing research on alcohol's effects on speech production.
Main Results:
- Speech analysis revealed changes in the captain's speech patterns.
- These changes were found to be similar to those previously observed in laboratory studies of alcohol-impaired speech.
Conclusions:
- Speech analysis shows potential for inferring alcohol intoxication.
- Limitations exist in definitively determining a speaker's state solely from phonetic data.
- Further research is needed to establish the reliability and practical application of this technique.