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Sex differences in vocal behavior in virtual rooms compared to real rooms
Georgios Papadimitriou1, Jonas Brunskog1, Franz M Heuchel1
1Acoustic Technology Group, DTU Electro, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
JASA Express Letters
|April 3, 2024
Summary
Men and women reacted differently to virtual room acoustics. While both sexes adjusted voice levels in real rooms, only men did in virtual settings, with women finding virtual environments more realistic.
Area of Science:
- Speech production and perception
- Virtual reality acoustics
- Human-computer interaction
Background:
- Understanding speech production in diverse acoustic environments is crucial.
- Virtual environments offer controlled settings for studying human behavior.
- Sex differences in auditory perception and vocalization warrant investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare speech production and subjective experiences in real versus virtual rooms.
- To investigate sex differences in vocal adjustments and perceived realism in virtual environments.
- To analyze the impact of room acoustics on vocal behavior across sexes.
Main Methods:
- Participants (13 males, 13 females) spoke in four real rooms and their audio-visual virtual replicas.
- Vocal levels and subjective realism ratings were recorded.
- Acoustic conditions were systematically varied.
Main Results:
- Both sexes adjusted voice levels similarly to acoustic changes in real rooms.
- Only males adjusted voice levels in response to acoustic changes in virtual rooms.
- Females rated the virtual environment's visual realism higher than males did.
Conclusions:
- Sex-based discrepancies exist in adapting vocal behavior to virtual acoustic conditions.
- Perceived realism in virtual environments may differ between sexes, impacting objective measures.
- Findings highlight the need for sex-specific considerations in virtual environment design for speech research.
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