Acoustic and EGG analyses of emotional utterances

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the glottal and filter variables of emotional expressions vary by emotion and valence expressed. Prolonged emotional vowels (n = 96) were produced by professional actors and actresses (n = 4) expressing joy, surprise, interest, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, and a neutral emotional state. Acoustic parameters and the contact quotient from the electroglottographic signal (CQ_EGG) were calculated. Statistics were calculated for the parameters. Vocal fold contact time differed significantly between the emotional expressions reflecting differences in phonation types. It was concluded that CQ_EGG may vary simultaneously and inversely with F3 and F4 in emotional expressions of positive emotions. Changes in the lower pharynx and larynx may affect the higher formant frequencies.

Key words::

• Contact quotient
• emotions
• expression
• formants
• voice quality
• vowels

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Professor Anne-Maria Laukkanen for her valuable comments, Mrs Virginia Mattila, MA, for language correction of the manuscript, and Jyrki Ollikainen, MSc, for checking the statistics in the present study.

Declaration of interest: This study was supported by the Academy of Finland (grant no. 1139321). The authors report no conflicts of interest.