Abstract
Our anonymous online survey captured the subjective responses of young American female listeners to 5-second audio-only samples of female celebrities during conversations. The listeners assigned attributes, including physical attractiveness, trustworthiness, competence, and level of education, as well as possible occupations that included law, speech pathology, and theater based on these audio samples. A higher percentage of listeners associated these attributes and occupations with speakers using modal register than those same speakers using vocal fry or uptalk. The modal register includes the range of pitches typically used in speaking when statements end in a downward inflection, and questions usually have an upward inflection or rising pitch. The popularity of vocal fry and uptalk is often demonstrated in the voices of American female celebrities. Furthermore, vocal fry has been identified in Japanese, Finnish, and Swedish speech production. Vocal fry is a low-pitched, popping sound in the voice and is often associated with a relaxed “laid-back” personality. Uptalk gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s and is associated with California’s youth culture. It is referred to as Valley Girl speech, as depicted in the Paul Zappa song Valley Girl and the film Valley Girl. Uptalk has been identified in female speakers in Australia, Britain, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand and is characterized by an upward infection or rising pitch at the end of a statement. Given the widespread use of vocal fry and uptalk, our findings were unexpected because our listeners frequently use vocal fry and uptalk during their communication exchanges.
Presenters
Celia StewartFaculty, Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University, New York, United States Irene Kling
Adjunct Professor and Clinical Supervisor, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Adelphi University, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Perception, Media, Communication, Vocal fry, Uptalk
