The purpose of this investigation was to measure the ability of young normal hearing listeners to perceive speech in the presence of a background noise which varies in the relative intensity of its semantic content. The Speech Perception in Noise test was mixed with a two-component competing noise complex in which the narrative-to- speech noise ratio varied in 2 dB increments from -2 dB Na/SpN to +8 dB Na/SpN. These stimuli were presented at an overall +8 dB signal-to-noise ratio to thirty young normal hearing adults through the soundfield system. The differences between the mean error scores and standard deviations for the low predictability sentences were found to be statistically significant at all Na/SpN ratios. No main effect was observed for the Na/SpN ratios on the high predictability sentences. Significant differences were also observed between the mean error scores and standard deviations of HP and LP pairs at each Na/SpN ratio. These data further revealed a systematic increase in LP mean error scores and standard deviations as a result of linear increases in the Na/SpN ratio. These results suggest that semantically loaded competing noise significantly influences the perception of primary messages as a direct function of the competition ratio.

The frequency and duration of six coverbal behaviors were examined in two experimental groups and one control group. Conversational samples of ten aphasic subjects, ten right hemisphere damaged (RHD) subjects, and ten matched, non-brain damaged (NBD) control subjects were scored for frequency and duration of eye contact, head nod, head shake, head tilt, smile and eyebrow raise. Only the frequency of smile was found to differ significantly; the RHD subjects smiled less often than either of the other two groups.

This investigation compared the auditory conceptualization ability (Lindamood and Lindamood, 1970) or vocal phonics (Van Riper, 1963) of third grade students with and without articulation deficits in an attempt to determine if a relationship exists between auditory conceptualization ability and articulation ability. The specific question posed was: Is there a statistically significant difference in auditory conceptualization ability between third grade children with various degrees of articulation deficits and third grade children without articulation deficits.

Focus has turned from emphasis on phonetic sound errors to phonologic rule systems in the study of articulation disorders. The current theory proposes that the phonological disorders which children experience are controlled by higher levels in the brain than those that control the motor functioning of the brain. The purpose of the present study was to compare the use of phonological processes by a group of school-age children with moderate to severe multiple articulation disorders (MAD) with developmental apraxia of speech (DAS) to the phonological processes used by those without developmental apraxia of speech. For the purposes of this study, those without DAS were classified as functional articulation disorder (FAD).

Early identification of children with reading and learning problems seems imperative. By using early identification predictors, a high risk group of children with possible reading problems could be located. This would facilitate placement and appropriate educational strategies for this group of children. By proper placement and planning, educators then would be able to set up remedial and/or preventive programs for these children before the pattern of unsuccessful attempts and improper training becomes irreversible. This study was designed to determine if verbal sequencing ability was a valid predictor of reading ability for a group of 31 preschool children. Secondarily, the investigation attempted to determine whether such verbal sequencing ability was predictive of general academic ability for this group of children. Reliability of the Blakeley Verbal Sequencing Ability Tests was determined. Thirty one children who were originally tested for verbal sequencing ability in 1965 when they were five years old were located in the Portland Public Schools. The children. now 13 years old, were administered the Blakeley Verbal Sequencing Ability Tests and the Gilmore Oral Reading Test. Records of school achievement were obtained from each child's cumulative school file. A least squares linear regression equation was used to analyze the data obtained. When the predictive value of the original verbal sequencing score was studied in relation to reading accuracy, reading comprehension, and general academic achievement, results for the total group of 31 children were not promising. Verbal sequencing ability in preschool children, in general was not significantly predictive of reading accuracy, reading comprehension, and school achievement eight years later. Examination of the results obtained on the Blakeley Verbal Sequencing Ability by Blakeley and this investigator suggested that inter-examiner reliability is extremely high. The most significant finding of this study was found through a comparison of the results of the male and female groups. The original sequencing score was a much better predictor of reading ability and school achievement for 'the males. The correlations were higher in all three area: comparing original sequencing ability with reading accuracy, reading comprehension, and school achievement. This trend may indicate that the sequencing test was not discriminative enough for five year old females, due to the advanced rate of physical and neurological development at that age. More significantly, the children used in this follow-up study may not have been representative of the original group tested, due to problems in locating the original subjects.

A labeling variable suggested by Wendell Johnson's “diagnosogenic" theory of the onset of stuttering was included in this study of the disfluencies of normal speaking college students in order to explore further the hypothetical relationship between normal disfluency and the onset of stuttering. A total of 60 Ss were randomly assigned to the following groups, each containing 10 Ss: I. Labeling Chastisement plus Contingent “wrong;" II. Labeling Chastisement plus Yoked (non-contingent) "wrong;" III. Labeling Chastisement -No “wrong;" IV. No Labeling Chastisement Contingent "wrong;" V. No Labeling Chastisement -Yoked “wrong;” VI. No Labeling Chastisement -No "wrong” (control). All Ss read aloud for 23 minutes, a three minute Baseline Period in which no experimental manipulations were introduced, followed by a 20 minute Experimental Period. Following the Baseline PerIod, Ss in the three Labeling Chastisement Groups were chastised for "stuttering” and asked to try not to. During the Experimental Period, -Ss in the two Contingent "wrong" Groups were presented “wrong” immediately following a repetition or prolongation. A yoked design was used, which enabled the Ss in the Yoked "wrong” Groups to hear this same "wrong," though non-contingently throughout their reading. The results showed that neither the Labeling Chastisement procedure nor non-contingent (Yoked) “wrong” caused an increase in disfluencies as predicted. The Ss in the Contingent "wrong” Groups decreased disfluencies during the Experimental Period, supporting the results of earlier studies which had reported that response-contingent stimuli reduce the disfluencies of normal speakers, while non-response-contingent stimuli have no effect upon disfluencies. Although this observation is in direct opposition to many onset of stuttering theories which posit that stuttering originates, in part, when the normal disfluencies of children are punished by overly-critical parents, it was noted that several theoretically-important differences exist between normal speaking college students and young children learning to talk. Normal speaking adults have had many years of speaking experience, during which time they have developed large verbal repertoires, enabling them to replace an undesirable response (disfluency) with a more rewarding one (fluency); Young children, on the other hand, have not yet mastered the complex skills required to speak correctly, and are likely to have an extremely narrow range of verbal response alternatives. Consequently, these young children, because of their lack of a correct response, may be more likely than normal adult speakers to respond to the disapproval of their disfluencies by altering their behavior in a maladaptive manner. Some of the normal speakers in this study showed an extreme vulnerability to the experimental manipulations as well as anticipation of disapproval from the E. Anticipation of speech difficulty and vulnerability to environmental influences are two factors which some theorists feel play an important role in the onset of stuttering. However, the Ss in this study who showed these behaviors were able to speak fluently when under pressure from the E to do so. Because of the vast differences between normal speaking adults and young children learning to talk, it was suggested that further experimentation with normal speaking adults engaged in verbal tasks in hopes of gaining insight into the hypothetical relationship between normal disfluency and the onset of stuttering might prove fruitless. Two alternative approaches were suggested. First, detailed observations of the interactions between adults and children in natural settings would undoubtedly prove enlightening. The second suggested approach calls for the laboratory study of adults engaged in a non-verbal task which involves interactions and requires behaviors comparable to those involved in the learning of speech by young children. Nine variables were suggested which would provide an ideal paradigm for this type of study.

Because communication involves both a sender of messages, each person could influence the other’s feelings about speaking and listening. The reactions of each member of this communication network will determine how communication will flow in the future. With an understanding of the feedback system between speakers and listeners, researchers have designed management programs which allow the speaker who stutters to develop a new pattern of speech which does not hinder his communication efforts. Fluency is the primary consideration, and normalcy of speech is second. One such program has been devised by Casteel (1974). In Casteel’s stuttering management program a person moves through four stages of speaking to be fluent. The client learns to sacrifice specific components of speech and these components are systematically reinstated while fluency in reading, monologue, and dialogue are maintained. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to determine if breathy and imprecisely articulated speech (Stage III) interferes with the speaker’s ability to communicate.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect(s) of tinnitus maskers and tinnitus instruments on speech discrimination utilizing a population of subjects who currently have tinnitus and are presently wearing these devices. The hypothesis which guided this investigation states that there is no difference between discrimination scores with and without tinnitus maskers. In an attempt to test this hypothesis, speech discrimination scores were obtained from 26 listeners both in quiet and in the presence of cafeteria noise, with and without use of their tinnitus maskers.

The general purpose of this investigation was to specify further the activity of the pulmonary tract in esophageal speech. Specifically, the study sought to determine whether pulmonary airflow (PAF) rate varied in continuous speech as a function of manner of production, voicing, syllabic position, and perceived level of stoma noise. PAF rate variation was defined as the frequency and magnitude of changes occurring in association with the variables of this study. Six esophageal speakers utilizing the inhalation method of air intake were classified as high or low stoma (pulmonary) noise speakers on the basis of ratings by three speech pathologists. The /p, b, s, z/ phonemes were placed in arresting and releasing syllabic positions of single syllable words which were combined with other words to comprise two word phrases. The resulting eight phrases were uttered three times in random order by each speaker, while PAF rate was monitored at the tracheastoma, and recorded simultaneously with the phrases on the graphic printout. The graphic printout of the PAF rate curves revealed that air flowed from the stoma continuously throughout the phrase for each phrase and each speaker, but showed no fluctuations in rate within phrases for any of the variables of the study. Additionally, it was noted that PAF rate was not associated with perceived level of stoma noise.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of increased intensity on the bone conducted speech discrimination ability of normal listeners utilizing standard audiological equipment. The NU-6 word lists were utilized to test the bone conducted speech discrimination skills of ten normal hearing subjects, 21 to 30 years of age, on standard clinical equipment. Both the hearing levels (dB HL) and the sensation levels (dB SL) of the test administration were considered. In general, it was recommended that 100 dB Hl is the most appropriate dial setting for the administration of bone conducted speech discrimination tests even though comparable speech discrimination scores may be obtained with a 95 dB HL dial setting. This study indicates that the most appropriate sensation levels for the administration of bone conducted speech discrimination tests are 55 and 60 dB SL. Most normal listeners can be expected to achieve a 55 dB sensation level at the limits of the speech audiometer (100 dB HL). Additionally, it was found that when bone conducted speech discrimination tests are administered at levels of less than 55 dB SL, the results may be compromised by variances that occurred in this normal hearing sample. Therefore, the clinical audiologist should accept bone conducted speech discrimination results as valid only when the scores obtained at 40, 45 and 50 dB sensation levels are within the limits of clinical normality (90% or better). Recommendations for further research are discussed.