This study sought to determine the basic intelligibility of synthesized speech as produced by the HC 120 Phonic Mirror Handivoice. It involved 48 male and female subjects divided into two groups. Group 1 had 40 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 44 years. Group 2 had eight subjects ranging in age from 18 to 33 years. All subjects were screened for normal hearing. Testing for normal hearing was done in an audiological suite at Portland State University. The study was designed to determine the degree to which a group of normal hearing college students could recognize words and phrases as produced by the HC 120 Phonic Mirror Handivoice.

In recent years, tympanometry has been used to provide objective and definitive information regarding the status of middle ear conditions and functions. The present standard for tympanometric normalcy is based upon between-subject measures. This standard, however, does not allow precise differentiation between normal and pathological tympanometry curves. A within-subject comparison of right and left ear tympanometry curves of normal-hearing subjects could provide a narrow standard of tympanometric normalcy which would be more useful in differentiating between pathologic and non-pathologic middle ear function. The within-subject relationship between tympanometry curves for right and left ears was investigated by comparing the individual right and left ear tympanometry curves at 220 and 660 Hz of 30 normal-hearing young adults. This was done to determine if a difference exists between within-subject right and left ear tympanometry curves. Three characteristics, curve peak amplitude, curve width, and pressure at curve peak, were measured and compared for each tympanometry curve. All tympanometry was conducted with a Grason-Stadler Otoadmittance Meter (Model 1720) utilizing a combined mode of conductance and susceptance. All tympanometry curves were graphically recorded on a Hewlitt-Packard X-Y plotter (Model 7035B). Statistical analysis and graphic illustration showed that for practical purposes no significant clinical difference exists between within-subject right and left ear tympanometry curves and that measurement variability is predominantly due to between-subject differences. The ranges of between-ear differences were much reduced in comparison to the computed ranges for between-subject measures. These findings would suggest that a definition of tympanometric normalcy should be based not only upon between-subject measures, but also upon between-ear comparisons

Student speech-language pathologists begin their academic preparation as observers. Observations of the clinical management session are for the purpose of providing student clinicians with insight into the management process by providing clinical models. To make observation experiences meaningful there must be some guiding framework which will demonstrate the significance of behaviors observed.

Measurement of maximum duration of phonation has been suggested by several voice experts as a clinical tool for assessing vocal function (Arnold, 1955; Irwin, 1965; Yanagihara, Koike and von Leden, 1966; and Boone, 1971). Most of the investigations of maximum phonation time have been conducted using adult populations. exceptions to this can be found in the studies by Launer (1971) and Coombs (1976). An apparent need, therefore, existed to investigate maximum phonation time in children. The present study was designed to investigate the affects of age, sex, height, weight and vital capacity on the maximum duration of phonation of sustained /a/ in children eight and ten years of age when controlling for pitch and intensity.

The purpose of this study was to establish a normal, bone conducted intensity level for the speech reception threshold (SRT) and obtain a normal performance intensity function by bone conduction from 0 dB SL (threshold) through the maximum output level of the standard audiometer. All bone conducted speech test materials consisted of pre-recorded W-2 spondiac words and NU-6 monosyllabic speech discrimination word lists.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the central auditory processing of children who had sustained chronic middle ear problems during their early language-learning years. A 60% compressed recording of the NU-6 speech discrimination word lists was administered to twenty eight and nine year old normal hearing public school children, reported by their parents to have had repeated middle ear problems during their early years, and to twenty control subjects matched for age from the same public school classes. Differences in compressed and uncompressed word discrimination scores between the experimental and control groups were not found to be statistically significant. These results indicate that the experimental subjects' ability to process compressed speech was not impaired by early middle ear difficulties. The alternative was suggested that if these children actually sustained central damage due to distorted or degraded input during their hearing deficit episodes, then such effects may be neutralized by subsequent auditory experience and neurological maturity. A significant difference for both groups of children was noted between scores obtained with NU-6 lists 2A and 3A at 60% compression. While apparently equivalent in the uncompressed form, list 3 was found to be significantly more difficult than list 2 when compressed. Implications for further research are discussed.

In recent years, operant conditioning techniques have been effectively used to modify a variety of behaviors. For the most part, the modification of stuttering behavior has relied solely on the use of punishment. The shaping of "fluency” through differential reinforcement has been reported as a behavioral approach for the treatment of stuttering; however, the effectiveness of this technique in combination with other "teaching" tools, such as, modeling, instruction, and explanation has not been reported in the literature. The purpose of this study was to construct behavioral definitions of terminology utilized in a stuttering treatment program at Portland State University to produce "self-monitored normal, fluent speech" and to structure the procedures of this program with regard to baseline, conditioning, and extinction in order to provide a base for further research leading to the standardization of procedures for this program. A 35 year old male was chosen as the subject for this study. Specific procedures were applied in three baseline sessions in order to determine the base operant level of interference responses and positive and negative language responses in reading, monologue, and dialogue settings. The emission of interference and language responses were tracked throughout the conditioning and follow-up phases of the program by (I) random sample analysis of audio tapes by the experimenter and (2) a complete analysis of video-tapes by the experimenter and six student trackers. The response goals of the conditioning phase included four progressive stages of motor response ("stretch and flow, "increased breathiness-reduced stretch," "reduced breathiness," and "normal, fluent speech") in addition to a repertoire of positive language responses. The self-monitoring of these responses was conditioned by using differential reinforcement supported by modeling, instruction, and explanation of responses. Throughout the conditioning phase, varying schedules and magnitudes of different reinforcements were utilized to strengthen the subject's monitoring of the above responses in increasing intensities of environmental stimuli. An examiner, other than the experimenter, administered the procedures for a follow-up baseline four weeks after the conditioning phase in order to determine the base operant level of interference responses and positive and negative language responses in reading, monologue, and dialogue settings after the removal of reinforcement in the clinic. The results of the data obtained from the baseline and follow up phases of the program revealed a reduction from 11.7 to 0.86 in the total number of interference responses per minute emitted by the subject and an increase from 29 to 83 percent of positive language responses. These results suggest the effectiveness of the procedures in this program for establishing “self-monitored normal, fluent speech" behavior.

Hoarseness seems to be the primary type of voice disorder occurring in school-aged children. Voice experts have suggested measurement of maximum phonation times as a clinical tool for assessing vocal function (Fairbanks, 1940; Westlake and Rutherford, 1961; Irwin, 1965; Boone, 1971). Most of the studies on duration of phonation have used adults as subjects; few investigations have involved children. An apparent need, therefore, existed to investigate duration of phonation in young children.

One of the primary responsibilities of a speech pathologist is the assessment of a child’s language. Many studies have been done in the area of language development. The results of these studies have varied causing concern among researchers over the validity of the data gathered. Many factors that could affect the results of previous research have been investigated. Until recently, however, there has been relatively little research about the effects of examiner differences on the results of language assessments. Research in the area of examiner differences has resulted in the discovery of factors which could affect the results of language assessments and, more specifically, Mean Length of Response (MLR). McGuigan (1963) suggested the interaction of the examiner's personality characteristics and the independent variable. Cowan et al., (1963) suggested examiner and stimulus variables could affect the subject according to the age and sex of the child. Wilson (1969) stated that there was no standardization for an examiner's method of eliciting a language sample or for the stimulus materials used by the examiner. Casteel (1969) suggested an interaction between the examiner and the setting of the examination. He concluded that the best results were obtained when the examiner was in his most comfortable setting (the mother in the home and the speech pathologist in the clinic). A study by Mathis (1970) substantiated the results of the study by Casteel (1969). Mathis concluded that the speech pathologist elicits as representative a language sample from the child in the clinic as the mother elicits from the child in the home. The purpose of this study was to discover to what extent the MLR of children will differ when elicited by two examiners, the speech pathologist and the mother, who are in the clinical setting. Fourteen children, four years of age, were examined in the clinical setting by the speech pathologist and the mother. Twenty-eight 15-minute tape recorded conversations were transcribed, the MLR tabulated, and the results analyzed statistically by means of the t-test for significance. The Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient was used to compare the consistency of each child's performance with that of his peers from one examination to another. The results indicate that there is a statistically significant difference between the amount of language elicited by the speech pathologist and the mother in favor of the speech pathologist when the examination takes place in the clinical setting. The .05 level of confidence was established for this test.

Throughout the past decade, numerous texts have been published which claim to be ideally suited for use in a basic, introductory nonverbal communication course. Many authors state that their text will comprehensively cover all aspects of the field of nonverbal communication. Unfortunately, many of the texts cover only a portion of the concepts which have been deemed as essential for inclusion in a beginning nonverbal communication course. With the plethora of material relating to this topic on the market, there is a need for a comprehensive evaluation form by which an elevator could determine the specific method of layout (manner of organization and construction) as well as the content (nonverbal material) contained in each text under scrutiny. This thesis will examine criteria for evaluating texts in addition to listing the proposed method for constructing a textbook in terms of the order in which the various parts of the work are to be organized. The purpose of the thesis is to: (1) identify the specific nonverbal communication components which are necessary for inclusion in a basic, introductory text, (2) identify the general elements of an effectively constructed nonverbal communication text in terms of (a) Content, and (b) Layout; (3) identify the specific nonverbal components which must be included in a comprehensive nonverbal communication text; (4) determine which text, if any, comes closest to meeting the ideal requirements as determined by the evaluation form. The evaluation form is divided into two parts. Part 1 includes material relating to general textbook construction, organization, and layout. Part 2 contains material relating to the nine components of nonverbal communication.