<p> Experiments have shown that manipulations of vocal fundamental frequency, a physical correlate of voice pitch, alter perceptions of vocal attractiveness. Individual experiments, however, have found different effects of pitch manipulations on attractiveness. One possible explanation for the disparate findings may be differences in the strength of pitch manipulations used between studies. The focus of this thesis is to determine psychophysical properties of vocal attractiveness based on pitch manipulations. Within the thesis, two experiments are described that were designed to find just-noticeable differences in vocal attractiveness based on pitch manipulations. The experiments were also designed to determine if there are limits for voice pitch preferences. Relevant background concepts to the thesis are described in Chapters 2-5, and a manuscript is presented in Chapter 6 that describes the methods and results of the experiment, and gives a discussion of the findings.</p> <p> In Chapter 2, the basic anatomy underlying vocal production is explained, including the anatomical structures involved in the source-filter model of vocal production.</p> <p> In Chapter 3, relevant acoustic properties of the voice are described, including fundamental frequency, harmonics, and formant frequencies.</p> <p> In Chapter 4, the basic anatomy involved in audition is explained, including how sound is propagated through the ear.</p> <p> In Chapter 5, a brief review of previous psychophysical research on pitch discrimination and perceived vocal traits is given.</p> <p> In Chapter 6, two experiments are described. Experiment 1 was designed to determine just-noticeable differences in voice pitch discrimination. Experiment 2 was designed to determine just-noticeable differences in voice attractiveness based on manipulations of voice pitch. Experiment 2 was also designed to assess potential limits to voice pitch preferences for supernormal stimuli. Just-noticeable differences in vocal attractiveness were larger than just-noticeable differences in pitch discrimination. Just-noticeable differences in attractiveness were larger in women's voices than men's. There was no limit in men's preferences for highpitched voices, however there was a limit for women's preferences for low-pitched voices below the natural male pitch range.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

The problem of the study was to identify stress arising in psychological counseling by identifying variations in the vocal pitch (fundamental frequency level) of clients' voices. Hypotheses were established to (1) determine the number of categories describing acoustically similar clients' responses within the counseling session and compare these categories with ratings of client stress, (2) determine the relationship between ratings of client stress and different fundamental frequency characteristics, and (3) compare fundamental frequency characteristics of in-session and repeated client verbalizations. Recommendations included (1) considering an improved acoustical analysis method capable of providing immediate feedback which could be used to study both moment-to-moment and longitudinal stress changes, (2) correlating vocal pitch variations with other physiological manifestations indicative of stress, (3) applying acoustical analysis to aid in counselor training, and (4) using acoustical analysis to study different specific types of populations.

This study investigated whether fifth-grade students would sing more accurately when responding to pitch stimuli presented to the right ear as compared to left and both ears. Students were also classified as either strongly right-handed or other (left-handed or mixed) to see if ear treatment responses would differ with handedness. Sixty-six students were tested on their attempts to match 12 model pitches. Identical tests were given to each subject on 3 different days, with a different ear treatment each day. Vocal response scores were significantly better for both-ear presentation than for left-ear. No significant difference was found between right and both ears, right and left ears, or between handedness groups.

Neurological evidence indicates that instrumental musicians experience changes in the auditory system following skill acquisition and sensory training; yet, little is known about auditory neural plasticity in formally trained vocal musicians. Furthermore, auditory pitch discrimination and laryngeal control are recognized as essential skills for vocal musicians; however, the relationship between physiological variables, perceptual abilities, and vocal production is unclear. Electrophysiologic and psychoacoustic measures were used to examine pitch production accuracy as well as pre-attentive and active pitch discrimination between nonmusicians and two classes of musicians. Participants included 40 formally trained musicians (19 vocalists/21 instrumentalists) and 21 nonmusician controls. All were right-handed young adult females with normal hearing. Stimuli were harmonic tone complexes approximating the physical characteristics of piano tones and represented the mid-frequency range of the untrained female vocal register extending from C4 to G4 (F0 = 261.63-392 Hz). Vocal pitch recordings were spectrally analyzed to determine pitch production accuracy. Difference limens for frequency (DLFs) were obtained by an adaptive psychophysical paradigm. Pre-attentive auditory discrimination was assessed by auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), including the mismatch negativity (MMN). A standard tone (G4 = 392 Hz) and three deviants differing in frequency (1.5%, 3%, and 6% below) were presented in a multi-deviant paradigm. All musicians demonstrated superior pitch perception and vocal production compared to nonmusicians. Pitch perception and production accuracy did not significantly differ between vocalists and instrumentalists; however, pitch production accuracy was most consistent within the vocalist group. Music training appears to facilitate both auditory perception and vocal production regardless of music specialty. Pitch perception and production were correlated skills only for instrumental musicians. Vocalists demonstrated minimal variability for both skills so that perception and production were not correlated. These two skills may be independent abilities between which a relationship develops with training. AEP analysis revealed an influence of musical expertise on neural responses as early as 50 ms after onset of musically relevant stimuli. MMN responses indicate that vocal musicians as well as instrumental musicians have superior sensory memory representations for acoustic parameters of harmonic stimuli and imply that auditory neural sensitivity is developed by intense music training.

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