Speech and Hearing Science Commons^™

Musical Ability And Accent Imitation, Maria Murljacic

Honors Scholar Theses

This study investigates the intersection of musical ability and accent imitation, more specifically defining what factors cause a relationship between the two. The study was run on 50 participants, who each completed an accent imitation ability assessment, a musical ability assessment, and an articulation ability assessment. The scores for the accent imitation portion were rated by anonymous online raters. Each participant filled out a questionnaire on prior musical experience and were either classified as a musician or non-musician. The analysis found that those in the musician group performed better on the musical ability, articulation, and accent ability assessment than non-musicians. …

The Effects Of Written Stuttering Disclosure On Young Adult's Perceptions Of Children Who Stutter, Ashlee Manahan

Honors Theses

Abstract:

Purpose: This study measured between-group differences in perceived speech skills and personality characters of a 12-year-old male child who stutters (CWS) as a function of a written factual stuttering disclosure statement, delivered by a male CWS, his “mother”, and his “teacher”.

Methods: Four-hundred twenty-four college aged adults were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The groups included three experimental groups (i.e. written self-disclosure, written mother-disclosure, written teacher disclosure) and a control group (no written disclosure). Participants in the control condition viewed a brief video of a 12-year-old male who stutters. In the experimental conditions, participants viewed a brief …

Dialect Variation Assessment In Speech-Language Pathology, Maliah Wilkinson

Honors Theses

During speech and language assessment, speech language pathologists often utilize tools from sociolinguistics to differentiate between accent and dialect variation from actual speech or language impairments. Perceptual dialectology, is one of these tools. This method of research seeks to investigate the linguistic perspectives of various populations in specific situations (Montgomery, 2012, p. 638). To investigate the perspectives of college students, linguists, and speech-language pathologists surveys analyzed they perceptions of dialects in various settings and their backgrounds. Results from the surveys indicate linguists who participated have educational experience with dialects but not dialect assessments. While speech-language pathologists, have certification that insists …

Wernicke’S Area In Autism: Rsfmri Study, Sydney Osbarn

Honors Theses

We investigated the functional connectivity of Wernicke’s Area and its right homologue (Planum Temporale) in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and typically developing individuals. We used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging to analyze these areas in 145 participants from The University of Michigan via ABIDE. As a retest sample, we also used data from a University of Pittsburgh cohort. There is weakened functional connectivity between Wernicke’s Area and Planum Temporale in individuals with ASD as opposed to typically developing individuals. Participants with ASD did not have greater connectivity in other regions compared to the control group. Pragmatics, nonverbalism, …

The Auditory Radiation In Traumatic Brain Damage: Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study, Jane Walsh

Honors Theses

Hearing loss is a known symptom among people who suffer from traumatic brain injuries. Studies have shown that sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss resulting from traumatic brain injury. However, it is not well understood whether the auditory pathway is affected by traumatic brain injury. In this study, we examined the auditory radiation, using diffusion tensor imaging data and probabilistic tractography. Fifty-three veterans with traumatic brain injury and forty-four veterans without traumatic brain injury are compared. There was no significant difference in fractional anisotropy of the auditory radiation between those with and without traumatic brain …

Differential Effects Of Verbal And Written Disclosure On Perceptions Of A Child Who Stutters, Peyton Mcknight

Honors Theses

This study measured perceptions of a 12-year-old boy who stutters, relative to perceived speech skills and personal characteristics, as a function of seven potential stuttering disclosure conditions, featuring either a personal verbal disclosure, written disclosure, or no disclosure, delivered by various authors (i.e., self/child, mother, teacher). 641 participants college-aged adults were randomly assigned to one of seven stuttering disclosure groups: no disclosure control, verbal self-disclosure, written self-disclosure, verbal mother disclosure, written mother disclosure, verbal teacher disclosure, or written teacher disclosure. Participants in the control group viewed a brief video of a 12-year-old male who stutters reciting a short passage. Participants …

Receptive And Expressive Prosodic Abilities In Adults With Down Syndrome, Logan A. Kingry

Honors Theses

Individuals with Down syndrome, a population that often struggles with communication, present a unique linguistic profile of strengths and weaknesses. Almost no research has examined prosody in adults with DS, despite the important role it plays in effective communication. The present study investigated the prosodic profile of seven adults with Down syndrome (18;07-34;11 years) using the Profiling Elements of Prosody for Speech and Communication (PEPS-C), and compared the group’s expressive and receptive prosodic abilities to a group of seven adults with mixed-etiology intellectual and developmental disability (29;02-37;07 years) matched on nonverbal ability. Data analyses showed that the group with Down …

Induction Of Nocebo Effects By Verbal Suggestions During The Caloric Test, Abbey Weist

Dissertations, 2020-current

The caloric test is the most frequently performed vestibular diagnostic test and is considered the “gold-standard” for the assessment of the peripheral vestibular system. Using a warm or cool stimulus, the caloric test alters the temperature gradient in the vestibular system resulting in nausea and dizziness. The nocebo effect is a phenomenon that can occur when negative expectations result in negative effects. No study has examined whether expectations of nausea and dizziness during the caloric test enhance the experience of unwanted symptoms. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether a nocebo response can be elicited during the caloric …

Music And Speech Perception In Pre-Lingually Deafened Young Listeners With Cochlear Implants: A Preliminary Study Using Sung Speech, Harley J. Wheeler

Dissertations, 2020-current

Timbre and pitch cues, though definitionally and physically distinct characteristics of sound, are attributes of all sound signals. A body of literature has shown that alteration of one characteristic can influence the perception of the other; e.g., speech spoken with an atypical contour of pitch can influence a listener's accuracy in identifying the words spoken; conversely, whether a melodic contour is presented via a MIDI piano representation or as sung speech can influence the accuracy of identification of the pitches' contour. Trends for these interactions have been documented for normal hearing children and adults, as well as postlingually deafened adult …

Social Conformity And The Line Judgement Task For Adolescents With Asd, Jamie Mcclendon

Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders Undergraduate Honors Theses

The primary intent of this study is to add to the growing research regarding social functioning and theory of mind (ToM) of young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study takes into account the Solomon Asch line judgement tasks effect on peer pressure and social conformity. Previous research has shown that there is a discrepancy in the conformity exhibited by typically developing individuals (TD) and ASD individuals. This study seeks to address the degree to which ASD individuals are affected by social influence and how likely they will be to conform. Conformity rates will be compared to that of …

Hearing Loss: Investigating The Comfort, Confidence, Knowledge, And Preparedness Of Kentucky School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists., Amanda Matsumoto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to advances in technology, the number of users with hearing devices have increased. These users are often mainstreamed into classrooms with typical hearing peers. However, even with these devices, speech and language impairments may still persist. This study was conducted to analyze school-based speech-language pathologists’ (SLP) comfort, confidence, knowledge, and preparedness in treating students with hearing loss in Kentucky schools. 48 SLPs practicing in all levels of school including elementary, middle, and high, completed an anonymous online survey through the Qualtrics^® platform. Responses were received from SLPs representing 11 out of the 15 regions throughout Kentucky. Spearman’s rank …

Factors Of Dysphagia In The Overdose Population Post Extubation., Renee Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Post-extubation dysphagia (PED) has been studied in depth in a variety of populations including elective heart surgeries, trauma, critical illness, traumatic brain injury, and those requiring mechanical ventilation, but has not been researched in the overdose population (OD). This study aims to research factors of PED in the OD population. A retrospective study was conducted and found 24 participants who fit the inclusionary requirements. Correlation statistics were run between age and duration of intubation, age or duration of intubation and gender, and between intubation duration, age, and scores on Penetration-Aspiration Scale (P/A) (thin by cup and thin by straw). The …

Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials And Postural Control In Adults With Age-Related Hearing Loss, Steven Michael Doettl

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

It is well-documented that auditory thresholds decrease with age, which can be referred to as Age-related hearing loss (ARHL). ARHL is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults and is associated with several conditions including decreased postural stability and falls. Age-related changes to auditory function have been attributed to, through histopathological study, specific degradation of the sensory, supporting, and afferent structures of the cochlea. Vestibular function, as measured through vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) also show decreases with age. VEMPs are a measurement of evoked potentials generated by auditory stimulation of the utricle and saccule measured through a …

Perceptions Of Guilt Of Individuals With A Visible Communication Disorder Versus An Invisible Communication Disorder, Zoe Hochberg

Honors Scholar Theses

This study explored how communication disorders may impact listeners’ perception of guilt. More specifically, it looked at how visible communication disorders (e.g., stuttering) and invisible communication disorders (e.g., high functioning autism) are judged by the general public. 51 adults (18-71 years) participated in the study which asked them to view video recordings of narrative samples produced by an individual who stuttered (PWS), an individual with high-functioning autism (PHFA), and an individual with no communication disorder (PNCD). Participants were not informed of the individuals’ communication abilities (PWS, PHFA, or PNCD), but were told that one of the individuals had committed a …

An Investigation Of Pictography And Verbal Rehearsal On College Students’ Recall Of Expository Texts, Joshua Woodruff

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of pictography with and without verbal rehearsal on informational recall of two types of expository texts. This study is part of a research program to further develop a treatment for younger students with language impairment called Sketch-and-Speak.

Procedure: 66 undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 40 were tested on recall of concrete versus abstract expository texts in a randomized group experiment across three conditions: pictography with and without verbal rehearsal versus re-reading. Participants were trained on the assigned testing condition and then proceeded to the experimental procedure. In the experimental procedure, …

Respiratory Differences In Spontaneous And Scripted Speech Among Bilingual Adults, Anna Irene Sagan

Honors Program Theses

This investigation explored respiratory differences between a speaker’s first language (L1) and second language (L2) during spontaneous and scripted speech in six adult bilingual speakers (two native bilingual speakers and four non-native bilingual speakers). Respiratory kinematic data using Respitrace respiratory inductance plethysmography and acoustic recordings were collected during five tasks: tidal breathing at rest, scripted speech in L1, spontaneous speech in L1, scripted speech in L2, and spontaneous speech in L2. Results indicated a significant interaction effect between proficiency and syllables produced during spontaneous speech, but no other significant differences were found among inspiratory/expiratory duration, task, proficiency or language. The …

School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist's Perceptions Of Sensory Food Aversions In Children, Ellen Monroe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sensory Food Aversions occur frequently in children who are likely to appear on Speech-Language Pathologist’s (SLP’s) caseloads. The lack of research regarding intervention for Sensory Food Aversions in schools and the assertion of a gap in school-based services for children with feeding disorders was a significant indicator for the need of the study. A quantitative, descriptive, exploratory research design was selected using a self-developed questionnaire in order to exploreschool-based SLP’s perceptions of their knowledge and skills related to Sensory Food Aversions, as well as determine resources available for working with this population. Findings from the study suggest a need for …

Development Of The Caregiver-Child Auditory Skills Tracking (Cast) Scale: A Pilot Study On Caregiver Implementation Via International Telepractice, Elizabeth Ocampo-Roman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parent engagement is a key component during early language development for all children, but particularly for a child with hearing loss. Through the application of technology-based models of service delivery such as telehealth, researchers have found an increase in parent-child engagement during auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) sessions due to the physical absence of the provider and parents becoming the primary language facilitators. However, current measures of parent-child interactions do not have a coding system to monitor facilitation of auditory skills. This present study will discuss the development of the Caregiver-Child Auditory Skills Tracking (CAST) Scale to track progress of caregiver implementation …

Relation Between Linguistic Awareness Skills And Spelling In Adults: A Comparison Among Scoring Procedures, Victoria Henbest

Victoria S. Henbest Publications

Spelling is a skill that relies on an individual's linguistic awareness, the ability to overtly manipulate language. The ability to accurately spell is important for academic and career success into adulthood. The spelling skills of adults have received some attention in the literature, but there is limited information regarding which approach for analyzing adults' spelling is optimal for guiding instruction or intervention for those who struggle. Thus, we aimed to examine the concurrent validity of four different scoring methods for measuring adults' spellings (a dichotomous scoring method and three continuous methods) and to determine whether adults' linguistic awareness skills differentially …

Vocal Health Of Choral Singers From Kenya And The United States: Dysphonia And Vocal Fatigue In Relation To Musical Genres, Morgan Jolley Burburan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the vocal health of choral singers from Kenya and the United States and to determine whether genre (classical choral, traditional Kenya, and Contemporary Commercial Music [CCM]) had any impact on healthy vocal production, particularly as it related to vocal fatigue. Participants were adult singers (N = 94) in two semi-professional choirs, the Nairobi Chamber Chorus (NCC) from Kenya (n = 25) and the Festival Singers of Florida (FSOF) from the United States (n = 69). Singers’ perceived overall vocal health was measured using multiparametric clinical self-reporting instruments and acoustical assessment. Singers’ …