STUDY 1: LISTENER RATINGS OF VOICE QUALITY
Who is doing the research?
Researchers in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences
What is the research about?
We want to learn more about listeners’ judgments of speech and voice quality in individuals with communication disorders. Our goal is to use this information to help us improve assessment of speech and voice.
What will I be asked to do?
- Participants will be asked to complete a short hearing test and complete a brief questionnaire about their background, and may be asked to complete a cognitive screening
- Participants will be asked to listen to and judge a variety of speech samples in 1-3 listening sessions
- The sessions will take no more than 1-3 hours to complete
Who can participate?
- English-speaking adults 18 years or older
- Individuals who have no difficulty with hearing and no history of disorders of attention or cognition
- Individuals who have had little clinical training or exposure to individuals with voice or speech disorders
Will I be compensated?
You will receive $20 for the listening sessions
How can I learn more?
Call researchers in the Vocal Function Laboratory at 206-616-0312. You can also send an e-mail to: vocalfx@uw.edu. Please note: If you choose to contact us by e-mail, we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any information sent or received in this manner.
STUDY 2: AUDITORY-MOTOR FUNCTION AND THE VOICE
Who is doing the research?
- Researchers in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences.
What is the research about?
- We want to learn more about why some people develop voice disorders. We are studying whether people with voice disorders show differences in their sensory and motor control mechanisms for voice and speech, compared to people without voice disorders.
What will I be asked to do?
- You will be asked to participate in one session, approximately 2.5 to 3 hours long.
- You will participate in a hearing screening to confirm that you are eligible.
- You will be asked to fill out questionnaires that ask about how your voice impacts your life, and how effective you feel your communication is.
- You will be asked to participate in speech recordings.
- You will be asked to participate in a series of speaking and listening tasks, where you will repeatedly say or hear vowels and one-syllable words.
- During speaking tasks, we will audio-record your voice, and record muscle activity with electrodes taped to the front of your neck.
Who can participate?
- Adults who are native speakers of English,
- Adults who are 18 years or older,
- Individuals who have been diagnosed with a voice disorder, such as muscle tension dysphonia, nodules, polyps, cysts, vocal fold scar, or other voice disorders, and have no other history of communication or hearing disorders
OR
- Individuals with no history of voice, communication, or hearing disorders, or any other disorder affecting the brain.
Will I be compensated?
- You will receive $20.00 per hour for completing the sessions.
- You will be paid at the end of each session.
Does participation affect any treatment you are receiving?
- NO! Participation in this study is entirely independent of any medical treatment you may be receiving.
- You are free to discontinue your participation in this study at any time.
How can I learn more?
- You can call Mara Kapsner-Smith, Ph.C., CCC-SLP, in the Vocal Function Laboratory at 206-616-0312. The voice mail is private. Only researchers in the laboratory have access to the voice mail. You can also send an e-mail to: mkapsner@uw.edu. Please note: If you choose to contact us by e-mail, we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any information sent or received in this manner.