ERIC Number: EJ1196930
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Nov
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: N/A
Human Voice as a Measure of Mental Load Level
Boyer, Stanislas; Paubel, Pierre-Vincent; Ruiz, Robert; El Yagoubi, Radouane; Daurat, Agnès
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v61 n11 p2722-2734 Nov 2018
Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine a reliable and efficient set of acoustic parameters of the human voice able to estimate individuals' mental load level. Implementing detection methods and real-time analysis of mental load is a major challenge for monitoring and enhancing human task performance, especially during high-risk activities (e.g., flying aircraft). Method: The voices of 32 participants were recorded during a cognitive task featuring word list recall. The difficulty of the task was manipulated by varying the number of words in each list (i.e., between 1 and 7, corresponding to 7 mental load conditions). Evoked pupillary response, known to be a useful proxy of mental load, was recorded simultaneously with speech to attest variations in mental load level during the experimental task. Results: Classic features (fundamental frequency, its standard deviation, number of periods) and original features (frequency modulation and short-term variation in digital amplitude length) of the acoustic signals were predictive of memory load condition. They varied significantly according to the number of words to recall, specifically beyond a threshold of 3-5 words to recall, that is, when memory performance started to decline. Conclusions: Some acoustic parameters of the human voice could be an appropriate and efficient means for detecting mental load levels.
Descriptors: Cognitive Processes, Difficulty Level, Acoustics, Recall (Psychology), Identification, Speech
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A