Vocal Fold Stiffness Estimates for Emotion Description in Speech

The present study affords emotional differentiation in speech from the behaviour of the biomechanical stiffness estimates in voice, regarding dispersion and cyclicality. The Glottal Cyclic Parameters are derived from the vibrato correlates found in the Glottal Source reconstructed from the phonated parts of speech and have been shown to be good indices to neurologic disease detection and monitoring. In this paper the application of these parameters to the characterization of the emotional states affecting a speaker when expressing truth opposite to when they believe not saying the truth is explored. The study is based on the reconstruction of the vocal fold stiffness parameters and in the detection of possible deviations induced by emotional tremor and stress from a baseline. The method is validated using results from the analysis of a gender-balanced speaker’s database. Normative values for the different parameters estimated are given and used in contrastive studies of some cases presented to discussion.