Publication Date

1-1-1999

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Seaver, Earl J., III

Degree Name

B.S. (Bachelor of Science)

Legacy Department

School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders

Abstract

The purpose of the following study was to investigate the effects of changes of rate on the degree of nasalance in speakers with normal hearing and speakers with impaired hearing. Specifically, the following questions were asked: 1. Are speakers with impaired hearing able to manipulate rate in a fashion consistent with speakers with normal hearing? 2. Does nasalance, as measured using nasometry, increase with an increase in rate in speakers with normal hearing and speakers with impaired hearing? The study consisted often English speaking subjects, five with normal hearing and five with hearing impairments. All subjects were assessed using the Kay Model 6200 Nasometer to measure nasalance. Subjects were asked to say the sentence, "We were away a year ago" at five different speech rates: fastest, fast, normal, slow, and slowest. Three repetitions were performed at each of the speech rates. After each reading of a single sentence, the cursors from the nasometry analysis software were adjusted to highlight the beginning and end of the speech display to calculate the data obtained. Results from the study revealed as rate of speech decreased the amount of nasalance increased in normal hearing subjects. However, no correlation was found in the hearing impaired subjects in the relationship between rate and nasalance. Based on the conclusions of the study, it suggests that decreasing speaking rate to improve nasalance might not be a beneficial therapy technique. Further study of rate and nasalance is necessary to fully understand the conclusions of an uncorrelated relationship found in the present study.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

16 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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