Three different scales which have been used to measure perceived prominence are evaluated in a perceptual experiment. Average scores of raters using a multi-level (31-point) scale, a simple binary (2-point) scale and an intermediate 4-point scale are almost identical. The potentially finer gradation possible with the multi-level scale(s) is compensated for by having multiple listeners, which is a also a requirement for obtaining reliable data. In other words, a high number of levels is neither a sufficient nor a necessary requirement. Overall the best results were obtained using the 4-point scale, and there seems to be little justification for using a 31-point scale.
Cite as: Jensen, C., Tøndering, J. (2005) Choosing a scale for measuring perceived prominence. Proc. Interspeech 2005, 2385-2388, doi: 10.21437/Interspeech.2005-42
@inproceedings{jensen05_interspeech,
author={Christian Jensen and John Tøndering},
title={{Choosing a scale for measuring perceived prominence}},
year=2005,
booktitle={Proc. Interspeech 2005},
pages={2385--2388},
doi={10.21437/Interspeech.2005-42}
}