Speech is an acoustic signal with inherent amplitude modulations in
the 1–9 Hz range. Recent models of speech perception propose
that this rhythmic nature of speech is central to speech recognition.
Moreover, rhythmic amplitude modulations have been shown to have beneficial
effects on language processing and the subjective impression listeners
have of the speaker. This study investigated the role of amplitude
modulations in the political arena by comparing the speech produced
by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the three presidential debates
of 2016.
Inspection of the modulation spectra, revealing the spectral content
of the two speakers’ amplitude envelopes after matching for overall
intensity, showed considerably greater power in Clinton’s modulation
spectra (compared to Trump’s) across the three debates, particularly
in the 1–9 Hz range. The findings suggest that Clinton’s
speech had a more pronounced temporal envelope with rhythmic amplitude
modulations below 9 Hz, with a preference for modulations around 3
Hz. This may be taken as evidence for a more structured temporal organization
of syllables in Clinton’s speech, potentially due to more frequent
use of preplanned utterances. Outcomes are interpreted in light of
the potential beneficial effects of a rhythmic temporal envelope on
intelligibility and speaker perception.
Cite as: Bosker, H.R. (2017) The Role of Temporal Amplitude Modulations in the Political Arena: Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump. Proc. Interspeech 2017, 2228-2232, doi: 10.21437/Interspeech.2017-142
@inproceedings{bosker17_interspeech,
author={Hans Rutger Bosker},
title={{The Role of Temporal Amplitude Modulations in the Political Arena: Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump}},
year=2017,
booktitle={Proc. Interspeech 2017},
pages={2228--2232},
doi={10.21437/Interspeech.2017-142}
}