Theses and Dissertations - Department of Communicative Disorders

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations - Department of Communicative Disorders by Author "Buhr, Anthony"

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    Lip EMG response to stuttering
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2020) Henley, Caroline; Buhr, Anthony; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    The purpose of this study was to investigate whether viewing stuttering behaviors would elicit lip muscle activity. Thirty college-aged participants produced a series of 20 sentences and were presented with audio and audio-video versions of each sentence that included either stuttered or non-stuttered target words. Each target word included a syllable-initial stop sound that was either voiced or unvoiced and associated with tongue versus lip constriction location. Raw electromyographic (EMG) signals were acquired via surface electrodes from the upper lip, which were then digitized and high-pass filtered at 1 Hz and then rectified by an RMS filter. Overall area in volts was calculated for 1 second intervals associated with each target word. Results showed that EMG activity was greater for the speaking condition compared to audio and audio-video conditions, and that EMG activity was greater for the lip compared to tongue constriction location and for voiced versus unvoiced sounds in the speaking condition only. However, there was no appreciable EMG activity during the audio or audio-video conditions, contrary to expectations. Thus, although the study paradigm was successful in acquiring EMG signals, the stimuli failed to elicit lip activity.
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    The perception of regional dialect in the state of Alabama
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2020) Sizemore, McKenzie D.; Buhr, Anthony; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    The purpose of this study was to evaluate how accurate people are in perceiving the dialects in the state of Alabama. This study included 50 speakers, each of whom produced a portion of the “Arthur the Rat” passage, which was then rated by 60 listeners according to whether the speaker was from the state of Alabama or not and whether that person was from an urban or rural area. Overall results showed that people from both inside and outside of Alabama were significantly better than chance at determining if a person is from Alabama. However, when compared to participants from outside of Alabama, participants from Alabama are significantly better at determining if a person was from an urban or rural area. Results suggest that people from the state of Alabama are more attuned to the dialectal differences within the state of Alabama compared to those who are not born in the state of Alabama.
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    The variability of stuttering and influential factors
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2020) Sherbert, Kayla Jane; Buhr, Anthony; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    Stuttering is a disorder of speech fluency that is not well understood, in part due to its variable nature. Although a number of factors have been found to contribute to this variability, previous research has often been retrospective or experimental. In this study, forty-one college students completed a survey three times a day for at least two weeks. Each participant evaluated their experiences regarding their own speech fluency, affective state, and willingness to approach. It was expected that affective state would be associated with speech fluency as well as willingness to approach. The main finding of the study was that dimensions of affect (i.e., arousal and mood) were significantly associated with speech fluency, particularly in the morning compared to the afternoon or evening. Results are interpreted to suggest that the positive relation between speech fluency and affect could be outcomes of a common physiological state, a finding that could have important implications for fluency disorders such as stuttering.