Gender Differences and Speech Accommodation in Occupational Settings

描述（由申请人提供）：研究目的：组建了一个多学科的研究小组，研究基于性别的特定语言产生差异，这可能是女性声音健康问题发生率升高的基础，特别是在高声音使用职业中。具体来说，这个项目将测量讲话者如何调整他们的演讲作品来补偿环境声学变化、听众需求和声音过度使用。我们将从实验控制的几个层面来解决这个问题：(1)在自然环境中的观察，(2)在实验室环境中的控制实验，(3)高度控制的计算机模拟。这些目标的结果可用于为女性职业语音使用者制定预防和康复战略。意义：女性嗓音障碍的终生发病率明显高于男性（46.3% vs. 36.9%）。无论性别如何，职业声音使用者（或需要高声音使用的职业成员）的声音损伤风险更高（例如，11%的教师和6.2%的非教师报告了当前的声音问题）。不幸的是，在这些职业（如教学、咨询或紧急调度）工作的妇女中，这种声音健康差距似乎更加明显。教师和呼叫中心工作人员这两大职业语音用户群体主要是女性（分别为69%和64%）。虽然并非所有从事这些职业的女性都有声音问题，但这些专业人士面临着声音问题增加的双重风险：性别和工作。探索这个问题很重要，因为目前还不清楚为什么女性的患病风险高于男性，以及为什么一些女性比其他女性更容易出现声音健康问题。此外，从事这些职业的妇女把声音作为主要的贸易工具，使任何严重的声音问题成为有效履行工作职能和继续就业的障碍。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): STUDY AIMS: A multi-disciplinary research team has been assembled to investigate specific gender-based speech production differences that may underlie women's elevated incidence of vocal health problems, especially in high-voice use professions. Specifically, this project will measure how speakers adjust their speech productions to compensate for environmental acoustic changes, audience requirements, and voice overuse. We will approach this problem at several levels of experimental control: (1) observations in a natural setting, (2) controlled experiments in a laboratory setting, and (3) highly controlled computer simulations. The results of these aims can be used to develop preventative and rehabilitative strategies for female occupational voice users. SIGNIFICANCE: Women have a notably higher lifetime incidence of voice disorders than men (46.3% vs. 36.9%). Regardless of the gender, occupational voice users (or members of professions that demand high voice use) are at an increased risk for vocal injury (e.g., 11% of teachers vs. 6.2% of non-teachers reported current voice problems). Unfortunately, this vocal health disparity appears to be intensified for women who work in these professions (such as teaching, counseling, or emergency dispatch). Two large populations of occupational voice users, teachers and call center workers, are primarily female (69% and 64%, respectively). While not all women in these occupations experience voice problems, these professionals face a dual risk for increased voice issues: their gender and their jobs. This problem is important to explore because, at this time, it is not precisely known why women are at higher risk than men and why some women experience vocal health issues more than others. In addition, women in these professions use the voice as a primary tool of trade, making any serious voice problems an impediment to effective performance of job functions and continued employment.