Gender Differences and Speech Accommodation in Occupational Settings

描述(由申请者提供)：研究目的：已经组建了一个多学科的研究小组，以调查特定的基于性别的言语产出差异，这些差异可能是女性声音健康问题发生率上升的原因，特别是在高音使用的职业中。具体地说，这个项目将衡量演讲者如何调整他们的演讲产出，以补偿环境声学变化、听众要求和声音过度使用。我们将在实验控制的几个层面上解决这个问题：(1)自然环境中的观察，(2)实验室环境中的受控实验，以及(3)高度受控的计算机模拟。这些目标的结果可用于为女性职业性语音使用者制定预防和康复策略。意义：女性患发声障碍的终生发病率明显高于男性(46.3%比36.9%)。无论性别，职业性发声用户(或要求高音使用的职业成员)患声带损伤的风险增加(例如，11%的教师报告当前发声问题，而非教师报告的当前发声问题为6.2%)。不幸的是，对于从事这些职业(如教学、咨询或紧急派遣)的女性来说，这种发声的健康差距似乎更加严重。两大职业语音用户群体--教师和呼叫中心工作人员--主要是女性(分别为69%和)。虽然并不是所有从事这些职业的女性都有嗓音问题，但这些专业人士面临着嗓音问题增加的双重风险：她们的性别和她们的工作。这个问题值得探讨，因为目前还不清楚为什么女性比男性有更高的风险，以及为什么一些女性比其他人更容易出现声带健康问题。此外，这些职业中的妇女将声音作为主要的贸易工具，使任何严重的声音问题都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.