Effects of masking noise on laryngeal resistance for breathy, normal, and pressed voice.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to explore the effects of masking noise on laryngeal resistance for breathy, normal, and pressed voice in vocally trained women.

Method: Eighteen vocally trained women produced breathy, normal, and pressed voice across 7 fundamental frequencies during a repeated CV utterance of /pi/ under normal and masked auditory feedback. Dependent variables were mean and standard deviation of laryngeal resistance (LR; cmH2O/l/s).

Results: LR values for breathy and normal voice remained constant across normal and masked auditory feedback, whereas LR values for pressed voice increased significantly from normal to masked auditory feedback.

Conclusions: The results suggest that both voice pattern and feedback condition influenced the stability of the LR data. Specifically, the pressed voice pattern may be more susceptible to auditory feedback influence because it was less stable than the breathy and the normal voice patterns. Future investigation should continue to explore the relevance of auditory feedback for theoretical and clinical issues surrounding voice.