Formant transitions in the fluent speech of Farsi-speaking people who stutter

PurposeSecond formant (F2) transitions can be used to infer attributes of articulatory transitions. This study compared formant transitions during fluent speech segments of Farsi (Persian) speaking people who stutter and normally fluent Farsi speakers.MethodsTen Iranian males who stutter and 10 normally fluent Iranian males participated. Sixteen different “CVt” tokens were embedded within the phrase “Begu CVt an”. Measures included overall F2 transition frequency extents, durations, and derived overall slopes, initial F2 transition slopes at 30 ms and 60 ms, and speaking rate.Results(1) Mean overall formant frequency extent was significantly greater in 14 of the 16 CVt tokens for the group of stuttering speakers. (2) Stuttering speakers exhibited significantly longer overall F2 transitions for all 16 tokens compared to the nonstuttering speakers. (3) The overall F2 slopes were similar between the two groups. (4) The stuttering speakers exhibited significantly greater initial F2 transition slopes (positive or negative) for five of the 16 tokens at 30 ms and six of the 16 tokens at 60 ms. (5) The stuttering group produced a slower syllable rate than the non-stuttering group.ConclusionsDuring perceptually fluent utterances, the stuttering speakers had greater F2 frequency extents during transitions, took longer to reach vowel steady state, exhibited some evidence of steeper slopes at the beginning of transitions, had overall similar F2 formant slopes, and had slower speaking rates compared to nonstuttering speakers. Findings support the notion of different speech motor timing strategies in stuttering speakers. Findings are likely to be independent of the language spoken.Educational objectives This study compares aspects of F2 formant transitions between 10 stuttering and 10 nonstuttering speakers. Readers will be able to describe: (a) characteristics of formant frequency as a specific acoustic feature used to infer speech movements in stuttering and nonstuttering speakers, (b) two methods of measuring second formant (F2) transitions: the visual criteria method and fixed time criteria method, (c) characteristics of F2 transitions in the fluent speech of stuttering speakers and how those characteristics appear to differ from normally fluent speakers, and (d) possible cross-linguistic effects on acoustic analyses of stuttering.     

Social cognitive theory correlates of moderate-intensity exercise among adults with type 2 diabetes

The purpose of this study was to identify social cognitive theory (SCT) correlates of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise (MVPA) among adults with type 2 diabetes. Adults with type 2 diabetes (N = 181) participated in the study. Participants were recruited through ResearchMatch.org to complete an online survey. The survey used previously validated instruments to measure dimensions of self-efficacy, self-regulation, social support, outcome expectations, the physical environment, and minutes of MVPA per week. Spearman Rank Correlations were used to determine the relationship between SCT variables and MVPA. Classification and Regression Analysis using a decision tree model was used to determine the amount of variance in MVPA explained by SCT variables. Due to low levels of vigorous activity, only moderate-intensity exercise (MIE) was analyzed. SCT variables explained 42.4% of the variance in MIE. Self-monitoring, social support from family, social support from friends, and self-evaluative outcome expectations all contributed to the variability in MIE. Other contributing variables included self-reward, task self-efficacy, social outcome expectations, overcoming barriers, and self-efficacy for making time for exercise. SCT is a useful theory for identifying correlates of MIE among adults with type 2 diabetes. The SCT correlates can be used to refine diabetes education programs to target the adoption and maintenance of regular exercise.     

A multi-sample investigation of the higher-order latent dimensionality of the Sport-Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-2

ObjectiveExamine the higher-order latent dimensionality of the Sport-Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-2 (Sport-MPS-2: Gotwals & Dunn, 2009).DesignCorrelational.MethodA total of 1605 athletes (562 female) from eight independent samples completed the Sport-MPS-2. Athletes in one sample (n = 239) also completed a portion of the Multidimensional Inventory of Perfectionism in Sport (MIPS: Stoeber, Otto, & Stoll, 2006). The correlation matrices among the Sport-MPS-2 subscales for five samples were analyzed with exploratory factor analyses. The covariance matrices for the subscales in the three remaining samples (including the sample that completed the MIPS) were analyzed with confirmatory factor analyses and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM: Asparouhov & Muthén, 2009).ResultsTwo highly interpretable factors—labelled Perfectionistic Strivings and Perfectionistic Concerns—were obtained for each data set.ConclusionTheorists note the importance of using multiple indicators to measure perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns in sport. The current factor-analytic and ESEM results indicate that the six subscales comprising the Sport-MPS-2 may help to achieve this objective.