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Measurement of deceptive voices: Comparing acoustic and perceptual data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Patricia Rockwell*
Affiliation:
University of Southwestern Louisiana
David B. Buller
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
Judee K. Burgoon
Affiliation:
University of Arizona
*
Patricia Rockwell, College of Liberal Arts, Department of Communication, P.O. Box 43650, Lafayette, LA70504-3650

Abstract

This study compared vocal features of deception that can be measured by acoustic equipment with vocal features of deception that can be measured perceptually by human coders. As deception researchers have traditionally measured vocal behavior with either acoustic or perceptual methods (but not both), it is uncertain what correspondence, if any, exists between these methods. This study attempted to determine the degree of this correspondence. Deceptive interactions from an earlier study (Burgoon, Buller, Ebesu, & Rockwell, 1994) were used to conduct a detailed analysis of the vocal features of deceptive speech. The vocal samples were analyzed perceptually and acoustically. Results indicated moderate correlations between some acoustic and perceptual variables; neither measurement type, however, proved conclusively superior to the other in discriminating between truth and deception.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1997

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