The influence of emotional and cognitive processes in

the definition of speech rate

Marco TontiUniversità di Bologna

Table of Contents

The Therapeutic Cycle Model (TCM) Influence of the TCM processes on

the Rate of Speech (Main idea) Definition and extraction of data Statistical results Conclusions

Divides the text in blocks of words

Therapeutic Cycle Model Defines emotional and

cognitive dynamics Based on transcripts

Computes the density of emotional and cognitive words

Abstract words are markers for cognition

Mergenthaler (1996)

TCM – Prototypical Cycle

AbstractionEmotion

Phase Irelaxing

Phase IIexperiencing

Phase IIIconnecting

Phase IVreflecting

Phase Vrelaxing

Word frequencies are standardized as Z-scored values

Insight

TCM – Example

Word frequencies are standardized as Z-scored values

-3

-2.5

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

A BE T

Table of Contents

The Therapeutic Cycle Model (TCM) Influence of the TCM processes on

the Rate of Speech (Main idea) Extraction of data Statistical results Conclusions

Main idea (TCM and ROS)

PAB PET ROSexp

An high emotion level causes slowdonws due to hesitations.

An high cognition level causes slowdowns due to intense elaboration.

Low ROS is expected to be a marker for the phenomenon of insight.

Insight

TCM and ROS (2)

AB

ET

High ROS

Low ROS

Higher ROS in I quadrant

Average ROS in II and IV quadrants

Lower ROS in III quadrant

Mental Processes Mental processes

as OS processes Resurces drained by

processes in need for them

Physical effects of resource variation

Variation of the speaking rate

Table of Contents

The Therapeutic Cycle Model (TCM) Influence of the TCM processes on

the Rate of Speech (Main idea) Definition and extraction of data Statistical results Conclusions

Defining the ROS Text-based methods:

Words per second Characters per second

Acoustical methods Phones per second Syllables per second

Aligning recording and transcriptT̀was brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.

The transcript and the recording have been aligned

on the basis of small segments lasting roughly 2 s

and containing from 1 to 6 words. The ROS has been

computed for each segment. The TCM word blocks

are composed by grouping the segments.

Analyzed session info 36 years old female subject (Romina) In therapy for eating disorders Psychodynamic therapy, one session

per week Treatment lasted for 8 months

This study is based on the 4th session of the terapy.

Table of Contents

The Therapeutic Cycle Model (TCM) Influence of the TCM processes on

the Rate of Speech (Main idea) Extraction of data Statistical results Conclusions

Correlation between TCM and ROS

WPS (ROS) AB+ET (TCM)

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000-3.5

-3

-2.5

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Word block175 words

Spearman -0.58

Significanc

e0.004

(<0.05)

Other statistics

The ROS value varies much more rapidly than the TCM value. (The time-scale issue)

The available amount of data is small.(Few word blocks for each session)

Disaggregation of word blocks Each word block is composed by small

segments. The TCM value of each block is inherited

by the composing segments.

This procedure allows a fine-grained analysis of the rate of speech.

A C D B

A AA A A A A A A A A C C C C C C C C C C C C DD DD DD DD DD D B B B B B B B B B B B

Inferential statistics The test has been run on the four

groups of segments belonging to the phases Relaxing, Experiencing, Connecting and Reflecting.

The Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant difference, for blocks of 175 words, in the mean ROS (CPS) of each group:

prob>χ2 = 0.0066 (<0.05)

Table of Contents

The Therapeutic Cycle Model (TCM) Influence of the TCM processes on

the Rate of Speech (Main idea) Extraction of data Statistical results Conclusions

Conclusions (1)

This pilot study: Tends to confirm a connection between

ROS and TCM. Defines low ROS as a marker for insight

phases. Is based on values that can be

extracted on a purely acoustical fashion.

Conclusions (2) Defines a procedure to further the

research in this field, and to improve the research on TCM. Could allow to skip the heavy work of

transcribing the sessions.