Voice F0 responses to manipulations in pitch feedback

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that when phonating subjects hear their voice pitch feedback shift upward or downward, they respond with a change in voice fundamental frequency (F0) output. Three experiments were performed to improve our understanding of this response and to explore the effects of different stimulus variables on voice F0 responses to pitch-shift stimuli. In experiment 1, it was found that neither the absolute level of feedback intensity nor the presence of pink masking noise significantly affect magnitude or latency of the voice F0 response. In experiment 2, changes in stimulus magnitude led to no systematic differences in response magnitudes or latencies. However, as stimulus magnitude was increased from 25 to 300 cents, the proportion of responses that changed in the direction opposite that of the stimulus ("opposing" response) decreased. A corresponding increase was observed in the proportion of same direction responses ("following" response). In experiment 3, increases in pitch-shift stimulus durations from 20 to 100 ms led to no differences in the F0 response. Durations between 100 and 500 ms led to longer duration voice F0 responses with greater response magnitude, and suggested the existence of a second F0 response with a longer latency than the first.