NCJ Number
52641
Date Published
1973
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A NEW TECHNIQUE WHICH DETECTS AREAS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS BY ELECTRONIC ANALYSIS OF A TAPE-RECORDED VOICE IS EVALUATED IN A STUDY OF 15 PATIENTS UNDER TREATMENT FOR NEUROSIS.
Abstract
USING ELECTRONIC FILTERING AND FREQUENCY DISCRIMINATION TECHNIQUES, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS EVALUATOR (PSE) PROCESSES RECORDED VOICE FREQUENCIES AND DISPLAYS THE INAUDIBLE STRESS-RELATED FREQUENCY MODULATIONS (FM) PATTERNS ON A MOVING STRIP CHART. THESE FM PATTERNS INDICATE LEVELS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS. THE DIAGNOSTIC CLAIMS MADE FOR THIS EQUIPMENT WERE INVESTIGATED USING 15 MALE AND FEMALE PATIENTS, AGED 19 TO 65 AND OF AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE, WHO WERE BEING TREATED BY THE AUTHOR FOR VARIOUS KINDS OF NEUROTIC ANXIETY. TWO STRESS PATTERNS EMERGED: A HIGH STRAIGHT LEADING EDGE AND A TENDENCY TO SQUARE. STATISTICS INDICATING RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY ARE GIVEN, AS ARE CORRELATIONS WITH THE EYSENCK PERSONALITY INVENTORY, PARTICULARLY THE SCORES ON THE LIE SCALE. RESULTS SHOW THAT THE PSE STRESS INDICATORS ON A PHRASE READ OUT BY A PATIENT CORRESPOND IN GENERAL WITH WHETHER THE PATIENT EXPRESSES WORRY ABOUT THE TOPIC REFERRED TO IN THE PHRASE. THE DEGREE OF THIS CORRESPONDENCE IS LOW FOR PATIENTS WITH HIGH LIE SCALE SCORES. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THIS TECHNIQUE MAY EVENTUALLY BE USED TO IDENTIFY A PATIENT'S AREAS OF STRESS MORE ACCURATELY THAN COULD BE DONE BY RELYING ON HER OR HIS SELF-REPORT, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH LIE SCORE PEOPLE. DETAILS OF THE ANALYSIS, SUPPORTING DATA, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.