Decoding Emotions: Advanced Analysis of Vocal Expressions in Children With Hearing Impairment

Last year, the Audiology Research Group at Sophia Children’s Hospital, Erasmus MC, conducted a study on the vocal expression of emotions in children with hearing loss. Emotional prosody is known to play a crucial role in social communication. Children with hearing loss, whether using hearing aids or cochlear implants, may encounter challenges in expressing prosody effectively due to potentially less distinct acoustic contrasts in their expressions, which could result in less accurate judgments. In our study¹, we conducted a basic analysis of the fundamental frequency and loudness of sentences. We compared these acoustic properties of sentences between three groups: children with normal hearing, children with cochlear implants and children with hearing aids. Our findings indicated only minor limitations in the prosodic expression of these children. However, it's important to note that we utilized only rudimentary analysis techniques.

Meanwhile, we have collected data from 170 children. The primary objective of this project is to conduct a comprehensive literature review to identify acoustic features that are indicative of emotional expression in speech. Subsequently, we aim to classify these features, possibly employing machine learning techniques, to gain a deeper understanding of the differences between the two groups. This research will pave the way for a more insightful analysis of emotional prosody in children with hearing loss.

1.      de Jong TJ, Hakkesteegt MM, van der Schroeff MP, Vroegop JL (2023) Communicating emotion: vocal expression of linguistic and emotional prosody in children with mild to profound hearing loss compared with that of normal hearing peers. Ear&Hearing, epub ahead of print.

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Meanwhile, we have collected data from 170 children. The primary objective of this project is to conduct a comprehensive literature review to identify acoustic features that are indicative of emotional expression in speech. Subsequently, we aim to classify these features, possibly employing machine learning techniques, to gain a deeper understanding of the differences between the two groups. This research will pave the way for a more insightful analysis of emotional prosody in children with hearing loss.

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Last modified: 2023-09-07