title: Effects of consensus training on the reliability of auditory perceptual ratings of voice quality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the effect of consensus training of listeners on intrarater and interrater reliability and agreement of perceptual voice analysis. The use of such training, including a reference voice sample, could be assumed to make the internal standards held in memory common and more robust, which is of great importance to reduce the variability of auditory perceptual ratings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective design with testing before and after training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen students of audiologopedics served as listening subjects. The ratings were made using a multidimensional protocol with four-point equal-appearing interval scales. The stimuli consisted of text reading by authentic dysphonic patients. The consensus training for each perceptual voice parameter included (1) definition, (2) underlying physiology, (3) presentation of carefully selected sound examples representing the parameter in three different grades followed by group discussions of perceived characteristics, and (4) practical exercises including imitation to make use of the listeners' proprioception.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intrarater reliability and agreement showed a marked improvement for intermittent aphonia but not for vocal fry. Interrater reliability was high for most parameters before training with a slight increase after training. Interrater agreement showed marked increases for most voice quality parameters as a result of the training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the recommendation of specific consensus training, including use of a reference voice sample material, to calibrate, equalize, and stabilize the internal standards held in memory by the listeners.
authors.affiliation: Audiologopaedics, Department of Scandinavian Studies and Linguistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. jiwarsson@hum.ku.dk
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iwarsson
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reinholt Petersen
mesh_terms: D001298:Audiology / Q000592:standards; D002138:Calibration; D032921:Consensus; D003718:Denmark; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D015588:Observer Variation; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011932:Reading; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement / Q000592:standards; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D014833:Voice Quality