title: The effect of experience on classification of voice quality.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the agreement among several groups of listeners with different types of experience in regard to classifying voice quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective cross-sectional quasi-experimental design.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study compared three groups: speech-language pathologists who specialize in voice, singing voice teachers, and inexperienced listeners. All groups were asked to classify voice samples as breathy, rough, or normal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results show a significant difference across all groups with speech-language pathologists demonstrating a substantial interrater agreement, κ=0.67, z=103.07 (P<0.01); singing voice teachers demonstrating a moderate interrater agreement, κ=0.53, z=79.10 (P<0.01); and inexperienced listeners demonstrating a fair interrater agreement, κ=0.24, z=35.82 (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Experienced listeners demonstrated a higher interrater agreement as compared with inexperienced listeners, with speech-language pathologists demonstrating a superior agreement as compared with all groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Sciences and Disorder, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. jls991@psu.edu
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sofranko
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Prosek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013067:Speech Perception; D013068:Speech Production Measurement / Q000592:standards; D013066:Speech-Language Pathology / Q000592:standards; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult