Investigating Prosodic Accommodation in Clinical Interviews with Depressed Patients

Brian Vaughan, Carolina De Pasquale, Lorna Wilson, Charlie Cullen, Brian Lawlor

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Six in-depth clinical interviews, involving six elderly female patients (aged 60+) and one female psychiatrist, were recorded and analysed for a number of prosodic accommodation variables. Our analysis focused on pitch, speaking time, and vowel-space ratio. Findings indicate that there is a dynamic manifestation of prosodic accommodation over the course of the interactions. There is clear adaptation on the part of the psychiatrist, even going so far as to have a reduced vowel-space ratio, mirroring a reduced vowel-space ratio in the depressed patients. Previous research has found a reduced vowel-space ratio to be associated with psychological distress; however, we suggest that it indicates a high level of adaptation on the part of the psychiatrist and needs to be considered when analysing psychiatric clinical interactions.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPervasive Computing Paradigms for Mental Health - 7th International Conference, MindCare 2018, Proceedings
EditorsPietro Cipresso, Justin T. Baker, Silvia Serino, Yuri Ostrovsky
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages150-159
Number of pages10
ISBN (Print)9783030010928
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Event7th International Conference on Pervasive Computing Paradigms for Mental Health, MindCare 2018 - Boston, United States
Duration: 9 Jan 201810 Jan 2018

Publication series

NameLecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social-Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, LNICST
Volume253
ISSN (Print)1867-8211

Conference

Conference7th International Conference on Pervasive Computing Paradigms for Mental Health, MindCare 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBoston
Period9/01/1810/01/18

Keywords

  • Accommodation
  • Clinical interviews
  • Depression
  • Interaction
  • Prosody
  • Speech analysis
  • Vowel-space

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