Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English: low confidence, unfinished speech, and variability within and between listeners

Elise Tobin; Titia Benders

Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English: low confidence, unfinished speech, and variability within and between listeners

Elise Tobin^*, Titia Benders

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Linguistics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review

Abstract

This study aimed to determine Australian English (AusE) listeners’ interpretations of uptalk, produced by a female AusE speaker. A rating task compared interpretations of uptalk and falling contour utterances. The results indicated that uptalk is perceived to convey lower confidence, reduced emphasis and clarity, and unfinished speech compared to falling contours. Female listeners provided lower Finality ratings for uptalk, compared to male listeners. Confidence and Finality uptalk
ratings were variable within listeners. Results are discussed in light of varying listeners’ interpretations, and the external and listener-internal factors that may impact uptalk interpretations

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 17th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology
Subtitle of host publication	SST-2018
Editors	Julien Epps, Joe Wolfe, John Smith, Caroline Jones
Place of Publication	Canberra, ACT
Publisher	Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA)
Pages	9-12
Number of pages	4
Publication status	Published - 2018
Event	Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (17th : 2018) - Coogee, Sydney, Australia Duration: 4 Dec 2018 → 7 Dec 2018

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of the Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology
ISSN (Electronic)	2207-1296

Conference

Conference	Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (17th : 2018)
Abbreviated title	SST2018
Country/Territory	Australia
City	Sydney
Period	4/12/18 → 7/12/18

Cite this

Tobin, E., & Benders, T. (2018). Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English: low confidence, unfinished speech, and variability within and between listeners. In J. Epps, J. Wolfe, J. Smith, & C. Jones (Eds.), Proceedings of the 17th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST-2018 (pp. 9-12). (Proceedings of the Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology). Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA).

Tobin, Elise ; Benders, Titia. / Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English : low confidence, unfinished speech, and variability within and between listeners. Proceedings of the 17th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST-2018. editor / Julien Epps ; Joe Wolfe ; John Smith ; Caroline Jones. Canberra, ACT : Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA), 2018. pp. 9-12 (Proceedings of the Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology).

@inproceedings{f40cda434691408aab07a05311fed23d,

title = "Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English: low confidence, unfinished speech, and variability within and between listeners",

abstract = "This study aimed to determine Australian English (AusE) listeners{\textquoteright} interpretations of uptalk, produced by a female AusE speaker. A rating task compared interpretations of uptalk and falling contour utterances. The results indicated that uptalk is perceived to convey lower confidence, reduced emphasis and clarity, and unfinished speech compared to falling contours. Female listeners provided lower Finality ratings for uptalk, compared to male listeners. Confidence and Finality uptalkratings were variable within listeners. Results are discussed in light of varying listeners{\textquoteright} interpretations, and the external and listener-internal factors that may impact uptalk interpretations",

author = "Elise Tobin and Titia Benders",

year = "2018",

language = "English",

series = "Proceedings of the Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology",

publisher = "Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA)",

pages = "9--12",

editor = "Julien Epps and Joe Wolfe and John Smith and Caroline Jones",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 17th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology",

note = "Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (17th : 2018), SST2018 ; Conference date: 04-12-2018 Through 07-12-2018",

}

Tobin, E & Benders, T 2018, Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English: low confidence, unfinished speech, and variability within and between listeners. in J Epps, J Wolfe, J Smith & C Jones (eds), Proceedings of the 17th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST-2018. Proceedings of the Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology, Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA), Canberra, ACT, pp. 9-12, Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (17th : 2018), Sydney, Australia, 4/12/18.

Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English: low confidence, unfinished speech, and variability within and between listeners. / Tobin, Elise ; Benders, Titia.
Proceedings of the 17th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST-2018. ed. / Julien Epps; Joe Wolfe; John Smith; Caroline Jones. Canberra, ACT: Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA), 2018. p. 9-12 (Proceedings of the Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English

T2 - Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (17th : 2018)

AU - Tobin, Elise

AU - Benders, Titia

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - This study aimed to determine Australian English (AusE) listeners’ interpretations of uptalk, produced by a female AusE speaker. A rating task compared interpretations of uptalk and falling contour utterances. The results indicated that uptalk is perceived to convey lower confidence, reduced emphasis and clarity, and unfinished speech compared to falling contours. Female listeners provided lower Finality ratings for uptalk, compared to male listeners. Confidence and Finality uptalkratings were variable within listeners. Results are discussed in light of varying listeners’ interpretations, and the external and listener-internal factors that may impact uptalk interpretations

AB - This study aimed to determine Australian English (AusE) listeners’ interpretations of uptalk, produced by a female AusE speaker. A rating task compared interpretations of uptalk and falling contour utterances. The results indicated that uptalk is perceived to convey lower confidence, reduced emphasis and clarity, and unfinished speech compared to falling contours. Female listeners provided lower Finality ratings for uptalk, compared to male listeners. Confidence and Finality uptalkratings were variable within listeners. Results are discussed in light of varying listeners’ interpretations, and the external and listener-internal factors that may impact uptalk interpretations

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M3 - Conference proceeding contribution

T3 - Proceedings of the Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology

SP - 9

EP - 12

BT - Proceedings of the 17th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology

A2 - Epps, Julien

A2 - Wolfe, Joe

A2 - Smith, John

A2 - Jones, Caroline

PB - Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA)

CY - Canberra, ACT

Y2 - 4 December 2018 through 7 December 2018

ER -

Tobin E , Benders T. Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English: low confidence, unfinished speech, and variability within and between listeners. In Epps J, Wolfe J, Smith J, Jones C, editors, Proceedings of the 17th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology: SST-2018. Canberra, ACT: Australasian Speech Science and Technology Association (ASSTA). 2018. p. 9-12. (Proceedings of the Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology).

Interpretations of Uptalk in Australian English: low confidence, unfinished speech, and variability within and between listeners

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