Audio and text stimuli, survey instrument from study on "Effect of modelled rhotacism and text complexity on Bulgarian perceptions of speech and personality characteristics"

This dataset is part of a larger study. Anonymised survey responses are available in a restricted-access dataset at Zenodo: [https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16880766]. Researchers must request access to the survey responses for replication purposes. Rhotacism, a type of specific articulation disorder concerning the articulation of the Bulgarian alveolar trill /r/, may negatively affect listener perceptions. This paper investigates the effect of modelled rhotacism and text complexity on Bulgarian listeners’ perceptions of speech skills, personality traits and general attitudeс. The study had a 2x2 factorial, between-subjects design. The results provide partial support for the negative effects faced by individuals with articulation disorders. The speaker was rated lower on perceived fluency, intelligibility, speaker and listener comfort in the atypical articulation condition. Participants were more likely to befriend the speaker and considered her more extraverted in the complex text condition. An interaction effect was demonstrated between articulation and text complexity on ratings of perceived conscientiousness. The study has implications for clinical speech-language pathology by informing clinicians of the reactions their clients face in society.