Multi-parametric analysis of speech timing in identical twin pairs and cross-pair comparisons

The present data derives from a Ph.D. research on the inter-speaker discriminatory potential of speech timing paramaters in comparisons involving genetically-related and non-genetically related speakers.<br><br>In total, a set of 11 temporal speech parameters were analyzed, including macro, micro, and pause-related temporal parameters, as described below:<br><br>Speech rate (SRATE): defined as the number of V-V units in each speech chunk divided by its total duration (V-V units/second), including silent and filled pauses.<br>Articulation rate I (ARTRATE I): defined as the number of V-V units in each speech chunk divided by its total duration (V-V units/second), excluding only silent pauses.<br>Articulation rate II (ARTRATE II): defined as the number of V-V units contained in each speech chunk divided by its total duration (V-V units/second), excluding silent pauses and lengthened vowels.<br>Stress group duration (SGDUR): defined as the interval corresponding to two consecutive salient V-V units (in second), i.e., those units for which a duration increase has been automatically detected. Each stress group ends with a salient V-V unit.<br>V-V units duration (VVDUR I): syllable-sized units defined as all the segments uttered between two consecutive vowel onsets (in millisecond). Both salient and non-salient V-V units are included in this parameter.<br>V-V units duration (VVDUR II): the aforementioned phonetic unit corresponding solely to non-salient V-V units (in millisecond), represented by those units for which a duration increase has not been automatically detected.<br>Vowel duration (VOWEL DUR): defined as the duration of produced oral monophthongs (in millisecond).<br>Silent pauses duration (SILPAUSES): silent pauses (in millisecond) equal or superior to 100 ms, a threshold commonly applied in automatic measurements, as to prevent occlusion phases of plosives from being counted.<br>Filled pauses (FILPAUSES): defined as vowel prolongations equal or superior to 100 ms, perceived as hesitations/filled pauses (in millisecond).<br>All pauses (ALLPAUSES): combination of silent and filled pauses (in millisecond), i.e., lengthened vowels before silent pauses or in hesitations.<br>Inter-silent pauses intervals (IPI): defined as the interval comprising the speech production between two consecutive silent pauses (in second).