The Effects of Voice Qualities in Mindfulness Meditation Apps on Enjoyment, Relaxation State, and Perceived Usefulness

In recent years mindfulness meditation apps—which offer voice-guided exercises for relaxation—have been promoted as an effective tool for self-managing stress. This study examines how the type of voice—human male, human female, synthetic male, or synthetic female—can impact users’ levels of relaxation, perceived usefulness, and enjoyment when following a guided meditation. Participants listened to a guided meditation and then evaluated their feelings towards both the voice and the meditation exercise. Those who listened to a human voice rated the voice as more enjoyable than those who listened to a synthetic voice. Additionally, respondents in the human voice conditions rated the meditation exercise itself as more enjoyable and useful, and themselves as more relaxed than did participants guided by a synthetic voice. Finally, the effect of voice human-likeness on perceived usefulness was significantly more pronounced with female voices. These findings suggest that natural-sounding speech is preferable for individuals completing guided mindfulness exercises. In turn, to enhance users’ enjoyment and perceptions of meditation effectiveness, generated speech used in such apps should sound human-like and utilize natural speech patterns.

近年来，以提供语音引导放松练习为特色的正念冥想应用程序，被推崇为自我管理压力的有效工具。本研究旨在探讨不同类型的语音——男性人类语音、女性人类语音、合成男性语音或合成女性语音——如何影响用户在进行引导冥想时的放松程度、感知效用和愉悦感。参与者聆听引导冥想，随后评估他们对语音和冥想练习的感受。聆听人类语音的参与者认为语音比聆听合成语音的参与者更愉悦。此外，聆听人类语音条件的受访者认为冥想练习本身更为愉悦和有用，并且自身感觉比由合成语音引导的参与者更为放松。最后，语音的人类化程度对感知效用的作用在女性语音条件下尤为显著。这些发现表明，自然音色的语音对于完成引导正念练习的个人而言更为可取。相应地，为了提升用户的愉悦感和对冥想有效性的感知，此类应用程序中使用的生成语音应听起来更接近人类，并利用自然语音模式。