Detailed analysis of voice period fluctuations in speakers under psychological stress

Pavel Horský; David Haisman; Jan Cícha

doi:10.2478/jee-2026-0033

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Detailed analysis of voice period fluctuations in speakers under psychological stress

Journal of Electrical Engineering

Volume 77 (2026): Issue 3 (June 2026)

By: Pavel Horský, David Haisman and Jan Cícha

Open Access

|Jun 2026

Abstract

Stress is one of the phenomena characterizing today’s modern human society. High stress is also reflected in voice and speech in many ways. This paper presents a detailed analysis of voice period fluctuations when a speaker is exposed to psychological stress. The initial features determined are the length of the fundamental period and local jitter extracted from the voiced regions of the speech signal. Statistical parameters of their distribution and other derived features were taken into account in the experimental analysis. Multiple parameters were compared pairwise for normal speech and speech under stress, and parameters with significant differences caused by stress were searched for. The best reliability of 100% was achieved for two parameters. The test speakers were a group of nine university students under real stress, which was induced by oral exams in front of an examination board.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jee-2026-0033 | Journal eISSN: 1339-309X | Journal ISSN: 1335-3632

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Language: English

Page range: 346 - 356

Submitted on: Feb 1, 2026

Published on: Jun 17, 2026

Published by: Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 6 issues per year

Keywords:

speech under stress,

speech signal,

fundamental period,

jitter-derived parameters

Related subjects:

Engineering,

Introductions and overviews,

Engineering, other

© 2026 Pavel Horský, David Haisman, Jan Cícha, published by Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Volume 77 (2026): Issue 3 (June 2026)