#SpeechAnalysis

[forensic-linguistics]

Title: Introduction to Forensic Linguistics: Unravelling Crimes Through Language

Introduction

Forensic linguistics, the application of linguistic techniques to investigate crimes where language data forms part of the evidence, has emerged as a crucial tool in modern law enforcement. With its roots in anthropology, psychology, sociology, and political science, the field has seen significant growth since the 1980s, with linguists now actively involved in matters such as voice identification and authorship profiling. This blog aims to introduce you to the central principles of forensic linguistics and its two main areas of focus: voice identification and author profiling.

Voice Identification (Forensic Phonetics)

Voice identification, also known as forensic phonetics, deals with analysing audio and video recordings to identify speakers. Its relevance has surged in recent years with the increasing reliance on such recordings in criminal trials. Key aspects of voice identification include:

1. Speaker Profiling: Linguists aim to narrow down the list of suspects by analysing speaker characteristics, such as age, regional background, individual peculiarities, and linguistic style.

2. Speaker Identification: By combining auditory and acoustic analysis, linguists determine whether a particular voice belongs to a known individual, helping establish a person's involvement in a recorded conversation or call.

3. Technical Issues: Linguists also address technical challenges like enhancing recording quality, transcribing intelligible speech from noisy audio, and investigating possible tampering with recordings.

4. Voice Lineups: Witnesses are presented with recordings of potential suspects to identify the perpetrator's voice based on characteristics like pitch or breathiness.

Author Profiling (Forensic Stylistics)

Author profiling, or forensic stylistics, focuses on determining the author of a particular text by comparing it with known writing samples. Linguists play a critical role in analysing forensic texts, which include various written or recorded messages used in criminal investigations, such as:

1. Emergency Calls: Linguists analyse urgent calls to identify specific features related to the incident and the caller's attitude.

2. Ransom Demands or Threat Texts: Linguistic profiling is employed to identify anonymous senders and assess potential threats.

3. Hate Mails: The goal is to distinguish genuine threats from expressions of hatred without actual intent to harm.

4. Suicide Letters: Linguists analyse suicide notes to ascertain the author's true intentions.

Linguistic Features in Author Profiling

Linguists rely on two central linguistic parameters—lexis (vocabulary) and grammar—when conducting author profiling. By identifying peculiarities and non-standard usages, linguists can narrow down a suspect list or positively identify an author. Examples include misspellings, omissions, unusual punctuation, and lexical choices.

Conclusion

Forensic linguistics has become an invaluable discipline in modern criminal investigations, shedding light on voice identification and author profiling. By utilising linguistic techniques to examine language data, forensic linguists assist law enforcement in narrowing down suspects, validating audio recordings, and determining the authors of written texts. The field continues to evolve, and practical analysis of real forensic data provides invaluable insights for aspiring forensic linguists.

[shortglobalnews]

Donald J. Trump WE are the Party of Law & Order!

[langandlitanxiety]

Sandy Hook speeches analysis

I. Consider this first statement delivered by Barack Obama after  Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting.

What are his goals here? How does he achieve them? Obama’s main goal in this speech was to acknowledge the tragedy, to mourn the fallen and show compassion to their families, and to unite the nation in the face of a national tragedy while making a promise of changes. He achieves that primarily by using very emotional language and referring to his own personal experience as a parent.

How are his means suited to the occasion?  An important aspect of this speech is that Obama is not speaking about political plans, nor making direct promises of specific changes. He does not use this occasion to strengthen his position as a president, but to connect with the community of Newton. The language used and the issues he is touching upon seem to be purely a form of offering condolences and admitting the mistakes that America has made while failing to protect the youngest.   Any form of political preying off of such a tragedy would be intact and inappropriate. The eulogical structure and tone of the speech are very relevant as well, as it is the first statement delivered after the shooting and its main objective is to pay a tribute and acknowledge the fallen.

Do you find it effective? Why/ why not? Yes, I do find it effective. What makes me feel like the speech is incredibly effective in fulfilling all its goals and objectives is the fact that it is of high emotional value. Obama seems to be honest and shares a little of his personal experiences while still maintaining the official tone that a statement like this would require.

How would you comment on his delivery of the speech? The maintenance of the formal tone is very important, but so is the fact that Barack Obama allowed himself to show some emotion during the delivery of the speech. Being too emotional would be inappropriate in the sense that it would not show the mourning community that the nation will remain strong in the face of this tragedy while showing no emotion in the delivery of such an emotional statement could suggest a lack of empathy and compassion towards the mourners. This form of delivery, in which little emotion seep through a formal statement, seems the most appropriate, as it shows compassion and grief, but strength in the face of a tragedy as well.

II. Consider the speech made by Barack Obama during the Sandy Hook Prayer Vigil, 17 December 2011 (three days after the shooting). 

Culture, identity and community. How does this text explore “aspects of family, class, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender and sexuality” (choose ones that apply), and the way these impact on individuals and the society?

President Obama’s speech at Sandy Hook Prayer Vigil heavily touches upon the aspects of family and nationality, while using religious references and themes. To honor the fallen, Obama uses the style and structure of a eulogy, paying a tribute to the children and teachers who lost their lives during what was one of the most tragic events in America’s mass shooting history. Apart from honoring the dead, in his speech, Obama makes an appeal for all of the nation to come together and face “some hard questions” that were left after the shooting. By speaking in terms of “we” and referring to all of America as one nation, the president creates a sense of belonging and unity, underlining how important it is to know that as a strong, united nation, Americans will have to face both the good and the bad and take responsibility for what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He underlines how important it is to remember that in this sad moment, nobody will be left alone. This way, the portrayal of a nation shifts to become a portrayal of somewhat of a family as well. By stating his support towards everyone in mourning and showing the strength of the nation as one, Obama attempts to create a strong bond among all of America’s citizens. To appeal to all audiences, throughout the speech, he refers to common values shared by everyone, such as love, and uses a religious reference to create a bond between members of the audience as well: “May He watch over this community and the US”. While the words “this community” in this case obviously refer to the community of Newton, but by juxtaposing community and nation together, Obama suggests a strong link between the two, which illustrates how there will be no division within the nation, how together we will stand united. By underlining the importance of being a community and a nation that takes responsibility for the tragic events of Sandy Hook, Obama suggests that there is no specific people to blame and that right now, all of America needs to ask themselves: what can we do to prevent this in the future? The president appeals to the experience of parenthood, stating that if “we are all parents and they are all children”, we all are responsible for putting as much effort into our common safety. He is, once again, strongly pointing to unity and how it will be the only thing that will allow changes for the better. By referring to the shared experience of parenthood he seems to step down from a position of power as well, proving how indeed everyone can potentially be in the place of the families of the fallen children and teachers. The president directly addresses the people of Newton, once again, speaking in terms of the entire nation to state that “You’ve inspired us”. He is meaning to express America’s appreciation towards the compassion and unity Newton has shown in the face of a tragedy, suggesting that their strength is to be set as an example for all of the country. Once again, this way Obama acknowledges the town and its people into a bigger group that is the nation and the family. The entirety of the speech, its structure, delivery, as well as the issues it touches upon and the stylistic feature it uses, target the audience’s sense of responsibility. Although being structured as a eulogy, as its main purpose is to pay a tribute to the fallen, the speech is also a call for action and change. Obama admits that “No single law will prevent this”, but throughout his statement still inspires changes and underlines how important it is for our nation to do better.

[guillaumelauzier]

Emotional XYZ sound wave

Sound is an important aspect of our daily lives, from the music we listen to, the sounds of nature, and even the spoken words we hear. Sound can evoke emotions and affect our mood and behavior. In recent years, advances in technology have made it possible to create more immersive and interactive sound experiences, such as surround sound systems and 3d data visualisation. In this article, we will explore the concept of Emotional XYZ soundwave, a 3-dimensional sound wave that resonates to voice pitch on the vertical scale and emotions on the depth scale. This innovative technology provides a more immersive and emotionally engaging sound experience, with the ability to create an emotional soundscape that interacts with the listener's voice and emotions. The concept of 3D sound has been around for some time, with the goal of creating an immersive sound experience that goes beyond traditional stereo sound. 3D sound technology aims to create a spatial audio experience, where sound is perceived to come from different directions and distances, providing a more realistic and natural listening experience. The Emotional XYZ soundwave builds on this concept by adding emotional depth to the sound, creating a more engaging and interactive experience. The Emotional XYZ Sound Wave project aims to create a three-dimensional sound wave visualisation that resonates to the emotional content of speech. The sound wave is positioned in three dimensions: the horizontal position corresponds to the left-right panning of the sound, the vertical position corresponds to the pitch of the speaker's voice, and the depth position corresponds to the emotional content of the speech, with positive emotions positioned in front and negative emotions positioned in the back. To create the emotional sound wave, we use Voice-coil actuators and Piezoelectric transducers to vibrate analog and digital devices, respectively, in a way that corresponds to the emotional content of the speech. The resulting vibration is captured by a microphone and converted into digital data using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). We can then process the digital data using techniques such as speech analysis to extract features that correspond to the emotional content of the speech. To control the positioning of the sound wave, we use an oscillator node and a stereo panner node in a Web Audio API implementation. The panner node is used to control the horizontal position of the sound wave, while the vertical and depth positions are mapped to the oscillator frequency and gain, respectively, using a map function. The frequency and gain values are updated in real-time based on the emotional content of the speech.

Voice-coil actuators: Translating Emotional Content into Vibrations

Voice-coil actuators are devices that can convert electrical signals into mechanical vibrations. These devices are commonly used in speakers, headphones, and other audio devices to create sound waves. However, they can also be used to transmit emotional content through vibrations. By modulating the amplitude and frequency of the vibrations based on the speaker's emotional state, voice-coil actuators can provide tactile feedback that corresponds to the emotional content of the speech.

Piezoelectric Transducers: Converting Emotions into Tactile Feedback

Piezoelectric transducers are devices that can convert electrical signals into mechanical vibrations and vice versa. They are commonly used in a variety of applications, such as in ultrasonic sensors, loudspeakers, and musical instruments. However, they can also be used to transmit emotional content through vibrations. By attaching piezoelectric transducers to digital devices, such as smartphones or computers, emotional content can be transmitted through vibrations that are felt by the user. One application of piezoelectric transducers for transmitting emotional content through vibrations is in the development of digital devices, such as smartphones or smartwatches. These devices can be equipped with piezoelectric transducers that are programmed to vibrate in response to the emotional content of the speech. For example, if the speaker is conveying a positive emotion, such as happiness, the device can vibrate with a high frequency, creating a sensation of joy or excitement. Conversely, if the speaker is conveying a negative emotion, such as sadness, the device can vibrate with a lower frequency, creating a sensation of melancholy or sorrow.

Speech Analysis

One of the most widely used techniques for recognizing emotions on a frequency scale is speech analysis. Emotions are associated with variations in the pitch, tone, and speed of speech. For example, when a person is happy, their voice tends to have a higher pitch and is more energetic. When a person is sad, their voice tends to be lower in pitch and slower in tempo. Speech analysis can be used to measure these variations and map them to different frequencies. In this way, the depth of human emotional state can be recognized on a frequency scale.

Electroencephalography (EEG)

EEG is a technique that records the electrical activity of the brain. This technique can be used to recognize emotions by analyzing the frequencies of the brain waves. Different emotions are associated with different frequencies of brain waves. For example, alpha waves (8-13 Hz) are associated with relaxed states, while beta waves (14-30 Hz) are associated with more active states. By analyzing the frequency of the brain waves, the depth of human emotional state can be recognized on a frequency scale.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Analysis

HRV analysis is a technique that measures the variation in time intervals between heartbeats. HRV has been found to be associated with emotional states. For example, when a person is stressed, their heart rate tends to be more regular and less variable, while during relaxation, the heart rate tends to be more variable. By analyzing the frequency of these variations in heart rate, the depth of human emotional state can be recognized on a frequency scale.

Conclusion

The Emotional XYZ soundwave project is an innovative approach to creating a more immersive and emotionally engaging sound experience. By using Voice-coil actuators and Piezoelectric transducers to transmit emotional content through vibrations, the project offers a novel way to create a tactile and emotional soundscape. The project's use of speech analysis, EEG, and HRV analysis to recognize the depth of human emotional state on a frequency scale further highlights the potential applications, such as in virtual reality and gaming to enhance the immersive experience, in therapy and counseling to help individuals recognize and regulate their emotions, and in speech recognition systems to improve accuracy and usability. The project is a novel and exciting exploration of the intersection between technology and emotional expression. See Emotional XYZ soundwave Github repository

References

- "Piezoelectric Transducers for Vibration Control and Damping" by F. Boller and J. G. - "Speech and Language Processing" by Daniel Jurafsky and James H. Martin. - "An Introduction to the Event-Related Potential Technique" by Steven J. Luck - "Heart Rate Variability: Clinical Applications and Interaction between HRV and Heart Rate" by Malik, Camm, and Bigger. Read the full article

[thetreesage]

I did absolutely nothing today but smoke and chill. I have a paper analyzing Elie Wiesel's speech The Perils of Indifference due by 3:30pm tomorrow. For some reason that does not motivate me also the irony of the speech I'm analyzing and my attitude towards it is not lost on me.