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Frequency analysis of electromyographically measured covert speech behavior

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Abstract

Eleven subjects were asked to silently read slides of the letters “P” and “T,” and to view meaningless control slides similarly as they were presented visually. One-eighth-second electromyographic excerpts were sampled from the baseline and response periods. The data were then transformed into the frequency domain for inferential analyses. The mean power spectral frequencies for the response period were significantly lower than those for the base-line in the overall analysis. There were, however, no significant changes from baseline as a function of kind of stimulus (T, P, or Control) or muscle activated (lips or tongue). It was concluded that there was a generalized responding, not unique to the processing of the specific stimuli studied. Frequency analysis of EMG measures of covert behavior holds some promise of yielding unique information not available through traditional analysis procedures, but more sensitive methods than those used here would be required to demonstrate this.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

    Andrew B. Dollins & F. J. McGuigan

  2. Institute for Stress Management, United States International University, 10455 Pomerado Road, 92131, San Diego, CA

    Andrew B. Dollins & F. J. McGuigan

Authors
  1. Andrew B. Dollins
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  2. F. J. McGuigan
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Additional information

This article is adapted from a doctoral dissertation completed by the first author at the University of Louisville.

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Dollins, A.B., McGuigan, F.J. Frequency analysis of electromyographically measured covert speech behavior. Pav. J. Biol. Sci. 24, 27–30 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02964528

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