Irineu Roxane de Alencar, Dassie-Leite Ana Paula, Pereira Eliane Cristina, Ferreira Thiago, Martins Perla do Nascimento
Speech-Language Pathology Department, Universidade Federal de Sergipe - UFS, Av. Gov. Marcelo Déda - São José, Lagarto, Sergipe, Brazil, 49400-000.
Speech-Language Pathology Department, Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste - UNICENTRO, Rua Professora Maria Roza Zanon de Almeida, s/n, Engenheiro Gutierrez, Irati, Paraná, Brazil, 84500-000.
J Voice. 2025 May 5. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2025.03.002.
To identify vocal gender markers in trans people, considering the relationship between gender perception and the acoustic and auditory-perceptual parameters of the voice.
Observational, cross-sectional study, approved by the Research Ethics Committee (n. 5.353.501). The judges completed auditory-perceptual judgment (APJ) and acoustic analysis of 30 transgender women and 23 transgender men, aged between 18 and 43 years, based on the production of the sustained vowel /a/ and connected speech (number counting and days of the week). The APJ was made in consensus by two judges; vocal deviation was analyzed using the GRBASI scale; the parameters pitch (high, medium, and low) loudness (strong, adequate, and weak), resonance (laryngopharyngeal, balanced, and nasal), articulation (locked, adequate, and exaggerated), intonation (descending, level, and ascending), and gender perception (feminine, masculine, and neutral). For the acoustic evaluation, the software PRAAT was used to extract the parameters oscillatory frequency (f), f deviation, minimum and maximum frequency (fmin/fmax), first (F), second (F), third (F), and fourth (F) formant frequencies. The Kruskal-Wallis test, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were used for the statistical analysis of the data. For the regression analysis, the data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using SPSS 29.0 software. A binary logistic regression model was applied to predict the binary nominal qualitative dependent variable of gender congruence through voice. In all statistical tests, a significance level of 5% (P < 0.05) was used.
The average f was 146.289 Hz for trans women and 157.409 Hz for trans men. For trans women, gender perception was related to the parameters pitch (P = 0.013), articulation (P = 0.017), and intonation (P = 0.000). In trans men, gender perception was related to hormone use (P = 0.016), GRBASI tension parameter (P = 0.028), pitch (P = 0.001), loudness (P = 0.033), intonation (P = 0.001), f (P = 0.034), fmin (P = 0.029), fmax (P = 0.018), and F (P = 0.038). In the results obtained from binary logistic regression for predicting gender congruence based on voice, ascending intonation was an auditory-perceptual predictor (P = 0.001) in the group of transgender women, and F was an acoustic predictor (P = 0.050) in the group of transgender men, both in connected speech.
In trans women, high pitch, adequate articulation, and ascending intonations were observed as markers of female gender. Most of the trans women's voices were perceived as feminine, even when they had a low pitch. In trans men, more tense vocal quality, descending intonations, and average f in the range considered masculine were observed as markers of male gender. The parameters high pitch and ascending intonations were markers of female gender for both trans women and trans men. Ascending intonation was an auditory-perceptual predictor of vocal femininity in the transgender women group, and F frequency was an acoustic predictor of vocal masculinity in the transgender men group, both in connected speech.
考虑性别认知与嗓音的声学和听觉感知参数之间的关系，识别跨性别者的嗓音性别标记。
本研究为观察性横断面研究，已获研究伦理委员会批准（编号5.353.501）。评判者基于持续元音/a/以及连贯言语（数数字和说一周中的日子）的发音，对30名年龄在18至43岁之间的跨性别女性和23名跨性别男性进行了听觉感知判断（APJ）和声学分析。APJ由两名评判者达成共识后进行；使用GRBASI量表分析嗓音偏差；分析的参数包括音高（高、中、低）、响度（强、适中、弱）、共鸣（喉咽音、平衡音、鼻音）、清晰度（受阻、适中、夸张）、语调（下降、平稳、上升）以及性别认知（女性化、男性化、中性）。对于声学评估，使用PRAAT软件提取振荡频率（f）、f偏差、最小和最大频率（fmin/fmax）、第一（F1）、第二（F2）、第三（F3）和第四（F4）共振峰频率等参数。数据的统计分析采用Kruskal-Wallis检验、卡方检验和Fisher精确检验。对于回归分析，使用SPSS 29.0软件对数据进行描述性和推断性分析。应用二元逻辑回归模型通过嗓音预测性别一致性的二元名义定性因变量。在所有统计检验中，显著性水平设为5%（P < 0.05）。
跨性别女性的平均f为146.289Hz，跨性别男性为157.409Hz。对于跨性别女性，性别认知与音高（P = 0.013）、清晰度（P = 0.017）和语调（P = 0.000）参数相关。对于跨性别男性，性别认知与激素使用（P = 0.016）、GRBASI紧张度参数（P = 0.028）、音高（P = 0.001）、响度（P = 0.033）、语调（P = 0.001）、f（P = 0.034）、fmin（P = 0.029）、fmax（P = 0.018）和F1（P = 0.038）相关。在基于嗓音预测性别一致性的二元逻辑回归结果中，上升语调是跨性别女性组中的听觉感知预测指标（P = 0.001），F1是跨性别男性组中的声学预测指标（P = 0.050），均在连贯言语中。
在跨性别女性中，高音调、适度的清晰度和上升语调被视为女性性别的标记。即使一些跨性别女性的音调较低，她们的大多数嗓音仍被感知为女性化。在跨性别男性中，更紧张的嗓音特质、下降语调以及处于男性化范围内的平均f被视为男性性别的标记。高音调和上升语调对于跨性别女性和跨性别男性都是女性性别的标记。在跨性别女性组中，上升语调是嗓音女性化的听觉感知预测指标，在跨性别男性组中，F1频率是嗓音男性化的声学预测指标，均在连贯言语中。
