• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.139-146
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• 2012

This study was designed to examine comfort levels of pitch and loudness with target matching and their effects on electroglottographic (EGG) and acoustic measures. Twelve speakers, six males and six females, were instructed to produce /a/ sustained vowel for three seconds at a comfortable pitch and loudness level without any instruction and with a target matching procedure of either a certain f0 or SPL separately with visual and auditory feedback. The range of pitch for females and males were presented by progressing up and down randomly at intervals of 5Hz from 150 Hz to 310 Hz (total 33 frequency targets) and from 85 Hz to 190 Hz (total 22 frequency targets), respectively. The loudness levels were 65, 75, 85, 95 dB (total of four intensity targets) for both males and females. Subjective estimations of comfortable levels were obtained using a 10-point equal-appearing interval rating scale following each phonation. The results showed that males and females demonstrated similar trends in loudness levels with greatest comfort at 75 dB, whereas pitch comfort ratings showed a greater variability with females having a wider range with target matching. In the comfort levels of individuals, most male and female speakers rated higher comfort at soft, rather than loud phonations. On the other hand, most male speakers perceived highest comfort levels below the comfort pitch levels they phonated under natural conditions. Higher frequency ranges, however, were perceived to be more comfortable than those of natural condition in most female speakers, although the comfortable pitch levels in spontaneous phonations were within the comfort level ranges determined by targeted phonations. When comparing acoustic (%jitter, %shimmer, SNR) and EGG measures (CQ%) between spontaneous comfortable phonations and targeted phonations produced by the same subject at similar f0 and intensity, no significant differences were observed (p>0.05). Thus, target matching procedures may be considered a compatible and alternative method to reduce the variability of comfortable pitch and loudness levels by eliciting consistent comfortable phonations.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.65-86
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• 2000

From the perspective of relationship marketing, salespeople acts important role by creating values and developing, establishing long-term relationship with customers. This study is designed to suggest validated measure of evaluating retail salespeople in department store setting in an effort to facilitate active future studies. For this purpose, this study investigated attributes of retail salespeople based on series of personal interviews and literature reviews, and validated its measurement via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, this study explored consumers' rating of the importance of attributes related to some selected consumer variables (consumer knowledge, product involvement, and demographic variables). The findings of this study revealed five dimensions of retail salespeople attributes: Service Mind, Sales Efforts, Product Knowledge, Comfortable Impression and Sale Inducing Skill. Customers of department stores put importance of salespeople attributes in this order. Some dimensions of consumer knowledge and product involvement do affect consumers' rating of retail salespeople attributes. Theoretical and managerial implications were suggested based on empirical results.