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Correlation between Emotional States and Syntactic
Speech Characteristics
Tatyana Sineokova(Nizhni Novgorod State Linguistic University, Russia)
Corfu, 2011
Studies of emotions speech correlatives show:
- on phonetic/phonological and lexical levels there exists a certain set of language exponents of a particular a particular emotional stateemotional state
- syntactic level in this respect proves to be irrelevant (for example, such different emotions as delight and anger are often manifested through similar syntactic constructions)
Analysis of speech patterns realized in the state of emotional tension shows that syntactic variations depend not on a definite emotion
but on the impact – positive (constructive) or
negative (destructive) – the emotion produces on a person’s activity on the whole, including speech-thought processes.
Studies in biochemistry, physiology, psychology show that emotional states immediately affecting thinking and speaking activities can be classified into three major types:
— dissociation/dissolution/distress exerting negative influence upon thinking and speaking activities;
— eustress exerting positive influence upon the activities;
— boundary adaptation state between the two
which we called searching state.
The three types
• represent steady physiological states,
• are discrete,
• can be reliably identified in the course of laboratory biochemical and physiological tests
• State of eustress consciousness is
relatively under
control
• Searching state boundary zone
• State of dissociation minimum level
of consciousness
The three-term series of emotional states was taken as
the extralinguistic constituent of interactive classification
aiming at establishing significant correlative links between the
psychological state and syntactic speech characteristics and thus
testifying prognostic potential of the classification
The linguistic constituent of the interactive classification was based on
the acknowledgment of the
deformed character of emotional syntax.
Kernel sentence structure realized in neutral speech undergoes changes under the
influence of affective processes.
Structure deviations of the first two levels of the classification testify to the affective
type of speech upon the whole.
It’s the last classification level of primary features which displays correlative links with the three psychological states and displays the prognostic potential of the
classification.
Characteristics of kernel sentence:
• limited number of components including only obligatory syntactic positions;
• obligatory character of basic syntactic positions;
• fixed order of elements within the communicative type of the sentence;
• communicative and syntagmatic independence of the sentence.
Deviations from kernel sentence structure can be presented as a three-level
hierarchical classification including
the highest level of transformations
the second level of modifications
the third level of primary features
Structure of linguistic constituent of the interactive classification
I. Level of transformations dichotomous division of non-neutral structures: explicative forms implicative forms
II. Level of modifications eight deformations of explicative and
implicative constructions: repetition materially excessive elements inversion transposition breaks of potential syntactic units decipher constructions ellipsis isolated structuresIII. Level of primary features forty primary features singled out within the eight deformations
Structure deviations of the first two levels of the classification testify to the affective type of speech upon the whole.
It’s the last classification level of primary features which displays correlative links with the three psychological states and displays the prognostic potential of the classification.
The informative value of the classification can be estimated on the basis of Boltzmann entropy of choice before and after application of the algorithm of prognosis.
When testing a sample of 1000 utterances, initial entropy of 1.6 bits (which corresponds to the choice of one of three equally probable psychological states) was reduced to 0.89 bits.
Thus, the results indicate approximately two-fold reduction of the original sample entropy. As uncertainty estimated for entropy uses a logarithmic scale, prognostic potential of the developed classification can be regarded as good enough. Such rare psychological states as the state of dissociation and the searching state are identified in 82% and 70% cases respectively.
Research program. Fragment 1.
Research program. Fragment 2.
Research program. Fragment 3.
Some regularities in the use of structural forms in different states were established: diversity, complexity, frequency, dominance and compatibility of features.
Presumably, these regularities should be included in the algorithms of identifying signs of emotional speech deviations to distinguish it from other forms of speech deviations and to highlight specific emotional forms.
Complexity (number of structural features) of the utterance
realized in different states, %
ComplexityComplexity DissociationDissociation Searching stateSearching state EustressEustress
11 39,4 16,3 37,8
22 44,5 47,7 42,7
33 14,5 24,4 15,0
44 1,6 11,2 4,0
55 0 0,7 0,5
All these estimates are "lower estimates" demonstrating the possibility of emotional state
prognosis based on the analysis of structural features of the utterance.
As the development of optimal prediction algorithm was not included in the objectives of
the work, more complex algorithms can
significantly improve the outcome prediction.
