Forensic Aspects of Speech Patterns: Voice Prints, Speaker Profiling, Lie and Intoxication Detection

by Dennis C. Tanner

Speech patterns play an increasingly important role in criminal investigation and litigation. Historically, a suspect's speech has always provided cues about truthfulness, mental and emotional states, and levels of intoxication. Accent and dialect have also given information about an individual's homeland. However, since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, speech patterns have taken on more important forensic roles. Voice prints are being used to verify the authenticity of terrorists' taped messages, and psychological stress evaluation (fluctuations in laryngeal micro-tremors) of their speech provides information about truthfulness and deception. Voice psychological stress evaluation also can be used to provide information about general levels of anxiety and tension of speakers in airports and other ports of entry. Accent and dialect can be used in speaker profiling as one method of determining whether a suspect is traveling from a hostile country. Finally, speech patterns provide important screening information about intoxication giving law enforcement officers probable cause for detainment and further investigation. Forensic Aspects of Speech Voice Prints, Speaker Profiling, Lie and Intoxication Detection provides lawyers, judges, and law enforcement personnel with basic information when using speech patterns as investigative and litigating tools. The chapters in this book address the basics of human communication, phonetics, anatomy and physiology, speech acoustics, relevant disorders, and the forensic applications. TOPICS An overview of human communication Speech Analysis explained Subjective and objective methods of voice identification Automatic voice identification Speaker profiling Race, Culture, Ethnicity and Linguistic Behavior Accents and dialects Linguistic difference based on socioeconomic status Lie Detection from voice stress analysis Psychology of the voice Speech patterns Intoxication detection Diseases and disorders affecting the voice

Paperback

First published March 1, 2004