McGlinchey, E. L., Talbot, L. S., Chang, K. H., Kaplan, K. A., Dahl, R. E., & Harvey, A. G. (2011). The effect of sleep deprivation on vocal expression of emotion in adolescents and adults. Sleep, 34(9), 1233-41.
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Abstract

Study Objective

Investigate the impact of sleep deprivation on vocal expression of emotion.

Design

Within-group repeated measures analysis involving sleep deprivation and rested conditions.

Setting

Experimental laboratory setting.

Patients and Participants

Fifty-five healthy participants (24 females), including 38 adolescents aged 11-15 y and 17 adults aged 30-60 y.

Interventions

A multimethod approach was used to examine vocal expression of emotion in interviews conducted at 22:30 and 06:30. On that night, participants slept a maximum of 2 h.

Measurements and Results

Interviews were analyzed for vocal expression of emotion via computerized text analysis, human rater judgments, and computerized acoustic properties. Computerized text analysis and human rater judgments indicated decreases in positive emotion in all participants at 06:30 relative to 22:30, and adolescents displayed a significantly greater decrease in positive emotion via computerized text analysis relative to adults. Increases in negative emotion were observed among all participants using human rater judgments. Results for the computerized acoustic properties indicated decreases in pitch, bark energy (intensity) in certain high frequency bands, and vocal sharpness (reduction in high frequency bands > 1000 Hz).

Conclusions

These findings support the importance of sleep for healthy emotional functioning in adults, and further suggest that adolescents are differentially vulnerable to the emotional consequences of sleep deprivation.

Keywords

Sleep deprivation; adolescents; negative emotion; positive emotion; vocal expression

MeSH Terms
    Adolescent
    Adult
    Age Factors
    Child
    Expressed Emotion*
    Female
    Humans
    Judgment
    Male
    Middle Aged
    Sleep Deprivation/complications*
    Sleep Deprivation/psychology*
    Speech Acoustics
    Verbal Behavior*
    Voice Quality*
    Young Adult