Psychological Influences on Voice Production: An Exploration of Emotional and Cognitive Processes
Tuesday 3rd September 2024, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
Voice Production is a complicated balance within the systems of respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation. What we know about this balance can help create training and rehabilitation strategies in the voice studio and voice clinic. However, beyond these physiological factors, deeper psychological factors influence voice production and without a solid understanding of the psychosocial influences on voice production, even the best training tools can be rendered insufficient.
This workshop will cover the major psychological domains of emotion and cognition and how these domains interact with the physiological systems of voicing and speech.
The workshop will include a brief introduction to the domains of attention, working memory, self-regulation, interoception, effort, threat sensitivity, and reward seeking behaviours, providing solid theoretical foundations of each domain and how these domains interact with the systems of voice and speech.
Following theoretical instruction, the workshop will present how research investigates each domain, how specific research paradigms in the psychological sciences are modified to address the unique neurological underpinnings of motor behaviour in voice and speech, and why modifications are necessary.
Following a discussion on the research into each domain, the workshop will discuss how research findings can be applied to pedagogical and clinical practice.
Lastly, the workshop will discuss how these basic psychological domains contribute to higher level psychological processes such as the sense of self (including impression management), confidence, performance anxiety, and practice behaviours.
This workshop will include didactic presentations and topic directed discussions.
Miriam van Mersbergen
Miriam van Mersbergen is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Memphis where she teaches Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech Mechanism, Voice Disorders, Advanced Clinical Instrumentation for Voice, and Dysphagia.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Monday 7th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 8th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday 9th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Friday 11th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Monday 14th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday 15th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday 16th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Friday 18th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Tuesday 15th July 2025
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Walt Fritz
As a relative outsider looking into the voice and performance world, I witness the bell curve of thoughts and actions on how the tongue contributes to voice problems and how best to tame that tension. Traditional ways of taming tongue tension seem adequate (or would seem so, based on feedback), so what is different and new? In this short course for the Voice Study Centre, Walt Fritz will introduce the learner to variations on self-applied tongue stretches and exercises.
Wednesday 16th July 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Louisa Morgan
At points of heightened emotion, it is common for actors working in an accent to default to their natural speech. How do we help performers to avoid this issue and provide them and their directors with the confidence they need regardless of the emotional demands of the piece? What can we learn from research in vocal expression of emotion to help actors to embody the emotion and keep control of their voice and accent? Our very own Louisa Morgan will guide participants through the latest research and offer practical suggestions for working with performers needing to navigate this challenge.