Cognitive stress, martial arts and human speech

Abstract: Results from multiple studies indicate fundamental frequency (F0) as  parameter of human speech that tends to increase with stress. This study compares voice recordings of experienced and novice martial artists, as practicing martial arts (MA) is speculated to improve stress management. The sample consisted of 10 participants, five experienced and five novices. Recordings were made in a normal state and a state of cognitive stress, induced by mental arithmetics and an auditive stressor. Verbal stress response proved present for all participants. The experienced group showed lesser tendency to increase spread of frequency in the face of stress as compared to the novice group. The difference was confirmed significant by ANOVA. The results are similar to earlier findings on the effects of stress management training on verbal stress response. Further research is necessary to confirm these results, considering homogeneity and sample size..