Generation Z’s Perception of Glottal Fry

Abstract

Glottal fry, a low-pitched grating voice type, has increased in prevalence over the past decade. Research conducted on previous generations regarding glottal fry indicates that women with glottal fry tend to be perceived more negatively than men with glottal fry in different settings. However, a major gap in this research exists in the individuals being studied: No studies have been conducted regarding Generation Z’s perceptions linked to glottal fry. In addition to this, the rise of the digital age, alongside Generation Z, may have altered existing notions and perceptions about individuals with glottal fry. The purpose of this study is to investigate and identify the social perceptions associated with the use of glottal fry to provide insight into the generational perspective of existing research. Three male and two female voices were recorded to represent: a continuous glottal fry, end-of-sentence glottal fry, and non-glottal fry to act as samples. Each voice sample read a pre-prepared script. A survey was created using the REDCap system to include (a) the six voice samples and (b) items about aspects of personality and applied social skills. The survey was distributed on social media and distributed to a school; permission for students to access the link to the survey was granted by the principal. Means were calculated. End-of-sentence glottal fry was the most favorable male voice type and no glottal fry was the most favorable female voice type. Continuous glottal fry in males and females was the least favorable voice type with female continuous glottal fry being the most disliked voice type out of all the samples. Such information can provide new insight to increase awareness of the impact of a voice type on listener perceptions and communication, especially among female speakers. Additionally, contextual factors influencing listener perception are important to recognize in future research.