Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Perceptual ratings'

The technique of �open throat� is a pedagogical concept transmitted through the oral tradition of singing. This thesis explored the pedagogical perceptions and practices of �open throat� using empirical methodologies to assess technical skill and associated vocal quality. In the first study (Mitchell, Kenny, Ryan, & Davis, 2003), we assessed the degree of consensus amongst singing pedagogues regarding the definition of, and use in the singing studio of the technique called �open throat.� Results indicated that all fifteen pedagogues described �open throat� technique as fundamental to singing training and were positive about the sound quality it achieved, especially in classical singing. It was described as a way of maximising pharyngeal space or abducting the false vocal folds. Hypotheses generated from pedagogical beliefs expressed in this first study were then tested acoustically (Mitchell & Kenny, 2004a, 2004b). Six advanced singing students sang in two conditions: �optimal� (O), using maximal open throat, �sub-optimal� (SO), using reduced open throat and loud sub-optimal (LSO) to control for the effect of loudness. From these recordings, acoustic characteristics of vibrato (Mitchell & Kenny, 2004b) and energy distribution (Mitchell & Kenny, 2004a) were examined. Subsequent investigations of the vibrato parameters of rate, extent and onset, revealed that extent was significantly reduced and onset increased when singers did not use the technique. As inconsistent vibrato is considered indicative of poor singing, it was hypothesized that testing the energy distribution in these singers� voices in each condition would identify the timbral changes associated with open throat. Visual inspection of long term average spectra (LTAS) confirmed differences between O and SO, but conventional measures applied to long term average spectra (LTAS), comparing energy peak height [singing power ratio (SPR)] and peak area [energy ratio (ER)] were not sensitive to the changes identified through visual inspection of the LTAS. These results were not consistent with the vibrato findings and suggest that conventional measures of SPR and ER are not sufficiently sensitive to evaluate LTAS. In the fourth study, fifteen expert listeners consistently and reliably identified the presence of open throat technique with 87% accuracy (Mitchell & Kenny, in press). In the fifth study, LTAS measurements were examined with respect to the perceptual ratings of singers. There was no relationship between perceptual rankings of vocal beauty and acoustic rankings of vocal quality (Kenny & Mitchell, 2004, in press). There is a vast literature of spectral energy definitions of good voice but the studies in this thesis have indicated that current acoustic methods are limited in defining vocal quality. They also suggest that current work in singing has not sufficiently incorporated perceptual ratings and descriptions of sound quality or the relationship between acoustic and perceptual factors with pedagogical practices.

The purpose of this investigation was to compare associative and dissociative psychological strategies of attentional focus for their effects on self - report ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and heart rate during endurance exercise. Trained cyclists (n = 7) performed three 60 minute experimental rides on a bicycle ergometer which consisted of an association ride (attention focused on heart rate feedback), a dissociation ride (attention focused on responding to a cue word on a videotape), and a control condition ride in which focus of attention was not purposely manipulated. Results indicated that the deliberate application of a cognitive strategy designed to encourage an individual to associate or dissociate did not differentially effect either actual efficiency (heart rate) or perception of exercise intensity (RPE scores). Overall, it was concluded that there was a trend for the dissociation condition to result in higher RPE scores than the association condition or control condition.
School of Physical Education

Second language (L2) learners of English must learn to produce English phonemes, words, and sentences. These L2 learners make many errors when learning English; they may change the place or manner of articulation, insert vowels, or delete consonants. Obstruent sounds, such as fricatives, affricates, and stops, can be especially difficult for L2 learners. This study analyzed native English speakers<'> perception of the quality of obstruents produced by native Mandarin Chinese and Korean speakers. Target words containing obstruents had been produced in three different tasks: in a carrier phrase, in a paragraph, and in a spontaneous speech sample. Obstruents were produced in word-initial position and word-final position. Raters with differing levels of expertise listened to these words and rated the perceptual quality of the obstruents within the words. This study found that overall, English obstruent productions by native Mandarin and Korean L2 speakers learning English were rated most clear when produced in word-initial position in a carrier phrase or a paragraph. The lowest ratings given were of obstruents in word-final position in spontaneous speech. No significant differences were found for listener expertise level. Combined with future research, results from this study will help educate the field of second language instruction as to how the speech of Korean and Mandarin learners of English is perceived. It also provides additional information on the effect that listener expertise has on the judgment of L2 speech production.

As there is a clear correlation between one's degree of proficiency in the English language and one's subsequent financial compensation in the workplace setting and in interpersonal relationships, improving one's speaking abilities can be highly valuable from both a financial and emotional perspective. This study examines the efficacy of an electropalatography (EPG) assisted pronunciation training program in helping native Japanese learners of English acquire and improve the /r/ and /l/ sound contrast in American English, as rated by a group of listeners. Additionally, it evaluates whether or not the degree of improvement varied across word position, task type, or assessment period. Four native Japanese speaking learners of English participated in a four-week program which included seven 45- minute training sessions enhanced with visual biofeedback from the EPG. Samples of their productions of the target phonemes were obtained at baseline, at posttreatment, and at follow-up assessment periods. Using a visual analogue scale, 36 adult listeners listened to these recordings and provided comparative auditory perceptual ratings. Overall, subjects showed greater improvement in their production of the phoneme /l/ than in the phoneme /r/. Phoneme-specific patterns emerged in terms of word position, task type, and assessment period. For the phoneme /l/, more improvement was seen in final position than initial position, more improvement was seen in nonsense syllables than in words, and improvements were maintained across posttreatment to follow-up assessment periods. For the phoneme /r/, roughly equal levels of improvement were seen across word position, while greater improvement was seen in the context of words in sentences than in nonsense syllables, and posttreatment showed greater levels of improvement than did follow-up assessment periods. These results are promising as it indicates that EPG assisted pronunciation training may be an effective vehicle to help L2 English language learners acquire and improve their productions of the /r/-/l/ phonemic contrast. This is significant, as the Japanese L2 population has typically been found to be highly resistant to more traditional forms of intervention.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2000.
"A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, May 10, 2000." Also available in print.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to develop a novel tool for connected speech analysis in aphasia, so that spoken output can be characterized in a data-driven and explanatory manner. Method: We designed a multidimensional rating scheme called the Auditory-Perceptual Rating of Connected Speech in Aphasia (APROCSA), in which 27 common features were each rated on a 5-point scale. Three researchers and twelve student clinicians rated 24 connected speech samples from the AphasiaBank database. Results: Ratings conducted by both researchers and student clinicians demonstrated good-to-excellent reliability and strong concurrent validity with AphasiaBank measures derived from transcriptions, clinical measures, and subscores from the Western Aphasia Battery (WAB). Factor analysis revealed that four underlying factors—Paraphasia, Logopenia, Agrammatism, and Motor speech—accounted for 79% of the variance in the connected speech profiles. Examination of individual patient scores showed considerable diversity of factor scores among patients of any given aphasia subtype. Conclusions: The APROCSA proved to be a reliable, valid, and efficient tool for research or clinical purposes. The preliminary findings of the factor analysis suggest a parcellation of non-fluency into three distinct profiles—Logopenia, Agrammatism, and Motor speech—which may occur in conjunction with other non-fluent profiles or with the fluent profile

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.
"A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p. 24-27). Also available in print.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2005.
"A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2005." Also available in print.

The purpose of the present investigation was to provide a clearer understanding of how various levels of perceptual correspondence are associated with one another and with performance appraisal. Specifically, the present study focused on the variable of accuracy in an attempt to discover its relative importance to performance appraisal. Also of interest was the relationship between accuracy and agreement.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2007.
"A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p. 25-27). Also available in print.

Perceptual speech and voice analysis is an essential skill for all speech-language pathologists, but it is a difficult skill to teach. Even the reliability for experienced experts is variable. Some training literature and practices in speech-language pathology suggest that imitating pathological voices may be useful for developing perceptual judgment. Evidence from other fields suggests that motor experience influences perception. Until now the link between production and perception of voice quality has not been addressed. The purpose of this pilot study is to test the hypothesis that imitating pathological voice samples would improve the perceptual discrimination abilities of naïve, inexperienced listeners. Three expert listeners rated 25 voice samples using a perceptual voice evaluation scale, the Grade, Instability, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain Scale (GIRBAS) (Dejonckere et al., 1996), and identified anchor samples for the training protocol. These expert ratings were used to develop summary expert ratings that served as a comparison for the naïve listener ratings. Two groups of naïve undergraduate listeners received training in evaluating voice quality and in administering the GIRBAS. They completed a pretest, a training session, a homework session, and a post-test. During each activity, they rated 6 voices and provided a confidence rating for their scores. The experimental group imitated the voice samples during the study, and the control group completed the training without supplemental motor experience. It was hypothesized that both listener groups would have improved accuracy and confidence levels between the pretest and post-test, with a larger improvement for the experimental group. Data suggested that training improved naïve listener accuracy and confidence levels and that this improvement was maintained for at least seven days after the initial training. Post-test accuracy for both groups was approximately the same. Imitation did not improve the accuracy of ratings, although those subjects had higher confidence levels. The data supported previous research that found that training improved the accuracy of perceptual voice evaluations. However, the hypothesis that imitation could improve perceptual ratings was not supported by this study and bears further investigation due to the small sample size.

Perceptual assessment of voice in people with surgical voice restoration (SVR) is essential to evaluate surgical and other interventions aimed at delivering optimal voice quality. Currently there are no tools to measure this that do not have issues of validity and reliability. This work describes the development and trialling of investigatory versions of three scales to address this situation: a) the Sunderland Tracheoesophageal Perceptual Scale (SToPS) for professional raters, b) the Naïve Rater Scale for non-specialist raters and c) the Patient and Carer Scale. In the final testing of the pilot version 55 speakers using tracheoesophageal voice were evaluated by twelve Speech and Language Therapists (SLT’s) and ten Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeons, divided into experienced or not at assessing voice. Ten naïve raters assessed the voice stimuli within a test-retest design. Forty tracheoesophageal speakers and thirty-seven carers attended an interview to rate their own or their relative’s voice. Inter rater agreement was then calculated between SLT, ENT, naïve, patient and carer groups with weighted kappa co-efficients Strength of agreement values (Landis and Koch 1977) were compared to profession and expertise. Expert SLT’s achieved “good” agreement for nine of fourteen parameters. Naïve judges attained “good” levels of inter and intra-rater agreement for the parameters Overall Grade and Social Acceptability. The greatest inter group consensus was for patients and carers, with “good” agreement for Intelligibility, Volume and Wetness. The only other “good” agreement was between naïve/ENT and naïve/ SLT groups for Overall Grade. The scales are ready for clinical use with the proviso that future work will determine whether it is possible to enhance agreement so less experienced judges can achieve “good” levels of agreement for more parameters and examine which perceptual parameters might be more prominent or vital for outcomes for different groups.

The Borg 6–20 rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale is a common measure reported during exercise testing and training, and is usually taken as a response measurement to provide a subjective assessment of exercise intensity. A lesser used application of the scale is for regulating exercise intensity, referred to as its ‘production mode’. Recent research on this topic initiated by Eston et al. (2005) has led to a novel application of this procedure as a means of predicting an individual’s maximal oxygen uptake ( O2max) via a perceptually-regulated exercise test (PRET). The PRET could play a significant role in guiding exercise prescription and monitoring cardiorespiratory fitness levels in situations where the normal heart rate response is affected. The aim of this thesis is to develop further and test the integrity of the PRET technique. Firstly, a review of the evidence on the validity and reliability of the Borg RPE scale when used to regulate exercise intensity in healthy and unhealthy adults is presented, as to-date, no scholarly publication has synthesised the body of knowledge on this specific application of the scale. Subsequently, four studies were completed to investigate the effects of different methodological variations on the predictive capabilities of the PRET, including an examination (for the first time) of its utility among heart failure patients (Study 4). Study 1 re-visited the validity and reliability of the PRET technique utilising a modified protocol of differing durations (2 and 4 min bouts), with revised instructions and placing the graded exercise test (GXT) as the final trial during cycle ergometry. Superior results were observed to those reported in previous investigations (Eston et al., 2008; Faulkner et al. 2007; Eston et al., 2006) during the 3 min trial, further reinforcing the validity and reliability of this technique. Accordingly, Study 2 was the first to investigate the reliability and validity of a treadmill PRET protocol with a ceiling intensity of RPE 15, rather than RPE 17, and observed that a safer modified PRET (with practice) provides acceptably valid and reliable predictions of O2max in healthy adults. In addition, Study 3 extended the research thus far by investigating the PRET protocol during cycle exercise, once again with a ceiling intensity of RPE 15, and demonstrated that (with practice) a cycle-based PRET can yield reliable and valid predictions of O2max that compare favourably to previous investigations. Finally, given that the research employing a PRET has unanimously alluded to its likely value in clinical populations among whom heart rate as a physiological response to exercise is affected (e.g. via medication) and precluded as a means predicting O2max, Study 4 investigated the utility of a PRET in a beta-blocked population of heart failure patients. In the event, it was observed that a PRET (up to RPE 15) was too strenuous and needs to be capped at an intensity of RPE 13 in this population. In addition a continuous protocol seemed unsuitable due to its length and it was recommended that a discontinuous PRET protocol be investigated. Future research needs to investigate the utilisation of the PRET (i) in different exercise modes; (ii) determine the optimum number of practice trials required; (iii) whether a discontinuous or continuous protocol is more appropariate; (iv) whether the extrapolation should be made to RPE 19 or 20 and; (v) whether the PRET can be employed succesfully in other clinical populations.

The physical and technical requirements of a range of small-sided football (soccer) games (SSGs) have previously been examined in order to compare their requirements to competitive match play. SSGs are used to combine the technical, tactical and physical components of normal match play in training in order to make the training sessions specific to football. However, most previous research has focused on youth players and it is known that the playing patterns, and thus session outcomes, are different for elite players. Consequently, research examining elite players is required in order to improve our understanding of the use of SSGs in professional football. The present body of research was implemented to investigate the physical, physiological and perceptual demands of SSGs (3v3 [i.e. three players on each of two teams], 6v6 and 8v8) over an entire season’s training and compare these demands to match play in twenty-three players of different playing position from an Australian A-League club. During match play the team adopted a modern 1-4-2-3-1 formation. The physical comparison included the following measurements: total distance (m), distance covered in high velocity running (speed > 4.16 m·s-1), total sprint distance (where speed > 6.93 m·s-1), number of repeated sprints efforts (≥3 sprints with <30-s inter-sprint recoveries), number of sub-maximal accelerations (acceleration > 1.79 m·s-2) and number of maximal accelerations (acceleration > 2.79 m·s-2). These were measured with the use of Global Positioning Systems. The physiological load was characterised as the mean heart rate expressed as a percentage of maximum heart rate (% HRmax), measured using heart rate monitors. Perceptual comparisons were made using each player’s Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) using the modified Foster model (0-10 scale). Significant differences were found among SSGs and match play in regards to physical variables, with SSGs eliciting a greater physical demand on players when compared to match play, for all variables except sprint distances. Furthermore, there were numerous large and moderate effect sizes discovered among playing positions, with wide midfielders and fullbacks typically producing the greatest number of high velocity runs, covering greater sprint distances and performing more repeated sprint efforts (RSE) during SSGs and match play. Central midfielders were found to cover the greater total distance and perform more sub-maximal accelerations, which would suggest they cover the greatest amount of distance at a moderate intensity. Finally, it was found that SSGs play a vital role in position specific training in football (with the addition of goalkeepers) and suggests that the demands on players are relative to match play. Although, additional drills are required to perform a greater number of high intensity efforts.

The advent of digital typography has seen the printed letter permeate many aspects of our world, due to its function as the visual manifestation of verbal language. However, few scientific researchers have paid attention to these innocuous and ubiquitous characters. Furthermore, existing typeface research has generally been divided into two strands: For nearly ninety years, communicators (writing, marketing, business, and design professionals) have made attempts to investigate how typefaces of different classes and styles might indicate different personalities to the viewer, and explored the notion of typeface appropriateness. More recently, psychologists have taken advantage of word processing software to manipulate perceptual fluency by changing the fonts of different documents, finding several interesting effects. In this study, two experiments were conducted, with the aim of acknowledging and synthesizing both lines of inquiry. In Experiment 1, a restaurant menu was printed with either an easy-to-read, fluent font or a difficult-to-read, disfluent font. It was expected that reading the disfluent font would influence participants’ (n = 110) choices from the menu as well as certain judgments about the dishes. However, there was only one significant effect, whereby participants who read the disfluent font expected to enjoy their chosen dessert less than those who read the fluent font. In Experiment 2, participants (n = 94) judged a person of the opposite sex using the Big Five Inventory, a measure of human personality. The target photograph was paired with a name set in one of two fonts (familiar and unfamiliar). Female participants rated the target higher on the factor of Openness when the name was printed in the novel font. The results of the current study indicate that to some extent, document designers may safely continue selecting typefaces through intuition, and do not necessarily need the supplementation of additional empirical research.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1992.
Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-78).

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine whether a novel, user-friendly rating system, visual sort and rate (VSR) provides comparable ratings to the currently used direct magnitude estimation (DME) rating system for rating perceptions of audible nasal emission (ANE) and hypernasality in cleft palate speakers. Methods: Twelve naïve listeners rated 152 speech samples of speakers with cleft palate across four conditions: rating hypernasality and ANE using either a VSR or DME rating scale. Raters were provided with a short training session, prior to rating each day. Inter- and intra-rater reliabilities, as well the line of best fit between scores using VSR and scores using DME was calculated to determine usability of VSR as a novel rating system. Results: Direct magnitude estimation resulted in the highest levels of inter-rater reliability, when rating hypernasality (DME r= .48; VSR r=.14), as well as ANE (DME r= .27; VSR r=.15). Most raters demonstrated high intra-rater reliabilities across conditions. A curvilinear line of best fit most accurately captured the relationship between DME and VSR scores when rating hypernasality (r=.64) and ANE (r=.66). Conclusions: A curvilinear relationship between ratings suggests that both variables are prothetic, and therefore, best captured using a DME rating scale (Eadie & Doyle, 2002). The use of DME is supported for continued use rating hypernasality, even amongst naïve listeners given a training session. Rating ANE was difficult, as ratings yielded low inter-rater reliabilities, regardless of the scale used. Further research regarding perceptions of audible nasal emission is warranted.

The need for a standard approach for the diagnosis of speech disorders, in particular resonance disorders associated with cleft lip and/or palate, has been recognised. A reliable and valid measure of nasality is important, because it not only affects clinical decision making but is also essential for the evaluation of treatment outcomes. In order to allow cross-linguistic comparisons of the assessment of resonance, language specific stimuli developed according to a common set of guidelines have been recommended. The aim of this thesis was to contribute to the development of an assessment protocol for use in Malay speaking individuals with clefts of the lip and/or palate, specifically focusing on the detection of nasality. A series of four studies were completed which systematically developed and then validated a set of stimuli in the Malay language using both perceptual and instrumental measures.
In the first study, three stimuli were developed for the assessment of nasality based on both the proportion of nasal phonemes in typical conversation samples in Malay and guidelines from the current international literature. The phonetic content of the stimuli were comparable to similar passages used in English and comprised of an Oral Passage, a Nasal Passage and a Set of Sentences.
In the second study, the stimuli constructed were tested in a large number of typically developing (non-cleft) Malay speaking children using both instrumental and perceptual methods of assessment. The results of this study provide the first set of normative data of nasalance scores for the three newly developed stimuli. The mean nasalance score for the Oral Passage was 13.86% (SD = 5.11, 95% CI = 13.04–14.68), 60.28% (SD = 6.99, 95% CI = 59.15–61.41) for the Nasal Passage, and 27.72% (SD = 4.74, 95% CI = 26.96–28.49) for the Set of Sentences. These scores were significantly different from each other suggesting that they can be used to detect the different types of resonance disorder in speech (e.g. hypernasality and/or hyponasality).
In the third study, the stimuli were validated in a sample of Malay speaking children with cleft of the lip and/or palate and compared with a control population. Nasality was measured using perceptual evaluation and nasometry. The results suggested that the Oral Passage and Set of Sentences developed in Malay were valid measures for detecting hypernasality for both perceptual evaluation of nasality, and for nasometry. Due to the small number of participants that were hyponasal, the validity of the Nasal Passage could not be determined.
For nasometry to be clinically relevant threshold values that indicate abnormal nasality are required. The threshold values for each of the stimuli were first ascertained after obtaining typical nasality levels from a group of healthy Malay speaking children and then tested in a sample of cleft and non-cleft Malay speaking children. In contrast to the nasalance cutoffs obtained from typical Malay speaking children, the cutoffs obtained from the cleft children yielded better outcomes for detecting resonance disorders. The cutoffs were: ≥ 22% for the Oral Passage (sensitivity = 0.91, specificity = 0.93, overall efficiency = 0.92), ≥ 30% for the Set of Sentences (sensitivity = 0.96, specificity = 0.85, overall efficiency = 0.88) and ≤ 39 on the Nasal Passage (sensitivity = 1.00, specificity = 0.99, overall efficiency = 0.99).
Finally, the fourth study explored the application of recently developed techniques for assessing nasality using spectral voice analysis and compared these results with nasometry using a sub-sample of Malay speaking children from the third study. The participants were children with cleft lip and/or palate with perceived hypernasality and a group of healthy controls perceived to have normal resonance. The potential of assessing nasality using vowels, which ideally can be an easier option to administer clinically and have minimal impact on language and literacy skills, were investigated.
The findings showed that only the one-third-octave analysis method could be successfully used to detect hypernasality in the cleft population compared to the VLHR method. Using the one-third-octave analysis, the spectral characteristics of nasalised vowel /i/ taken from /pit/ and /tip/ showed an increase in amplitude in F1, between F1 and F2 regions. The amplitude of the formants at F3 region was lower in the cleft group but did not differ from the control group as reported in previous studies. Although, the one-third-octave analysis has some potential in detecting hypernasality, the accuracy of the analysis compared to perceptual ratings of nasality was only moderate. Compared to nasometry, the diagnostic value of the one-third-octave analysis in detecting hypernasality was lower.
The overall findings suggest that, except for the Nasal Passage, the Oral Passage and the Set of Sentences developed in Malay using this systematic approach were culturally appropriate and valid for the assessment of nasality. Furthermore, by comparing two instrumental methods (nasometry and spectral analysis) with perceptual evaluation in a large number of cleft and typically developing children, the present thesis was able to demonstrate the clinical benefits of two recently proposed methods of spectral voice analyses and compare them to existing methods. Compared to spectral analysis, nasometry remains a superior method for assessing nasality. Threshold values that indicate abnormal nasality levels for the newly developed stimuli in Malay have been recommended.

This study examined the impact of task engagement and task familiarity on frequency rating accuracy using an objective measure of task frequency. By contrasting findings from the memory literature on frequency estimation with current task analysis practices, this research proposed that task performers and novel experienced respondents would generate more accurate frequency estimates compared to task observers and familiar experienced respondents. Participants were randomly assigned to a task engagement condition (performer vs. observer) as well as to a task familiarity condition (novel vs. familiar). In support of the hypotheses, performers and novel experienced subjects demonstrated greater accuracy in their frequency ratings. These findings were illustrated using several different measures of accuracy. The use of an objective measure of task frequency revealed that discrepancies in frequency ratings are due to respondents' varying job perceptions as opposed to differences in actual task frequency. Implications for task analysis research and practices are discussed.

碩士
國立交通大學
多媒體工程研究所
100
Texture synthesis is a hot topic in computer graphics; however, there is less work on perceptual evaluation of synthetic structural texture. As visual attention is the first stage of visual cognition process, we propose two models, visual attention model and perceptual rating model, to predict visual saliency and human rating on synthetic structural textures. We designed an experiment to gather subjects' eye-tracking data and rating while evaluating the similarity of synthesized textures. The visual attention model is developed to associate texture features and fixations. The perceptual rating model is trained to associate the relationship between the fixations and the rating. We compared our visual attention model with the saliency map. Our model correctly predicts 82.7% of fixation positions while the saliency map only achieves 57%. For the perceptual rating, Chi-square value of our model is 3.98 but non-perceptual metric is 6.95, comparing to human's rating scores. Our model is very helpful for guiding texture synthesis and manipulation algorithms to efficiently allocate computational resources to those regions that humans may consider unnatural and pay attention to.