Research Article

Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features

Volume: 9 Number: 1 March 15, 2026
EN

Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features

Abstract

Speech emotion recognition (SER) is a key challenge in affective computing, where subtle emotional cues are often embedded not in the linguistic content of speech but in the voice-related acoustic features. This study proposes a machine learning approach that leverages statistical descriptors of Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs) to capture the central tendencies of voice signals for multiclass emotion classification. Raw voice from the Toronto Emotional Speech Set (TESS) was processed into nine statistical features, of which six were retained after correlation-based filtering to reduce redundancy and improve generalization. Several classifiers were evaluated, with Support Vector Machine (SVM) achieving the best performance: 84% accuracy, 83% macro-recall, and 83% macro-F1. The improvements after hyperparameter tuning were statistically significant (McNemar’s test, p = 1.606e-20), underscoring the importance of systematic optimization. A comparative analysis revealed that correlation-based feature selection outperformed PCA and LDA in preserving the discriminative power of SVM. Compared with related works that employ deep learning or multi-dataset setups, the proposed framework offers competitive performance while maintaining greater interpretability and computational efficiency. These findings validate the hypothesis that compact, voice-centered statistical features, when optimized, form a reliable basis for robust and efficient emotion recognition systems.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Center of Excellent Human Centric Engineering (HUMIC), Telkom University and National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)

Project Number

Decree Number 61/II.7/HK/2024 dated 24 December 2024 and Agreement/Contract Numbers 47/IV/KS/02/2025 and 052/SAM4/PPM/2025 with Telkom University dated 21 February 2025

Ethical Statement

This study was conducted in full compliance with established scientific and ethical standards. All referenced materials have been properly acknowledged and cited in the bibliography.

Thanks

This research was supported by the RIIM LPDP Grant and BRIN under Grant Number 61/II.7/HK/2024 dated 24 December 2024 and Agreement/Contract Numbers 47/IV/KS/02/2025 and 052/SAM4/PPM/2025 with Telkom University dated 21 February 2025. The authors would also like to express their sincere gratitude to Telkom University for its institutional support, as well as to Madrasah Aliyah Swasta Teknologi Informasi Berlian and other partners who prefer to remain anonymous for their assistance in providing the research site and respondents.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Software Engineering (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Early Pub Date

March 15, 2026

Publication Date

March 15, 2026

Submission Date

July 4, 2025

Acceptance Date

October 6, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 1

APA
Gunawan, P. H., Rosita, Y. D., Satwika, Y. W., Wijaya, R., Wirayuda, T. A. B., Halida, A. N., Jarin, A., Ramadhan, I., Maulana, I. A., & Kurniawan, W. Y. (2026). Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences, 9(1), 21-33. https://doi.org/10.35377/saucis...1728490
AMA
1.Gunawan PH, Rosita YD, Satwika YW, et al. Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features. SAUCIS. 2026;9(1):21-33. doi:10.35377/saucis.1728490
Chicago
Gunawan, Putu Harry, Yesy Diah Rosita, Yohana Wuri Satwika, et al. 2026. “Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features”. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences 9 (1): 21-33. https://doi.org/10.35377/saucis. 1728490.
EndNote
Gunawan PH, Rosita YD, Satwika YW, Wijaya R, Wirayuda TAB, Halida AN, Jarin A, Ramadhan I, Maulana IA, Kurniawan WY (March 1, 2026) Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences 9 1 21–33.
IEEE
[1]P. H. Gunawan et al., “Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features”, SAUCIS, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 21–33, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.35377/saucis...1728490.
ISNAD
Gunawan, Putu Harry - Rosita, Yesy Diah - Satwika, Yohana Wuri - Wijaya, Rifki - Wirayuda, Tjokorda Agung B. - Halida, Arfin Nurma - Jarin, Asril - Ramadhan, Insan - Maulana, Irgi Ahmad - Kurniawan, Wandi Yusuf. “Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features”. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences 9/1 (March 1, 2026): 21-33. https://doi.org/10.35377/saucis. 1728490.
JAMA
1.Gunawan PH, Rosita YD, Satwika YW, Wijaya R, Wirayuda TAB, Halida AN, Jarin A, Ramadhan I, Maulana IA, Kurniawan WY. Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features. SAUCIS. 2026;9:21–33.
MLA
Gunawan, Putu Harry, et al. “Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features”. Sakarya University Journal of Computer and Information Sciences, vol. 9, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 21-33, doi:10.35377/saucis. 1728490.
Vancouver
1.Putu Harry Gunawan, Yesy Diah Rosita, Yohana Wuri Satwika, Rifki Wijaya, Tjokorda Agung B. Wirayuda, Arfin Nurma Halida, Asril Jarin, Insan Ramadhan, Irgi Ahmad Maulana, Wandi Yusuf Kurniawan. Machine Learning-Based Emotion Classification from Voice Signals Using MFCC Central Tendency Features. SAUCIS. 2026 Mar. 1;9(1):21-33. doi:10.35377/saucis. 1728490

 

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