Listening effort at signal-to-noise ratios that are typical of the school classroom

Abstract

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to measure listening effort at typical classroom signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Design: Listening effort was measured using a dual task paradigm. Participants repeated monosyllabic words presented in a background of children's chatter (primary task) at SNRs that are considered typical of the school classroom environment (quiet, +4, 0, −4 dB) while simultaneously rehearsing sets of five digits for recall (secondary task). High listening effort requires greater cognitive resources and is associated with reduced performance on the secondary task. Study sample: Thirty one normal-hearing children (9-12 years). Results: Performance was generally maintained on the listening task when multitasking; however, performance decreased on the secondary recall task, especially at the more negative SNRs. Conclusions: This demonstrates that considerable listening effort is required when listening at SNRs that are typical of the school classroom.

Sumario

Objetivo: El propósito de este estudio fue medir el esfuerzo para escuchar en un salón de clases con un nivel señal/ruido típico Diseño: Se midió el esfuerzo para escuchar utilizando un paradigma de doble tarea. Los participantes repitieron palabras monosilábicas presentadas sobre un ruido de fondo de niños hablando (tarea primaria) con una tasa señal/ruido considerada como típica del ambiente en un salón de clases (silencio, +4, 0, −4 dB) mientras que simultáneamente se ejercitaba la memorización de grupos de cinco dígitos (tarea secundaria). El esfuerzo elevado requiere grandes habilidades cognitivas y se asocia con un desempeño pobre en la tarea secundaria. Muestra: Treinta y un niños normoyentes (9 a 11 años de edad) Resultados: El desempeño generalmente se mantuvo en la tarea de escuchar durante la realización de varias tareas; sin embargo, el desempeño disminuyó en la tarea de recordar, especialmente en el extremo negativo de SNR. Conclusiones: Esto demuestra que se requiere un esfuerzo considerable para escuchar cuando hay un SNR típico del salón de clases.

Key Words:

• Listening effort
• Dual task
• Signal to noise ratio
• Children
• Cognitive resources
• Top down processing
• Multitasking

Acknowledgements

Thanks are given to the children, parents, and staff of the primary school, for their time and cooperation. They enabled smooth and efficient data collection, and without their support this project would not have been possible. Helpful comments on an earlier draft were received from Dr Karen Anderson and two anonymous reviewers.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.