Speech recognition in noise task among children and young-adults: a pupillometry study
IntroductionChildren experience unique challenges when listening to speech in noisy environments. The present study used pupillometry, an established method for quantifying listening and cognitive effort, to detect temporal changes in pupil dilation during a speech-recognition-in-noise task among sc...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1188485/full |
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| author | Avital Trau-Margalit Leah Fostick Tami Harel-Arbeli Tami Harel-Arbeli Rachel Nissanholtz-Gannot Riki Taitelbaum-Swead Riki Taitelbaum-Swead |
| author_facet | Avital Trau-Margalit Leah Fostick Tami Harel-Arbeli Tami Harel-Arbeli Rachel Nissanholtz-Gannot Riki Taitelbaum-Swead Riki Taitelbaum-Swead |
| author_sort | Avital Trau-Margalit |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionChildren experience unique challenges when listening to speech in noisy environments. The present study used pupillometry, an established method for quantifying listening and cognitive effort, to detect temporal changes in pupil dilation during a speech-recognition-in-noise task among school-aged children and young adults.MethodsThirty school-aged children and 31 young adults listened to sentences amidst four-talker babble noise in two signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) conditions: high accuracy condition (+10 dB and + 6 dB, for children and adults, respectively) and low accuracy condition (+5 dB and + 2 dB, for children and adults, respectively). They were asked to repeat the sentences while pupil size was measured continuously during the task.ResultsDuring the auditory processing phase, both groups displayed pupil dilation; however, adults exhibited greater dilation than children, particularly in the low accuracy condition. In the second phase (retention), only children demonstrated increased pupil dilation, whereas adults consistently exhibited a decrease in pupil size. Additionally, the children’s group showed increased pupil dilation during the response phase.DiscussionAlthough adults and school-aged children produce similar behavioural scores, group differences in dilation patterns point that their underlying auditory processing differs. A second peak of pupil dilation among the children suggests that their cognitive effort during speech recognition in noise lasts longer than in adults, continuing past the first auditory processing peak dilation. These findings support effortful listening among children and highlight the need to identify and alleviate listening difficulties in school-aged children, to provide proper intervention strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:06:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9f4258df4c7c4fc58338e1adfa137f53 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T20:06:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9f4258df4c7c4fc58338e1adfa137f532023-10-03T15:40:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-06-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.11884851188485Speech recognition in noise task among children and young-adults: a pupillometry studyAvital Trau-Margalit0Leah Fostick1Tami Harel-Arbeli2Tami Harel-Arbeli3Rachel Nissanholtz-Gannot4Riki Taitelbaum-Swead5Riki Taitelbaum-Swead6Department of Communication Disorders, Speech Perception and Listening Effort Lab in the Name of Prof. Mordechai Himelfarb, Ariel University, Ariel, IsraelDepartment of Communication Disorders, Auditory Perception Lab in the Name of Laurent Levy, Ariel University, Ariel, IsraelDepartment of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Haifa, IsraelBaruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, IsraelDepartment of Health Systems Management, Ariel University, Ariel, IsraelDepartment of Communication Disorders, Speech Perception and Listening Effort Lab in the Name of Prof. Mordechai Himelfarb, Ariel University, Ariel, IsraelMeuhedet Health Services, Tel Aviv, IsraelIntroductionChildren experience unique challenges when listening to speech in noisy environments. The present study used pupillometry, an established method for quantifying listening and cognitive effort, to detect temporal changes in pupil dilation during a speech-recognition-in-noise task among school-aged children and young adults.MethodsThirty school-aged children and 31 young adults listened to sentences amidst four-talker babble noise in two signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) conditions: high accuracy condition (+10 dB and + 6 dB, for children and adults, respectively) and low accuracy condition (+5 dB and + 2 dB, for children and adults, respectively). They were asked to repeat the sentences while pupil size was measured continuously during the task.ResultsDuring the auditory processing phase, both groups displayed pupil dilation; however, adults exhibited greater dilation than children, particularly in the low accuracy condition. In the second phase (retention), only children demonstrated increased pupil dilation, whereas adults consistently exhibited a decrease in pupil size. Additionally, the children’s group showed increased pupil dilation during the response phase.DiscussionAlthough adults and school-aged children produce similar behavioural scores, group differences in dilation patterns point that their underlying auditory processing differs. A second peak of pupil dilation among the children suggests that their cognitive effort during speech recognition in noise lasts longer than in adults, continuing past the first auditory processing peak dilation. These findings support effortful listening among children and highlight the need to identify and alleviate listening difficulties in school-aged children, to provide proper intervention strategies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1188485/fulllistening effortpupillometryspeech recognition in noisepupil dilationschool aged children |
| spellingShingle | Avital Trau-Margalit Leah Fostick Tami Harel-Arbeli Tami Harel-Arbeli Rachel Nissanholtz-Gannot Riki Taitelbaum-Swead Riki Taitelbaum-Swead Speech recognition in noise task among children and young-adults: a pupillometry study Frontiers in Psychology listening effort pupillometry speech recognition in noise pupil dilation school aged children |
| title | Speech recognition in noise task among children and young-adults: a pupillometry study |
| title_full | Speech recognition in noise task among children and young-adults: a pupillometry study |
| title_fullStr | Speech recognition in noise task among children and young-adults: a pupillometry study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Speech recognition in noise task among children and young-adults: a pupillometry study |
| title_short | Speech recognition in noise task among children and young-adults: a pupillometry study |
| title_sort | speech recognition in noise task among children and young adults a pupillometry study |
| topic | listening effort pupillometry speech recognition in noise pupil dilation school aged children |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1188485/full |
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