Comprehension of Degraded Speech Matures During Adolescence

The aim of the study was to compare comprehension of spectrally degraded (noise-vocoded [NV]) speech and perceptual learning of NV speech between adolescents and young adults and examine the role of phonological processing and executive functions in this perception.

Sixteen younger adolescents (11-13 years), 16 older adolescents (14-16 years), and 16 young adults (18-22 years) listened to 40 NV sentences and repeated back what they heard. They also completed tests assessing phonological processing and a variety of executive functions.

Word-report scores were generally poorer for younger adolescents than for the older age groups. Phonological processing also predicted initial word-report scores. Learning (i.e., improvement across training times) did not differ with age. Starting performance and processing speed predicted learning, with greater learning for those who started with the lowest scores and those with faster processing speed.

Degraded (NV) speech comprehension is not mature even by early adolescence; however, like adults, adolescents are able to improve their comprehension of degraded speech with training. Thus, although adolescents may have initial difficulty in understanding degraded speech or speech as presented through hearing aids or cochlear implants, they are able to improve their perception with experience. Processing speed and phonological processing may play a role in degraded speech comprehension in these age groups.