Effects of Vocabulary and Implicit Linguistic Knowledge on Speech Recognition in Adverse Listening Conditions

Purpose This study aims to examine the combined influence of vocabulary knowledge and statistical properties of language on speech recognition in adverse listening conditions. Furthermore, it aims to determine whether any effects identified are more salient at particular levels of signal degradation. Method One hundred three young healthy listeners transcribed phrases presented at 4 different signal-to-noise ratios, which were coded for recognition accuracy. Participants also completed tests of hearing acuity, vocabulary knowledge, nonverbal intelligence, processing speed, and working memory. Results Vocabulary knowledge and working memory demonstrated independent effects on word recognition accuracy when controlling for hearing acuity, nonverbal intelligence, and processing speed. These effects were strongest at the same moderate level of signal degradation. Although listener variables were statistically significant, their effects were subtle in comparison to the influence of word frequency and phonological content. These language-based factors had large effects on word recognition at all signal-to-noise ratios. Discussion Language experience and working memory may have complementary effects on accurate word recognition. However, adequate glimpses of acoustic information appear necessary for speakers to leverage vocabulary knowledge when processing speech in adverse conditions.