Effect of three conditions of predictability on word-recognition performance

This study compared the effects of three conditions of word predictability on recognition performance. Word-recognition scores were obtained for 30 normally hearing listeners using three pairs of sentence lists. Each list contained target words preceded by a variety of predictability-high (PH) and predictability-low (PL) phrases and a constant predictability-neutral carrier phrase (CP) in three signal-to-babble ratio (S/B) listening conditions (-5, 0, and +5 dB). Significant differences (p less than .05) were observed between PH, PL, and CP word-recognition scores for specific S/B's and pairs of sentence lists. The results were interpreted in terms of cognitive processing tasks associated with the various semantic and contextual cues provided by each condition of word predictability.