Cognitive Measures and the Acceptable Noise Level
Mark Hedrick1, Abbey Stigers1, Brittany Grayless1
1Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Knoxville.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine the relation between the acceptable noise level (ANL) and cognitive measures of auditory attention and working memory.
Design:
Young adults were administered the following tests: the ANL, the Digit Span and Letter-Number Sequencing subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition, the Auditory Attention subtest from the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities, the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT), and the operation span (OSPAN) test. A correlation matrix was constructed using Pearson coefficients.
Study Sample:
Twenty-four young adults aged 20-29 years with normal hearing participated in the study.
Results:
No significant relationships were found among the ANL and the different cognitive tasks, nor was there a significant relation found between the ANL and the HINT. However, significant relationships were found between individual cognitive tasks. There was a significant relation found between selective attention and the most comfortable level of presentation of a story.
Conclusion:
Selective attention may be a key cognitive function in acceptance of background noise.
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