Interactions between acoustic challenges and processing depth in speech perception as measured by task-evoked pupil...

Area of Science:

• Auditory Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Speech Science

Background:

• Speech perception in noise is complex, involving acoustic, cognitive, and linguistic factors.
• Previous research often studied these factors in isolation.
• Understanding the interplay is crucial for explaining speech perception difficulties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interaction between processing depth and acoustic noise on speech perception effort.
• To determine if pupil response to pitch alterations reflects linguistic processing or novelty.
• To extend theories of speech perception under adverse conditions.

Main Methods:

• Two tasks (speech recognition, tiredness judgment) represented different processing depths.
• Pupil dilation was measured in response to auditory stimuli with and without background noise.
• Participants were younger adults with typical hearing.

Main Results:

• Deeper processing (speech recognition) led to increased pupil dilation, especially with noise.
• A significant interaction showed noise amplified effort more in the speech recognition task.
• Pitch alteration effects suggested a novelty response, not effortful linguistic processing.

Conclusions:

• Listener effort in speech perception is shaped by the interaction of acoustic challenges and processing depth.
• Findings highlight the non-additive effects of noise and task complexity.
• Provides a basis for studying these interactions in clinical populations with hearing and cognitive impairments.