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Updated: Jun 26, 2025
fMRI Mapping of Brain Activity Associated with the Vocal Production of Consonant and Dissonant Intervals
Published on: May 23, 2017
Effects of spatial configuration and fundamental frequency on speech intelligibility in multiple-talker conditions in
Dingding Yao1,2, Jiale Zhao1,2, Linyi Wang1,2
1Key Laboratory of Speech Acoustics and Content Understanding, Institute of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
Abstract:
Spatial separation and fundamental frequency (F0) separation are effective cues for improving the intelligibility of target speech in multi-talker scenarios. Previous studies predominantly focused on spatial configurations within the frontal hemifield, overlooking the ipsilateral side and the entire median plane, where localization confusion often occurs. This study investigated the impact of spatial and F0 separation on intelligibility under the above-mentioned underexplored spatial configurations. The speech reception thresholds were measured through three experiments for scenarios involving two to four talkers, either in the ipsilateral horizontal plane or in the entire median plane, utilizing monotonized speech with varying F0s as stimuli. The results revealed that spatial separation in symmetrical positions (front-back symmetry in the ipsilateral horizontal plane or front-back, up-down symmetry in the median plane) contributes positively to intelligibility. Both target direction and relative target-masker separation influence the masking release attributed to spatial separation. As the number of talkers exceeds two, the masking release from spatial separation diminishes. Nevertheless, F0 separation remains as a remarkably effective cue and could even facilitate spatial separation in improving intelligibility. Further analysis indicated that current intelligibility models encounter difficulties in accurately predicting intelligibility in scenarios explored in this study.
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