Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Basic Auditory Processing in Young Adults
Bhamini Sharma1, Akshay R Maggu2,3,4
1Department of Communication Arts, Sciences, and Disorders, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, NY.
American Journal of Audiology
|October 17, 2024
Summary
Socioeconomic status (SES) did not significantly impact basic auditory processing in young adults with normal hearing. Working memory interactions with SES also showed no significant effect, suggesting SES may not be crucial for assessing auditory skills in this group.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Socioeconomic status (SES) is a known factor influencing various health and cognitive outcomes.
- The relationship between SES and basic auditory processing, particularly in young adults with normal hearing, remains underexplored.
- Understanding these links is crucial for comprehensive auditory health assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and basic auditory processing in young adults with normal hearing.
- To determine if SES metrics (parental education, occupation, individual attainment) affect performance on temporal fine structure (TFS) and spectrotemporal sensitivity (STS) tasks.
- To explore the interactive effects of SES and working memory on basic auditory processing.
Main Methods:
- Study included 38 young adults with normal hearing.
- SES was measured using self-reported Likert scales.
- Auditory processing was assessed via TFS and STS tests.
- Pearson correlations and multiple linear regressions were employed for analysis.
Main Results:
- No significant correlations were found between SES measures and auditory processing performance on TFS and STS tasks.
- The interaction between SES and working memory did not significantly affect auditory processing.
- These findings suggest SES may not be essential for evaluating basic auditory processing in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- Socioeconomic status (SES) does not appear to significantly influence basic auditory processing in young adults with normal hearing.
- Further research with larger, longitudinal studies is recommended to confirm findings and explore age-related effects.
- The study highlights the need for nuanced understanding of SES impact on auditory processing across the lifespan.
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