Different Weighting of Auditory Memory and Attention as Cognitive Resources in Bilingual's Speech Perception in Noise

Understanding speech in noisy environments is a challenging task that requires sensory and cognitive functions, including memory and auditory attention. Bilinguals and monolinguals have different scores of these abilities. This study aims to investigate the relationship between these cognitive skills and compare Turkish-Persian bilinguals with Persian monolinguals regarding speech-in-noise scores. 45 Turkish-Persian bilinguals and 45 Persian monolinguals, aged 18-25 (mean age 21.67), with normal hearing, participated in a speech in noise, auditory working memory, and auditory attention tests. The bilingual group performed significantly worse than the monolingual group in the quick speech-in-noise and n-back auditory working memory tests (p < 0.05). However, their score on the auditory attention test was better (p < 0.05). Bilinguals showed a significant correlation between auditory working memory, auditory attention, and speech perception in noise. A linear regression validated the proposed model, predicting speech perception scores in noise based on auditory attention and auditory working memory in bilinguals (r2: 0.20, P: 0.008). Research suggests that various cognitive factors impact an individual's ability to perceive speech in noisy environments. Specifically, auditory attention and working memory have different levels of influence on this skill for bilingual individuals.