Related Experiment Videos
Facial hair as a factor in speechreading performance
Journal of Communication Disorders
|October 1, 1985
Summary
Facial hair did not significantly impact speechreading performance for hearing-impaired individuals. However, speechreading scores slightly decreased as facial hair was reduced, suggesting a minor influence.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Human Communication
Background:
- Speechreading (lipreading) is crucial for hearing-impaired individuals.
- Facial hair can potentially obstruct visual cues during speech communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of varying facial hair on speechreading performance.
- To determine if different facial hair configurations impact auditory-visual communication.
Main Methods:
- Eleven hearing-impaired subjects participated.
- Speechreading tests used the CID Everyday Sentence Lists.
- Four conditions were tested: full beard/moustache, trimmed beard/moustache, moustache only, and clean-shaven.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in speechreading performance were found across facial hair conditions.
- A slight, statistically significant trend (p < 0.05) showed decreased performance with less facial hair.
Conclusions:
- Varying amounts of facial hair do not substantially impair speechreading ability.
- A minimal negative correlation exists between facial hair reduction and speechreading scores.