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Impact of Brief Training on Spatial Hearing and Motion Perception While Wearing Hearing Protection
Lemira V Esparza1, Jeremy T Nelson2, Jeffrey R Mock1
1Department of Psychology, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX 78246, United States.
Military Medicine
|May 24, 2026
Summary
Brief training significantly improves spatial hearing with hearing protection devices (HPDs), reducing errors for stationary and moving sounds. This enhances situational awareness and may increase HPD usage in noisy environments.
Area of Science:
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Human Factors Engineering
- Military Technology
Background:
- Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are crucial in military settings but impair spatial hearing and situational awareness.
- Reduced HPD usage due to these impairments leads to increased noise exposure and potential hearing loss.
- Previous research indicates a need to investigate methods for improving spatial hearing performance while using HPDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if brief training can enhance spatial hearing performance with HPDs for both stationary and moving sounds.
- To examine the impact of this training on subjective listening effort.
Main Methods:
- Young adults were randomly assigned to a training or control group.
- Participants completed a spatial hearing task with and without HPDs at baseline and post-training.
- The training group received auditory and visual feedback while wearing HPDs on intermediate days.
Main Results:
- HPD use significantly increased front-back confusions and localization errors compared to open ear conditions.
- The training group showed significant improvements in spatial hearing post-training, unlike the control group.
- Listening effort measures remained stable throughout the training period.
Conclusions:
- Brief training can substantially mitigate HPD-induced impairments in spatial hearing for various sound conditions.
- Improved spatial hearing and stable listening effort suggest potential for increased HPD compliance in military personnel.
- This research offers a viable strategy to balance hearing protection with auditory situational awareness.
