Combined Effects of Dysphonic Voice and Classroom Noise on Cognitive Load in Children's Word Recognition and Sentence...

Classroom listening often occurs under acoustically adverse conditions, where background noise and variability in teacher voice quality place substantial demands on children's speech processing and learning.

This study examined how classroom noise and dysphonic teacher voice affect children's word recognition and sentence comprehension, with attention to cognitive factors supporting performance under adverse conditions.

Twenty-six children aged 8-12 years with normal hearing completed word recognition (WIPI) and sentence comprehension (TROG-2) tasks in a soundproof booth. Speech stimuli were presented in either a normal or dysphonic voice with classroom noise at -8 and -12 dB SNRs. Accuracy, self-rated listening effort, and response time were measured. Working memory (WM) and inhibitory control (IC) were assessed once per child.

Dysphonic voice and lower SNR reduced accuracy and increased effort and response times. Recognition was more vulnerable to poor SNR, whereas comprehension was more affected by dysphonic voice. Higher WM supported recognition in degraded voice conditions, while stronger IC was associated with increased effort. Older children showed faster comprehension responses.

Classroom noise and dysphonic voice increase cognitive demands that hinder listening. Differential contributions of WM and IC highlight the importance of addressing both classroom acoustics and teacher vocal health to support equitable learning.