Effects of Monaural Asymmetry and Target-Masker Similarity on Binaural Advantage in Children and Adults with Normal Hearing

Autor/inn/en	Liu, Ji-Sheng; Yu, Ya-Feng; Tao, Duo-Duo; Li, Yi; Ye, Fei; Galvin, John J.; Gopen, Quinton; Fu, Qian-Jie
Titel	Effects of Monaural Asymmetry and Target-Masker Similarity on Binaural Advantage in Children and Adults with Normal Hearing
Quelle	In: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63 (2020) 8, S.2811-2824 (14 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Fu, Qian-Jie)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1092-4388
Schlagwörter	Acoustics; Auditory Perception; Listening Skills; Mandarin Chinese; Children; Adults; Gender Differences; Age Differences; Hearing (Physiology); Foreign Countries; China + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Akustik; Auditive Wahrnehmung; Akustische Wahrnehmung; Child; Kind; Kinder; Geschlechterkonflikt; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Gehör; Hören; Ausland
Abstract	Purpose: For colocated targets and maskers, binaural listening typically offers a small but significant advantage over monaural listening. This study investigated how monaural asymmetry and target--masker similarity may limit binaural advantage in adults and children. Method: Ten Mandarin-speaking Chinese adults (aged 22-27 years) and 12 children (aged 7-14 years) with normal hearing participated in the study. Monaural and binaural speech recognition thresholds (SRTs) were adaptively measured for colocated competing speech. The target-masker sex was the same or different. Performance was measured using headphones for three listening conditions: left ear, right ear, and both ears. Binaural advantage was calculated relative to the poorer or better ear. Results: Mean SRTs were significantly lower for adults than children. When the target--masker sex was the same, SRTs were significantly lower with the better ear than with the poorer ear or both ears (p < 0.05). When the target--masker sex was different, SRTs were significantly lower with the better ear or both ears than with the poorer ear (p < 0.05). Children and adults similarly benefitted from target--masker sex differences. Substantial monaural asymmetry was observed, but the effects of asymmetry on binaural advantage were similar between adults and children. Monaural asymmetry was significantly correlated with binaural advantage relative to the poorer ear (p = 0.004), but not to the better ear (p = 0.056). Conclusions Binaural listening may offer little advantage (or even a disadvantage) over monaural listening with the better ear, especially when competing talkers have similar vocal characteristics. Monaural asymmetry appears to limit binaural advantage in listeners with normal hearing, similar to observations in listeners with hearing impairment. While language development may limit perception of competing speech, it does not appear to limit the effects of monaural asymmetry or target--masker sex on binaural advantage. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: slhr@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01