Speech intelligibility in fluctuating maskers
Abstract
Within several experiments, the influence of different maskers on the speech reception threshold (SRT, signal-to-noise ratio for 50% speech intelligibility) was examined using the Oldenburg sentence test (OLSA). The maskers were stationary noises, speech or speech-like signals. The speech and speech-like signals were intelligible or non-intelligible, composed of different languages with natural or destroyed fine structure (ICRA5-like) but similar pause durations and long-term average speech spectra (LTASS). The SRT differences for normal-hearing German listeners, normal-hearing foreign native listeners and hearing-impaired Germans were small with stationary noises, but enlarged with fluctuating maskers. Intelligibility of the masker increased the SRT only slightly, whereas the ICRA5-like maskers resulted in a significant SRT increase. SRT also increased for an older normal-hearing listener group compared to a younger listener group. Composition of same or different speakers to babble noise increased the SRT even beyond its stationary noise value. Different masker levels showed a significant effect on the SRT for fluctuating maskers. Open (free oral response) and closed (response on a touch screen) test settings led to significant differences for the fluctuating masker but not for the stationary maskers. Additionally, measured reaction times for the vocal response and subjective listening effort ratings in some of the experiments were related to speech intelligibility results and independent of masker type.References
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Taesler, S., and Holube, I. (2009). “Einfluss verschiedener Störer auf die
Sprachverständlichkeit und die Höranstrengung” Annual Meeting of the German Audiological Society.
Van Engen, K. J., and Bradlow, A. R. (2007). “Sentence recognition in native- and foreign-language multi-talker background noise” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 121(1), 519-526.
Wagener, K. C., and Brand, T. (2005). “Sentence intelligibility in noise for listeners with normal hearing and hearing impairment: Influence of measurement procedure and masking parameters” International Journal of Audiology, 44, 144-156.
Wagener, K. C., Brand, T., and Kollmeier, B. (1999). “Entwicklung und Evaluation eines Satztests für die deutsche Sprache I: Design des Oldenburger Satztests” Zeitschrift für Audiologie, 38(1), 4-15.
Wagener, K. C., Brand, T., and Kollmeier, B. (2006). “The role of silent intervals for sentence intelligibility in fluctuating noise in hearing impaired listeners” Int. Journal of Audiol., 45, 26-33.
Bronkhorst, A. W. (2000). “The Cocktail Party Phenomenon: A Review of Research on Speech Intelligibility in Multiple-Talker Conditions” Acustica – acta acustica, 86, 117-128.
Byrne, D., Dillon, H., Tran, K., Arlinger, S., Wilbraham, K., Cox, R., Hagerman, B., Hetu, R., Kei, J., Lui, C., Kiessling, J., Nasser Kotby, M., Nasser, N. H. A., El Kholy, W. A. H., Nakanishi, Y., Oyer, H., Powell, R., Stephens, D., Meredith, R., Sirimanna, T., Tavartkiladze, G., Folenkov, G. I., Westerman, S., and Ludvigsen, C. (1994). “An international comparison of long-term average speech spectra” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 96(4), 2108-2120.
Dreschler, W. A., Verschuure, H., Ludvigsen, C., and Westermann, S. (2001). “ICRA noises: artificial noise signals with speech-like spectral and temporal properties for hearing instrument assessment” Audiology, 40, 148-157.
Dubno, J. R., Horwitz, A. R., and Ahlstrom, J. B. (2002). “Benefit of modulated maskers for speech recognition by younger and older adults with normal hearing” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 111(6), 2897-2907.
Festen, J. M., and Plomp, R. (1990). “Effects of fluctuating noise and interfering speech on the speech-reception threshold for impaired and normal hearing” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 88(4), 1725-1736.
Francart, T., van Wieringen, A., and Wouters, J. (2011). “Comparison of fluctuating maskers for speech recognition tests” Int. J. Audiol., 50(1), 2-13.
Gabriel, B., and Meis, M. (2001). “Optimierung eines Messverfahrens für die Höranstrengung” Z. Audiol. Suppl. IV, 100-103.
Garcia Lecumberri, M. L., and Cooke, M. (2006). “Effect of masker type on native and non-native consonant perception in noise” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 119(4), 2445-2454.
Holmes, A. E., Kricos, P. B., and Kessler, R. A. (1988). “A closed- versus open-set measure of speech discrimination in normally hearing young and elderly adults” Br. J. Audiol., 22(1), 29-33.
Holube, I., Blab, S., Fürsen, K., Gürtler, S., Meisenbacher, K., Nguyen, D., and Taesler, S. (2009). “Einfluss des Maskierers und der Testmethode auf die Sprachverständlichkeitsschwelle von jüngeren und älteren Normalhörenden” Zeitschrift für Audiologie, 48, 120-127.
Holube, I., Fredelake, S., Vlaming, M., and Kollmeier, B. (2010). “Development and analysis of an International Speech Test Signal (ISTS)” Int. Journal of Audiology, 49, 891-903.
Holube, I., Böld, T., Gerdes, T., Jensen, B., Müller, J., and Schmuck, C. (2011). “Internationales Sprachtestsignal (ISTS) als fluktuierender Maskierer im Satztest” Annual Meeting of the German Audiological Society.
IEC 60118-15 (2010). “Electroacoustics – Hearing aids – Part 15: Signal processing in hearing aids” International Electrotechnical Commission.
Rhebergen, K. S., Versfeld, N. J., and Dreschler, W. A. (2005). “Release from informational masking by time reversal of native and non-native interfering speech” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 118(3), 1274-1277.
Summers, V., and Molis, M. R. (2004) “Speech Recognition in Fluctuating and Continuous Maskers: Effects of Hearing Loss and Presentation Level” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47, 245-256.
Taesler, S., and Holube, I. (2009). “Einfluss verschiedener Störer auf die
Sprachverständlichkeit und die Höranstrengung” Annual Meeting of the German Audiological Society.
Van Engen, K. J., and Bradlow, A. R. (2007). “Sentence recognition in native- and foreign-language multi-talker background noise” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 121(1), 519-526.
Wagener, K. C., and Brand, T. (2005). “Sentence intelligibility in noise for listeners with normal hearing and hearing impairment: Influence of measurement procedure and masking parameters” International Journal of Audiology, 44, 144-156.
Wagener, K. C., Brand, T., and Kollmeier, B. (1999). “Entwicklung und Evaluation eines Satztests für die deutsche Sprache I: Design des Oldenburger Satztests” Zeitschrift für Audiologie, 38(1), 4-15.
Wagener, K. C., Brand, T., and Kollmeier, B. (2006). “The role of silent intervals for sentence intelligibility in fluctuating noise in hearing impaired listeners” Int. Journal of Audiol., 45, 26-33.
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Published
2011-12-15
How to Cite
Holube, I. (2011). Speech intelligibility in fluctuating maskers. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, 3, 57–64. Retrieved from https://proceedings.isaar.eu/index.php/isaarproc/article/view/2011-06
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2011/1. Indicators of hearing impairment and measures of speech perception
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