“Turn an ear to hear”: How hearing-impaired listeners can exploit head orientation to enhance their speech intelligibility in noisy social settings

Authors

  • Jacques A. Grange School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
  • John F. Culling School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
  • Barry Bardsley School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
  • Laura I. Mackinney School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
  • Sarah E. Hughes South Wales Cochlear Implant Programme, Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, UK
  • Steven S. Backhouse South Wales Cochlear Implant Programme, Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, UK

Keywords:

cochlear implant; hearing impairement; head orientation; speech intelligibility in noise; spatial release from masking; turn an ear to hear

Abstract

Head orientation enhances the spatial release from masking. Here, with their head free, listeners attended to speech at a gradually diminishing signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and with the noise source azimuthally separated from the speech source by 180 or 90ᴼ. Young normal-hearing listeners spontaneously turned an ear towards the speech source to improve speech intelligibility in 64% of audio-only trials, but a visible talker’s face and/or cochlear implant use significantly reduced this head-turn behaviour. Instructed to explore the potential benefit of head turns, all listener groups made more head movements and followed the speech to lower SNRs. Unilateral CI users improved the most. In a virtual restaurant simulation with 9 interfering noises/voices, hearing-impaired listeners and simulated bilateral CI users typically obtained a 1-3 dB head-orientation benefit from a 30ᴼ head turn away from the talker. In this diffuse interference, the effect is due to improved target level rather than reduced noise at the better ear. Surveys of UK CI users, CI clinicians and internet-based communication advice, showed that most advice was to face the talker head on. CI users would benefit from guidelines that recommend looking sidelong to present their better hearing implanted ear towards the talker.

References

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Adaptive processes in hearing

Additional Files

Published

2018-01-09

How to Cite

Grange, J. A., Culling, J. F., Bardsley, B., Mackinney, L. I., Hughes, S. E., & Backhouse, S. S. (2018). “Turn an ear to hear”: How hearing-impaired listeners can exploit head orientation to enhance their speech intelligibility in noisy social settings. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research, 6, 9–16. Retrieved from https://proceedings.isaar.eu/index.php/isaarproc/article/view/2017-02

Issue

Vol. 6 (2017): Adaptive Processes in Hearing

Section

2017/1. Adaptive behavior in complex listening environments

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