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Nov 1982

Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S1-S108

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back to top Session S. Speech Communication III: Perception in Children and Hearing Impaired
Contributed Papers
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Identification of CV syllables by children and adults when task demands are varied (A)

Lois L. Elliott and Lu Ann Clifton

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S33-S33 (1982); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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We previously reported that normal children require higher intensities, than adults, to identify three CV syllables [bɑ,dɑ,gɑ] [Elliott et al., Percept. Psychophys. 30, 411–416 (1981)]. We replicated the previous experimental condition and, also, presented a 5‐CV condition (the 3 CVs used previously plus 2 CVs located at the category boundaries). Intensity ranges for each 6‐year‐old and adult S assured performance that varied from less than 50% to better than 90% correct. Thus all Ss received approximately equal numbers of positively reinforced trials. Since responses were limited to “ba,” “da,” and “ga,” Ss could never be correct when responding to the two extra CVs of the 5‐CV test condition. It was hypothesized that if 6‐year‐olds were less attentive to the task than adults, they would perform relatively more poorly on the 5‐CV task than the 3‐CV task, when compared to adults, because of the longer test run and because of the lower overall level of positive reinforcement. An ANOVA showed no differences in “identification thresholds” or slopes of the identification functions between the 3‐ and 5‐CV conditions, for either children or adults. This provides additional support for the conclusion that the higher intensities required by normal children do not reflect lack of attention. [Supported, in part, by NSF.]
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Perceptual test of the error severity model of the recovery process for articulatory disorders in children (A)

Donald J. Sharf and Ralph N. Ohde

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S33-S33 (1982); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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According to the error severity model of the recovery process from articulatory disorders, children progress from errors of omission to substitution to distortion before correct sound production. Inherent in this model is the assumption that the distorted phoneme is perceived as a unique sound category. Although categorical perception studies have shown within category perception, by far the most robust effects have been observed across categories. Consequently, categorical perception theory would provide only weak support for the above assumption. Since the perception of a distorted phoneme category is fundamental to the error severity model, this study tested the perceptual reality of the distorted /r/. In order to determine if subjects could categorize acoustic properties of /Cej/‐type utterances varying in F2 and F3 onset frequencies as distorted /r/, speech pathologists identified two 25‐stimuli manifolds synthesized so as to approximate /r/, /w/ and defective /r/ sounds modeled after child and adult vocal tracts. Subjects scaled the stimuli between /r/ and /w/ in one condition and labeled them as /r/, /w/, or distorted /r/ in another condition. The results showed that subjects consistently identified a distorted /r/ category for the adult manifold but not for the child manifold. These results cast some doubt that the distorted /r/ is a viable perceptual category for speakers who hold the greatest interest among speech pathologists—children. [Work supported in part by NINCDS.]
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Dichotic listening and stuttering severity: statistical significance or sampling error? (A)

Gordon W. Blood and Ingrid M. Blood

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S33-S33 (1982); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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The clinical importance of dichotic listening tasks (DLT) in stuttering should be established. The purpose of the present series of experiments was to determine the relationship between stuttering severity and dichotic ear preference scores. Experiment I, conducted in 1978, administered a DLT to 51 stutterers between the ages of 7 and 15 years. Results revealed that the right ear preference (REP) weakened as the severity of the stuttering decreased. Experiment II, conducted in 1980, involved 24 stutters between the ages of 8 and 13 years. Analyses revealed that the REP weakened as the severity of stuttering increased. Experiment III, conducted in 1982, with a sample of nine stutterers (ages 9–11 years) confirmed the results of experiment II. Results of different analyses (X2, phi coefficient, t test) for significance of ear preference and analysis of the data as one cumulative study or three independent studies will be presented. Discussed will involve the limitations of future research with DLT's stuttering and its usefulness as a clinical tool in light of these findings.
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Speech perception in noise as a function of hearing status (A)

M. L. Matthies, R. C. Bilger, and M. Yuchtman

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S33-S33 (1982); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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Speech‐recognition scores were obtained for two recorded tests (SPIN and MRT) at signal‐to‐babble ratios ranging from + 7 to − 1 dB S/B for 90 subjects. These subjects were selected to meet criteria of age, audiometric configuration, and hearing‐aid use which defined five subgroups of 18 subjects each (college age, normal hearing; adult, normal hearing; adult, high‐frequency hearing loss; adult, successful hearing‐aid use; adult, unsuccessful hearing‐aid use.) To assess the effects of increasing babble level on speech recognition scores, one should first try to minimize the group differences. We attempted to equate the three hearing‐impaired groups with the normal subjects in three ways, equating the groups for the mean at the optimal S/B, across all S/B's and by graphically shifting that data to the normal's S/B function. The graphical method did not preserve the shape of the S/B function but the adjusted means made it possible to look primarily at the noise effects. Conclusions based on the corrected data about the speech recognition performance of hearing‐impaired subjects in noise are substantially different from those based on the uncorrected data. In the corrected data, there is little difference between the hearing‐impaired and the normal‐hearing groups on the MRT and the apparent affects of S/B on the SPIN scores arc substantially reduced. [Work supported under contract to NINCDS.]
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Frequency response considerations in the acoustic coupling of hearing aids and telephones (A)

Richard G. Stoker, Marilyn French‐St. George, and Alice E. Holmes

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S33-S34 (1982); (2 pages)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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Four types of signal processing (high‐frequency emphasis, low‐frequency emphasis, bimodal emphasis centered at 900 Hz, and flat gain) were evaluated for their effects upon the perception of speech over the telephone when used with a hearing aid microphone. The telephone receiver and hearing aid microphone were acoustically coupled and recordings made using a dummy head. These recordings were later presented to three subject groups (normally hearing, moderately impaired, and severely impaired). The data suggest that the frequency response of conventional hearing aids may be inappropriate for the acoustic coupling of hearing aids and telephone receivers, especially in backgrounds of noise. Additionally, it was demonstrated that subjects do not reliably select the test conditions which give them maximum objective scores when given the opportunity to personally manipulate frequency response and signal level.
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Telephone listening ability in hearing impaired subjects (A)

Alice E. Holmes and Thomas Frank

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S34-S34 (1982); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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The purpose of this study was to investigate telephone listening ability of the hearing impaired. Forty‐five subjects with bilateral sensorineural hearing losses were divided into three groups (N = 15/group) based on the audiometric configuration of their test ear. The subjects were evaluated using conventional and alternative telephone listening strategies by assessing their discriminations of word lists presented at 86‐dB SPL (simulating the output of a standard telephone handset) and at their Most Comfortable Loudness (simulating the output of a telephone amplifier handset). The results indicated that subjects with precipitous drop hearing losses had similar word discriminations across the listening modes which included a TDH‐39 earphone, unaided telephone, and their hearing aids acoustically coupled to a telephone handset and at both 86‐dB SPL and their Most Comfortable Loudness (MCL). Subjects with gradual slope or flat hearing losses had similar word discriminations across the listening modes at either 86‐dB SPL or MCL. However, these subjects with gradual slope and flat hearing losses had better word discriminations in the listening modes when the word lists were presented at MCL compared with 86‐dB SPL.
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The feasibility of deriving an articulation index based scheme for assessing residual auditory function in listeners with sensorineural hearing impairment (A)

Chaslav V. Pavlovich

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S34-S34 (1982); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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In the first experiment the AI theory was applied to audiograms of normal and sensorineural hearing impaired individuals in order to predict speech discrimination under various conditions. Good predictions were found for the normal and the lesser impaired subjects, but not for those with greater impairments. Also, poor correlation was obtained between the reduction in the AI for everyday speech and different subjective estimates of auditory handicap. In the second experiment it was investigated whether the AI predictions for presbyacusic individuals could be improved by making use of the frequency unspecific proficiency factor concept as suggested by Fletcher [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 24, 490 (1952)] and Dugal et al. [in Acoustical Factors Affecting Hearing Aid Performance, edited by G. A. Studebaker and I. Hochberg, (University Park Press, Baltimore, 1978), Chap. 17]. The results indicate that the proficiency factor is not frequency independent. It assumes the value of 1 at those frequencies where hearing sensitivity is normal and it is substantially reduced for frequencies where hearing threshold is elevated.
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Recognition of selected French vowels and consonants by deaf children: lipreading and coarticulation (A)

Michèle Gentil

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S34-S34 (1982); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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The visual recognition of selected French vowels and consonants by deaf children was studied. Thirteen vowels were associated with [l] in the final position and/or placed between [p] and [l]. Sixteen consonants were combined with the extreme vowels on the vocalic triangle [i‐a‐u] in nonsense words of consonant‐vowel type. Two speakers were chosen for this investigation. This research determined confusion matrices. Concerning vowels, the extreme vowels on the vocalic triangle were the most easily recognized visually. Concerning consonants, the results of visual confusions revealed four basic homophenous categories or viseme groups. Three of these categories were based on lip movement [p‐b‐m] [f‐v] [ʃ‐Ʒ]. The fourth category consisted of consonants produced inside the mouth [t‐d⋅n‐s‐z‐k‐g‐ɲ‐R]. Besides in this study emphasis was placed on coarticulatory effects which make lipreading difficult. The difficulty of recognizing depended on the vocalic environment: most difficulty when followed by [u], intermediately difficult when followed by [i], least difficult when followed by [a]. Inter‐speaker variability was evident.
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Development changes in perceived stimulus structure in consonant‐vowel and vowel stimuli (A)

Lynne E. Bernstein, David Talkin, Rosemary Condino, and Rachel E. Stark

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S34-S34 (1982); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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It was hypothesized that developmental changes take place in the ability to extract acoustic‐phonetic structure from the speech signal. In order to demonstrate developmental change, Garner's two‐choice, speeded‐classification paradigm was adapted for use with children [Am. Psych. 25, 350–358 (1970)]. In this paradigm, two stimulus dimensions are presented under control, correlated, and orthogonal experimental conditions. Patterns of results across conditions are interpreted as indicative of certain perceptual structures, viz., integral versus separable processing. Stimulus dimensions being tested with adults and eight‐year‐olds are (1) consonant identity (/bɑ/ versus /dɑ/) and pitch (125 vs 165 Hz F0) [cf Wood, Percept. Psychophys. 15, 501–508 (1974)]; and (2) vowel identity (/ɑ/ versus /i/ and pitch (125 vs 165 Hz F0). It was hypothesized that adults process these two stimulus sets in terms of, respectively, integral and separable structures, but that children process both sets in terms of similarity structure (integrally). Preliminary results confirm predictions for children but suggest that adults process pitch integrally for both stimulus sets. Implications from a larger group of subjects will be discussed in terms of a theory of speech perceptual development. [Work supported by MCH Training Grant Project #917 and March of Dimes Grant #12‐84.]
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Emergence of vocants in infant utterances (A)

R. E. Stark, D. Talkin, J. M. Heinz, and J. Bond

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S34-S34 (1982); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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This preliminary study was designed to determine if the point vowels /ɑ/, /i/ and /u/ emerge in a particular order and within specific age ranges in the productions of infants. Vowel‐like sounds (vocants) were selected randomly within certain general criteria from the cooing, expansion, and babbling periods of vocal development in two normal female infants. The formant frequencies of these vocants were estimated, at several points, by inspecting the wideband spectrogram, a 32‐ms spectral section, an inverse LPC spectrum, and the frequencies and bandwidths obtained by finding the roots of the denominator polynomial of the LPC model. The order of the LPC model was chosen adaptively to provide frequency resolution consistent with the fundamental frequency of voicing for each frame in order to minimize the interaction between harmonic and resonance locations. The results indicated (1) only modest changes in formant structure from the cooing to the expansion period and (2) a frequent lowering of the first formant and raising of the second in the babbling period, suggesting that an /i/‐like vocant does not emerge until the babbling period. Perceptual data for these vocants will be reported. [Work supported by NICHD grant HD 11970.]
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Effects of mild hearing loss and age on speech recognition in noise (A)

Judy R. Dubno, Donald D. Dirks, and Donald E. Morgan

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 72, Issue S1, pp. S34-S35 (1982); (2 pages)

Online Publication Date: 12 Aug 2005

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Previous investigations have established that, under identical test conditions, hearing‐impaired listeners have more difficulty than normal‐hearing listeners understanding speech in noise. Using an adaptive strategy, the effect of mild sensorineural hearing loss on speech recognition in babble was evaluated and the extent of the interaction of mild hearing loss with adult listeners' chronological age was examined. The signal‐to‐babble ratio required to achieve 50% recognition was measured for three speech materials presented at 56, 72, and 88 dB SPL; likewise, performance without babble was measured. Four sets of subjects (N = 18, each set) were tested: normal‐hearing listeners <44 and >65 years of age, and hearing‐impaired subjects <44 and >65 years. Subjects were selected so that age‐group audiograms were closely matched. For results in babble, a consistent and statistically significant difference was demonstrated between the groups differentiated by age and by hearing loss, while only the latter effect was present in the absence of babble. Significant differences in articulation indices (AIs) between the two age groups were found for results in babble only, while no differences in AIs were seen between the two hearing loss groups under either listening condition. [Work supported by NINCDS.]
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