Age effect on speech perception in reverberation

Abstract

The Modified Rhyme Test (MRT) was processed through a room (volume 165 m3, reverberation time T= 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 s). The tests were recorded for binaural and monaural earphone listening with a manekin Kemar and equalization amplifiers to compensate for the ear canal effect. Six groups of normally hearing subjects, 10 subjects each, had mean ages of 10, 27, 42, 54, 64, and 72 years and average Hearing Threshold Levels (HTLs) (for 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz) of 4, 6, 10, 14, 18, and 18 dB, respectively. The individual scores for MRT without reverberation were between 90% and 100%. The mean group scores for the 27‐year‐old group were the same for unreverberated speech and 0.4‐s condition but declined for 0.8‐ and 1.2‐s conditions. All other groups performed poorer than the young adults, e.g., the scores of the 72 year olds and the children were 16% and 8% lower, respectively. In all comparisons, the binaural scores were better than monaural ones by an average of 5%. There was a tendency for greater binaural advantages for older subjects. [Work supported by NIH.]