Lilliput: speech perception in speech-weighted noise and in quiet in young children

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to develop an open-set word recognition task in speech-weighted noise and in quiet for young children and examine age effects for open versus closed response formats. Design Dutch monosyllabic words were presented in quiet and in stationary speech-weighted noise to 4- and 5-year-old children as well as to young adults in an open-set response format. Additionally, performance in open and closed context was assessed, as well as in a picture-pointing paradigm Study sample: More than 200 children and 50 adults with normal hearing participated in the various validation phases. Results Average fitted speech reception thresholds (50%) yielded an age effect between 4-year and 5-year olds (and adults), both in speech-weighted noise and in quiet. The closed-set format yielded lower (better) SNRs than the open-set format, and children benefitted to the same extent as adults from phonetically similar words in speech-weighted noise. Additionally, the 4 AFC picture-pointing paradigm can be used to assess word recognition in quiet from 3 years of age. Conclusions The same materials reveal performance differences between 4 and 5 years of age (and adults), both in quiet and speech-weighted noise using an open-set response format. This relatively small yet significant difference in SRT for a gap of only 1 year shows a developmental change for word recognition in speech-weighted noise and in quiet in the first decade of life. The study is part of the protocol registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (ID = NCT04063748).