The effects of frequency fine-tuning in hearing impaired phone recognition

Abstract

A key factor on correct phone recognition in Normal Hearing (NH) and Hearing Impaired (HI) listeners, is the intensity of primary cue. One can assess this intensity for a given speech sound, by examining it at various Signal to Noise Ratios (SNR) presented to NH listeners, and detect the threshold in which listeners recognized the token at least 90% correct (SNR90). For each token, we have determined the time-frequency window corresponding to correct recognition, as well as the conflicting cues. Two sets of tokens T1 and T2 having same consonant-vowels but different talkers with distinct SNR90s had been presented at flat gain (frequency independent) at listeners' most comfortable level (MCL). We studied the effects of frequency fine-tuning of the primary cue by presenting tokens of same consonant but different vowels with similar SNR90s. Additionally, we investigated the role of changing the intensity of primary cue on HI phone recognition, by presenting tokens from both sets T1 and T2. This presentation discusses how the frequency an/or intensity of the primary cue changes the confusion pattern of phone recognition for HI listeners, given a flat gain condition at MCL. We will also explore the effect of these changes on conflicting cues.A key factor on correct phone recognition in Normal Hearing (NH) and Hearing Impaired (HI) listeners, is the intensity of primary cue. One can assess this intensity for a given speech sound, by examining it at various Signal to Noise Ratios (SNR) presented to NH listeners, and detect the threshold in which listeners recognized the token at least 90% correct (SNR90). For each token, we have determined the time-frequency window corresponding to correct recognition, as well as the conflicting cues. Two sets of tokens T1 and T2 having same consonant-vowels but different talkers with distinct SNR90s had been presented at flat gain (frequency independent) at listeners' most comfortable level (MCL). We studied the effects of frequency fine-tuning of the primary cue by presenting tokens of same consonant but different vowels with similar SNR90s. Additionally, we investigated the role of changing the intensity of primary cue on HI phone recognition, by presenting tokens from both sets T1 and T2. This presentation ...