Smiljanic Rajka, Gilbert Rachael C
Department of Linguistics, University of Texas at Austin.
WeddingWire, Bethesda, MD.
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2017 Nov 9;60(11):3069-3080. doi: 10.1044/2017_JSLHR-S-16-0165.
This study examined intelligibility of conversational and clear speech sentences produced in quiet and in noise by children, young adults, and older adults. Relative talker intelligibility was assessed across speaking styles.
Sixty-one young adult participants listened to sentences mixed with speech-shaped noise at -5 dB signal-to-noise ratio. The analyses examined percent correct scores across conversational, clear, and noise-adapted conditions and the three talker groups. Correlation analyses examined whether talker intelligibility is consistent across speaking style adaptations.
Noise-adapted and clear speech significantly enhanced intelligibility for young adult listeners. The intelligibility improvement varied across the three talker groups. Notably, intelligibility benefit was smallest for children's speaking style modifications. Listeners also perceived speech produced in noise by older adults to be less intelligible compared to the younger talkers. Talker intelligibility was correlated strongly between conversational and clear speech in quiet, but not for conversational speech produced in quiet and in noise.
Results provide evidence that intelligibility variation related to age and communicative barrier has the potential to aid clinical decision making for individuals with speech disorders, particularly dysarthria.
本研究考察了儿童、年轻成年人和老年人在安静环境以及噪声环境中说出的对话式语句和清晰语句的可懂度。评估了不同说话风格下的相对说话者可懂度。
61名年轻成年参与者聆听了信噪比为-5分贝的与言语噪声混合的语句。分析考察了在对话式、清晰式和噪声适应条件下以及三个说话者组的正确得分百分比。相关分析考察了说话者可懂度在不同说话风格适应情况下是否一致。
噪声适应和清晰言语显著提高了年轻成年听众的可懂度。可懂度的提高在三个说话者组中有所不同。值得注意的是，儿童说话风格改变后的可懂度益处最小。与年轻说话者相比，听众也认为老年人在噪声环境中说出的言语较难理解。在安静环境中，对话式言语和清晰言语之间的说话者可懂度密切相关，但安静环境中和噪声环境中产生的对话式言语之间则不然。
结果提供了证据，表明与年龄和交流障碍相关的可懂度变化有可能有助于为有言语障碍，特别是构音障碍的个体做出临床决策。
