(PP1316) Informational and Energetic Masking Effects on Semantic Processing in Adult Listeners

This study investigated the separate and combined effects of informational and energetic masking on accuracy and reaction time during a semantic judgment-in-noise task for young and middle-aged listeners. Preliminary data analysis indicated that semantic processing of related and unrelated target words is differentially affected by listening conditions which vary based on information and energetic masking effects. As competition varied from Speech-Shaped Noise to 1- and 2-Talker speech, accuracies decreased more for semantically related words with poorest accuracies in reversed 2-Talker speech. Reaction times only showed an effect of masking type for semantically unrelated words. No age-related differences were noted. 

Summary: 

Objective

To determine if middle-aged adults were more negatively affected by competitions varying in informational and energetic masking qualities during a semantic judgment-in-noise task. 

Rationale

Speech understanding in complex listening environments has primarily been assessed through speech recognition tasks which limit cognitive factors like attention, memory, and executive function. In order to incorporate these higher-order cognitive and linguistic processes, a semantic judgment task can be used which requires listeners to make decisions on the words they hear. 

These decision-based semantic judgment tasks have been implemented in behavioral and electrophysiologic studies evaluating speech understanding in various listening conditions and age ranges (Stanley, Davis, & Estes, 2017; Stanley, 2019; Davis, Jerger, & Martin, 2013; Romei et al., 2011). Findings from these studies have highlighted that semantic facilitation of target information is more negatively affected by competition; however, no study has evaluated semantic processing across several competition types. Previous recognition-based studies have produced variable results though commonalities included decreased accuracies and increased reaction times for more complex competitions. This study adds to this body of research by exploring how semantic processing is affected by several complex listening environments differing in energetic and informational masking properties.

Design

Participants listened to word pairs (reference – probe word paradigm) and determined if the probe word was a semantic Match or No Match to the reference word. This task was performed in Quiet, Speech-Shaped Noise (SSN), 1-Talker, 2-Talker, and Reverse 2-Talker competitions at a -3 dB SNR. Preliminary accuracy and reaction times data were analyzed using a mixed design ANOVA. 

Results

Preliminary data revealed greater accuracy for No Match compared to Match words in both groups and significantly different accuracies between certain competitions. Accuracies were greatest in quiet and poorest in Reverse 2-Talker for both Match and No Match words. Accuracies for Match words were significantly greater in SSN than Reverse 2-Talker. A trend in the data suggested a differential effect of competitions on semantic processing. Specifically, accuracy for Match words decreased at a greater rate than No Match words as competition changed from energetic masking (SSN) to informational masking (1-Talker and 2-Talker). 

Reaction times for Match words were unaffected by competition; however, reaction times for No Match words increased with observed differences in competition type. No Match reaction times were faster in Quiet than all other competitions and were slower in 2-Talker than 1-Talker or Reverse 2-Talker .

No significant age differences were observed. 

Conclusions

Semantic processing is more negatively affected as the complexity of masking competitions increases, as evidenced by poorer accuracies and longer reaction times in Reverse and 2-Talker competitions. However, the semantic processing of related words is more negatively affected by competitions than the semantically unrelated words with the difference between Match and No Match accuracy increasing with added informational and energetic content. This study suggests that informational and energetic masking qualities in competition did not affect the semantic processing of middle-aged listeners more than young adults, but did influence the semantic processing of related and unrelated words.