On detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits
The most important parameter that affects the ability to hear and understand speech in the presence of background noise is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Despite decades of research in speech intelligibility, it is not currently known how much improvement in SNR is needed to provide a meaningful b...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Springer
2016
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38746/ |
| _version_ | 1848795681272102912 |
|---|---|
| author | Whitmer, William M. McShefferty, David Akeroyd, Michael A. |
| author_facet | Whitmer, William M. McShefferty, David Akeroyd, Michael A. |
| author_sort | Whitmer, William M. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The most important parameter that affects the ability to hear and understand speech in the presence of background noise is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Despite decades of research in speech intelligibility, it is not currently known how much improvement in SNR is needed to provide a meaningful benefit to someone. We propose that the underlying psychophysical basis to a meaningful benefit should be the just noticeable difference (JND) for SNR. The SNR JND was measured in a series of experiments using both adaptive and fixed-level procedures across participants of varying hearing ability. The results showed an average SNR JND of approximately 3 dB for sentences in same-spectrum noise. The role of the stimulus and link to intelligibility was examined by measuring speech-intelligibility psychometric functions and comparing the intelligibility JND estimated from those functions with measured SNR JNDs. Several experiments were then conducted to establish a just meaningful difference (JMD) for SNR. SNR changes that could induce intervention-seeking behaviour for an individual were measured with subjective scaling and report, using the same stimuli as the SNR JND experiment as pre- and post-benefit examples. The results across different rating and willingness-to-change tasks showed that the mean ratings increased near linearly with a change in SNR, but a change of at least 6 dB was necessary to reliably motivate participants to seek intervention. The magnitude of the JNDs and JMDs for speech-intelligibility benefits measured here suggest a gap between what is achievable and what is meaningful. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:35:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-38746 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:35:57Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Springer |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-387462020-05-04T17:46:36Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38746/ On detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits Whitmer, William M. McShefferty, David Akeroyd, Michael A. The most important parameter that affects the ability to hear and understand speech in the presence of background noise is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Despite decades of research in speech intelligibility, it is not currently known how much improvement in SNR is needed to provide a meaningful benefit to someone. We propose that the underlying psychophysical basis to a meaningful benefit should be the just noticeable difference (JND) for SNR. The SNR JND was measured in a series of experiments using both adaptive and fixed-level procedures across participants of varying hearing ability. The results showed an average SNR JND of approximately 3 dB for sentences in same-spectrum noise. The role of the stimulus and link to intelligibility was examined by measuring speech-intelligibility psychometric functions and comparing the intelligibility JND estimated from those functions with measured SNR JNDs. Several experiments were then conducted to establish a just meaningful difference (JMD) for SNR. SNR changes that could induce intervention-seeking behaviour for an individual were measured with subjective scaling and report, using the same stimuli as the SNR JND experiment as pre- and post-benefit examples. The results across different rating and willingness-to-change tasks showed that the mean ratings increased near linearly with a change in SNR, but a change of at least 6 dB was necessary to reliably motivate participants to seek intervention. The magnitude of the JNDs and JMDs for speech-intelligibility benefits measured here suggest a gap between what is achievable and what is meaningful. Springer 2016-04-15 Article PeerReviewed Whitmer, William M., McShefferty, David and Akeroyd, Michael A. (2016) On detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 894 . pp. 447-455. ISSN 0065-2598 Signal-to-noise ratio Just-noticeable difference Speech intelligibility Hearing impairment http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-25474-6_47 doi:10.1007/978-3-319-25474-6_47 doi:10.1007/978-3-319-25474-6_47 |
| spellingShingle | Signal-to-noise ratio Just-noticeable difference Speech intelligibility Hearing impairment Whitmer, William M. McShefferty, David Akeroyd, Michael A. On detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits |
| title | On detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits |
| title_full | On detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits |
| title_fullStr | On detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits |
| title_full_unstemmed | On detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits |
| title_short | On detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits |
| title_sort | on detectable and meaningful speech-intelligibility benefits |
| topic | Signal-to-noise ratio Just-noticeable difference Speech intelligibility Hearing impairment |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38746/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38746/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/38746/ |