Listening to discourse in distracting settings: The effects of aging

Author(s): Daneman, M., Murphy, D. R., See, S. K.

Journal/Book: Psychol Aging. 2000; 15: 750 First St NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, USA. Amer Psychological Assoc. 110-125.

Abstract: Younger and older adults listened to discourse in quiet and in conversational noise, before answering questions concerning the material. Some questions required listeners to recall specific details; others were of a more integrative nature. When the listening situation was adjusted for individual differences in hearing, younger and older adults were equally adept at remembering the gist of the passages in both quiet and in two levels of noise. The two age groups also did not differ with respect to memory for specific details when listening in quiet or in a moderate level of noise, even when required to perform a concurrent task. Only at the loudest noise level did younger adults tend to recall more detail than older adults. However, when no adjustments were made to compensate for the poorer hearing of older adults (all participants tested under identical listening conditions), older adults could not recall as much detail as younger adults, either in quiet or in noise. The results indicate that the speech-comprehension difficulties of older adults primarily reflect declines in hearing rather than in cognitive ability.

Note: Article Schneider BA, Univ Toronto, Dept Psychol, 3359 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6, CANADA

Keyword(s): ADULT AGE-DIFFERENCES; SHORT-TERM-MEMORY; SPEECH-PERCEPTION; WORKING MEMORY; INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES; UNATTENDED SPEECH; ELDERLY LISTENERS; COGNITIVE-FACTORS; OLDER ADULTS; NOISE

Zurück | Weiter