Contribution
Effects of noise on the behavior of hearing-impaired interlocutors during conversations
* Presenting author
Abstract:
Within the field of hearing research, an increasing number of studies have found that noise, impaired hearing, and hearing-aid signal processing affect the speech dynamics and movement behavior of natural conversations (Petersen et al 2022, 2024, Petersen 2024, Hadley et al 2019, 2020). These studies have focused on conversations between interlocutors with and without impaired hearing (normal hearing and hearing impaired). However, as WHO estimates that more than 60% of people over 60 years of age have hearing impairment (WHO, 2021), it is also of interest to investigate how noise affects conversations between interlocutors who all experience impaired hearing. In the current study, speech and movement behavior from three hearing-impaired interlocutors were recorded during free conversations. Preliminary analysis will be presented, with focus on what effect the level of the background noise has on the movement behavior of the interlocutors. We hypothesize that at a higher noise level, the interlocutors will exhibit more behaviors associated with experiencing communication difficulties, such as leaning in, providing visual backchannels, or mirroring each other's behavior.