Speech comprehension difficulties in older adults: cognitive slowing or age-related changes in hearing?
Speech comprehension declines more rapidly in older adults than in younger adults as speech rate increases. This effect is usually attributed to a slowing of brain function with age. Alternatively, this Age X Speed interaction could reflect the inability of the older adult's auditory system to cope with speed-induced stimulus degradation. When the authors speeded speech in a way that produced minimal degradation, both age groups were equally affected. However, when speech was speeded using other methods, word identification declined more in older than in younger adults. Hence, auditory decline rather than cognitive slowing may be responsible for older adults' poorer performance in speeded conditions.
Schneider
Bruce A
BA
Department of Psychology, Biological Communication Systems, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada. bschneid@utm.utoronto.ca
Daneman
Meredyth
M
Murphy
Dana R
DR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013067:Speech Perception; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis