title: Tailoring auditory training to patient needs with single and multiple talkers: transfer-appropriate gains on a four-choice discrimination test.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our long-term objective is to develop an auditory training program that will enhance speech recognition in those situations where patients most want improvement. As a first step, the current investigation trained participants using either a single talker or multiple talkers to determine if auditory training leads to transfer-appropriate gains.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experiment implemented a 2 × 2 × 2 mixed design, with training condition as a between-participants variable and testing interval and test version as repeated-measures variables. Participants completed a computerized six-week auditory training program wherein they heard either the speech of a single talker or the speech of six talkers. Training gains were assessed with single-talker and multi-talker versions of the Four-choice discrimination test. Participants in both groups were tested on both versions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-nine adult hearing-aid users were randomly assigned to either single-talker or multi-talker auditory training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups showed significant gains on both test versions. Participants who trained with multiple talkers showed greater improvement on the multi-talker version whereas participants who trained with a single talker showed greater improvement on the single-talker version.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transfer-appropriate gains occurred following auditory training, suggesting that auditory training can be designed to target specific patient needs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. barcroft@artsci.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barcroft
authors.forename: Mitchell S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sommers
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tye-Murray
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mauzé
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schroy
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Spehar
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006310:Hearing Aids; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests; D013067:Speech Perception; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult