TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of phonotactic probability and neighborhood density on adults’ word learning in noisy conditions
AU - Han, Min Kyung
AU - Storkel, Holly L.
AU - Lee, Jaehoon
AU - Cox, Casey
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Grant DC-08095 awarded to Holly L. Storkel.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
PY - 2016/11
Y1 - 2016/11
N2 - Purpose: Noisy conditions make auditory processing difficult. This study explores whether noisy conditions influence the effects of phonotactic probability (the likelihood of occurrence of a sound sequence) and neighborhood density (phonological similarity among words) on adults’ word learning. Method: Fifty-eight adults learned nonwords varying in phonotactic probability and neighborhood density in either an unfavorable (0-dB signal-to-noise ratio [SNR]) or a favorable (+8-dB SNR) listening condition. Word learning was assessed using a picture naming task by scoring the proportion of phonemes named correctly. Results: The unfavorable 0-dB SNR condition showed a significant interaction between phonotactic probability and neighborhood density in the absence of main effects. In particular, adults learned more words when phonotactic probability and neighborhood density were both low or both high. The +8-dB SNR condition did not show this interaction. These results are inconsistent with those from a prior adult word learning study conducted under quiet listening conditions that showed main effects of word characteristics. Conclusions: As the listening condition worsens, adult word learning benefits from a convergence of phonotactic probability and neighborhood density. Clinical implications are discussed for potential populations who experience difficulty with auditory perception or processing, making them more vulnerable to noise.
AB - Purpose: Noisy conditions make auditory processing difficult. This study explores whether noisy conditions influence the effects of phonotactic probability (the likelihood of occurrence of a sound sequence) and neighborhood density (phonological similarity among words) on adults’ word learning. Method: Fifty-eight adults learned nonwords varying in phonotactic probability and neighborhood density in either an unfavorable (0-dB signal-to-noise ratio [SNR]) or a favorable (+8-dB SNR) listening condition. Word learning was assessed using a picture naming task by scoring the proportion of phonemes named correctly. Results: The unfavorable 0-dB SNR condition showed a significant interaction between phonotactic probability and neighborhood density in the absence of main effects. In particular, adults learned more words when phonotactic probability and neighborhood density were both low or both high. The +8-dB SNR condition did not show this interaction. These results are inconsistent with those from a prior adult word learning study conducted under quiet listening conditions that showed main effects of word characteristics. Conclusions: As the listening condition worsens, adult word learning benefits from a convergence of phonotactic probability and neighborhood density. Clinical implications are discussed for potential populations who experience difficulty with auditory perception or processing, making them more vulnerable to noise.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84997501411&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1044/2016_AJSLP-14-0165
DO - 10.1044/2016_AJSLP-14-0165
M3 - Article
C2 - 27788276
AN - SCOPUS:84997501411
VL - 25
SP - 547
EP - 560
JO - American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
JF - American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
SN - 1058-0360
IS - 4
ER -