Perceptual Adaptation to Natural Fast and Time Compressed Speech in Young Indian Adults

Abstract

It is well known from the previous research that the listener’s can perceptually adapt to time compressed speech in isolated conditions. The ability of the listener to perceptually adapt in background noise has not yet thoroughly investigated in Indian languages. The present study was aimed to investigate the perceptual adaptation to natural fast sentences before and after time compressed speech in the presence of noise in Kannada language. A total of 24 normal hearing adults participated in the present study within the age range from 20 to 30 years. All participants were divided into two groups with 12 individuals in each group.The sequence for Group I was normal rate, natural fast sentences, time compressed sentences and the sequence for Group II was normal rate, time compressed sentences, natural fast sentences. In each condition 25 sentences were presented to both groups. The adaptation effect was calculated using reaction time and word accuracy measurements. Result of the present study shows adaptation of listeners to natural fast speech. Accuracy and reaction time responses clearly indicated that the participants in II group had the advantage of time compressed speech presented before natural fast speech due to availability of spectral information. This also confirms the view that auditory system adapts to the stimulus presented in a particular context over a period of time. Clinical implication is discussed in terms of training Cochlear Implant children and also adults with stroke in whom speech perception is a challenging task.