A new research shows that there is a connection between the level of IQ and the ability to hear conversations in crowded environmes; A matter that seems surprising at first glance, but upon closer examination, it appears to be logical.
Previous studies have shown that neurodiverse people have more difficulty hearing speech in noisy environmes. Accordingly, a group of researchers from the University of Washington decided to collect more data in this field.
The researchers studied 12 people with autism and 10 people with fetal syndrome, both of which are associated with difficulty hearing in noisy environmes, and included people with differe IQ levels. The corol group included 27 neurotypical individuals who were age and gender matched with other participas.
In an experime, the ability of volueers to recognize the details of a conversation generated by a computer program in the presence of several voices at the same time (the so-called “cocktail party” problem) was measured. It was found that people with lower IQs found it more difficult to do this.
Bonnie Lau, an auditory neuroscieist at the University of Washington, explained: “The relationship between cognitive ability and speech perception performance transcended diagnostic categories.” He added: “This finding was observed equally in all three groups.” It is noteworthy that all the participas were evaluated for normal hearing. This suggests that difficulty hearing in noisy environmes is more related to specific cognitive functions than direct ear problems.
Recognizing speech in the midst of background noise requires the ability to separate audio streams, distinguish importa items, and focus on speech; A process that involves a large amou of auditory processing. In order to carry on a conversation, it is necessary to pay atteion to and understand the various auditory and visual cues, while providing appropriate responses such as smiling or nodding. “All these factors increase the cognitive load of communication in noisy environmes,” Lau emphasized.
This situation is named because of its resemblance to a “cocktail party”, but there are many similar examples in everyday life; Including ordering in a busy cafe, trying to focus on the teacher in a noisy classroom or getting directions on a busy city street.
The researchers acknowledged that their study was based on a relatively small sample size, but suggested that their findings could improve the experience of those who struggle in such situations, beyond just performing hearing tests, such as by seating some studes closer to the fro of the classroom.
Past studies have provided solutions to deal with this particular hearing problem and linked it to demeia. But the main result of this rece research is that it is necessary to go beyond the idea that hearing problems always have the same causes.
“If it’s hard to hear in a restaura or any other really difficult situation, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a hearing problem,” Lau concluded.
