Abstract
Objectives: Older adults use semantic context to generate predictions in speech processing, compensating for aging-related sensory and cognitive changes. This study aimed to gauge aging-related changes in effort exertion related to context use. Design: The study revisited data from Harel-Arbeli et al. (2023) that used a “visual-world” eye-tracking paradigm. Data on efficiency of context use (response latency and the probability to gaze at the target before hearing it) and effort exertion (pupil dilation) were extracted from a subset of 14 young adults (21 to 27 years old) and 13 older adults (65 to 79 years old). Results: Both age groups showed a similar pattern of context benefits for response latency and target word predictions, however only the older adults group showed overall increased pupil dilation when listening to context sentences. Conclusions: Older adults’ efficient use of spoken semantic context appears to come at a cost of increased effort exertion.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001582 |
Journal | Ear and Hearing |
Early online date | 2 Sep 2024 |
DOIs | |
State | E-pub ahead of print - 2 Sep 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords
- Aging
- Context
- Eye-tracking
- Pupillometry
- Speech perception
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Speech and Hearing