The secret of hearing: what will help you hear better in a noisy place – research
Kyiv • UNN
French scientists have discovered that rhythmic finger tapping helps to better perceive speech in a noisy environment. This improves the accuracy and speed of understanding.
A research team led by psycholinguist Noemi te Ritmoolen from Aix-Marseille University in France has identified a method that may help you hear better in a noisy room. This is reported by UNN with reference to Science Alert.
Details
It is noted that tapping your fingers in an even rhythm can help you "tune in" to the noise.
The researchers developed a series of experiments to uncover the role of movement in speech comprehension, "based on the theory that the motor system is not just an executor of movements, but actively contributes to the integration and reuse of temporal information,"
In particular, study participants, who were native French speakers, listened to recordings of a person reading 40 sentences from a defined list, which was difficult to understand due to background noise.
Each time a participant started a "block" of audio comprehension, they were instructed to "prepare" before listening: rhythmically tap a finger at their own pace, tap in a given rhythm, listen to (without tapping) a beat, or simply wait silently for the conversation to begin.
When researchers assessed how well participants perceived the information in terms of accuracy and speed, it turned out that those who were imposed a rhythm before listening to the sentences – either tapping at their own pace or in time with the sound – were significantly better at identifying the words they heard in the sentence.
"These findings provide evidence for the functional role of the motor system in processing the temporal dynamics of naturalistic speech," the researchers conclude.
Let us remind you
New research from the University of Kent has shown that interacting with pets, such as dogs or cats, can have the same psychological effect as getting married. So, returning home after a hard day's work, where you are greeted by a dog, can be just as pleasant as returning to a real human partner.psychologist
