Word Learning in Deaf Adults Who Use Cochlear Implants: The Role of Talker Variability and Attention to the Mouth.
Jasenia Hartman, Jenny Saffran, Ruth Litovsky
PMID 37695563WHAT IT FOUND
Adults with cochlear implants focused almost exclusively on the talker's mouth when learning new words, unlike normal-hearing adults who split attention between eyes and mouth.
However, hearing the words from multiple talkers did not improve learning accuracy compared to a single talker.
Key findings
01Participants with cochlear implants looked at the talker's mouth significantly more often than normal-hearing participants during word learning.
02Learning words from multiple talkers did not improve test accuracy compared to learning from a single talker for either group.
03Participants with cochlear implants were less accurate than normal-hearing participants at distinguishing similar-sounding words (minimal pairs).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study sample was small, particularly the normal-hearing group (n=8). The word learning task was too easy for most participants, resulting in ceiling effects that made it difficult to detect benefits from talker variability. Participants were generally experienced CI users with good auditory skills, so results may not apply to those with poorer hearing or less experience. The groups were not matched for age or sample size due to recruitment difficulties during the pandemic.
Declared interests
The authors declared no financial interests or affiliations with organizations related to the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that talker variability is ineffective for all CI users. The study participants had high auditory proficiency and performed near the maximum score, which masked any potential benefit. Previous research suggests variability may help those with poorer auditory skills.