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Catherine Pham – Noise-Induced Differences in the Complexity of Spoken Language
December 3, 2021
9:00 am

Catherine Pham – Noise-Induced Differences in the Complexity of Spoken Language

Speaking in noisy environments is a common everyday occurrence, yet, beyond the acoustic level, relatively few studies have investigated how noise affects language production. This study examines the effect of noise on the syntactic complexity of language production and asks whether cognitive control predicts noise-induced modifications. Paired with an experimenter, participants completed a picture description task against “loud party-level” multi-talker babble. Results suggest a combination of speaker- and listener-oriented modifications. Speakers reduced the number of T-units, clauses, words, and unfilled pauses they produced in noise relative to silence. Interestingly, individuals with weaker cognitive control showed the greatest reductions in clauses, words, and unfilled pauses. We consider these to be speaker-oriented modifications driven by the distracting nature of background noise. Speakers also produced fewer filled pauses and mazes in noise, but these presumably listener-oriented changes were not significantly associated with cognitive control. Thus, speakers may alter their speech both to alleviate cognitive burden on themselves and to facilitate listener comprehension.