A recent study examining how the brain adapts in echoey places to improve speech understanding found the ideal listening environment is in a “Goldilocks zone”—a space neither echo-filled nor completely echo-free.
Study Details
Researchers from Macquarie University in Australia had participants with normal hearing enter the university’s anechoic chamber, a space designed to be echo-free. They then used recordings from real-life environments, such as an open-plan office and an underground parking lot, to simulate different levels of reverberation, or echo.
The participants listened to brief speech commands with the background noise and told the researchers what they could hear.
While the volunteers improved over time at understanding speech in noise, the ideal listening environment was what Macquarie University Distinguished Professor David McAlpine, the study’s senior author, deemed the “Goldilocks zone.”
“What was surprising was that they learned best in the ‘Goldilocks’ zone, which are spaces with ‘just the right’ amount of echo—about 400 milliseconds of reverberation, which is typical of many modern spaces,” Professor McAlpine said.
He noted that learning to listen was especially difficult in places with an excess of echoes, like an underground parking lot, and those without any echoing at all.
Potential Impact of the Findings
The study’s results could lead to the development of better, more inclusive public spaces as well as improved hearing aid design. Currently, most hearing aids attempt to block out all background noise and echo. However, since the study found that some reverberation helps hearing ability, revamping hearing aids to make them even more effective might be a good idea.
“. . . if some reverb actually helps people hear better, then we may be throwing out something that the brain finds useful,” said McAlpine.
If you’ve been struggling to hear in your environment—whether it’s noisy or not—modern hearing aids can help. Call Valley Audiology today to explore your options and get a hearing checkup, too.