Exploring Use of the Coordinate Response Measure in a Multitalker Babble Paradigm

What is it about?

The Coordinate Response Measure (CRM) is one of the most frequently used tests of speech perception in a background of competing speech, typically when the competing speech consists of only one or two talkers and messages. This study explored the use of the CRM with several (up to 6) competing talkers and examined contributions of the number of competing voices and the number of competing messages (sentences) separately.

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Why is it important?

This study is of practical importance to researchers using the CRM, but also sheds some light on the factors that contribute to the interference with speech perception resulting from "multi-talker babble". Multi-talker babble is a common competing speech stimulus in research in some clinical contexts as well. When older adults have difficulty listening to speech with several people talking in the background, is this due number of voices, the number of messages spoken, or some combination of these factors?