The Effects of Age, Gender and Test Stimuli on Visual Speech Perception: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> To the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of reliable, validated, and standardized (Dutch) measuring instruments to document visual speech perception in a structured way. This study aimed to: (1) evaluate the effects of age, gender, and the used word list on visual speech perception examined by a first version of the Dutch Test for (Audio-)Visual Speech Perception on word level (TAUVIS-words) and (2) assess the internal reliability of the TAUVIS-words. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Thirty-nine normal-hearing adults divided into the following 3 age categories were included: (1) younger adults, age 18–39 years; (2) middle-aged adults, age 40–59 years; and (3) older adults, age >60 years. The TAUVIS-words consist of 4 word lists, i.e., 2 monosyllabic word lists (MS 1 and MS 2) and 2 polysyllabic word lists (PS 1 and PS 2). A first exploration of the effects of age, gender, and test stimuli (i.e., the used word list) on visual speech perception was conducted using the TAUVIS-words. A mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to analyze the results statistically. Lastly, the internal reliability of the TAUVIS-words was assessed by calculating the Chronbach α. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The results revealed a significant effect of the used list. More specifically, the score for MS 1 was significantly better compared to that for PS 2, and the score for PS 1 was significantly better compared to that for PS 2. Furthermore, a significant main effect of gender was found. Women scored significantly better compared to men. The effect of age was not significant. The TAUVIS-word lists were found to have good internal reliability. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> This study was a first exploration of the effects of age, gender, and test stimuli on visual speech perception using the TAUVIS-words. Further research is necessary to optimize and validate the TAUVIS-words, making use of a larger study sample.

Auditory, Visual, and Cognitive Abilities in Normal-Hearing Adults, Hearing Aid Users, and Cochlear Implant Users

“…The monosyllabic word lists consisted of each of 11 test words, the polysyllabic word lists consisted of each of 15 test words, and the sentence lists consisted of each of 10 test sentences (54 words per list). The three lists were composed to be as equal as possible on every psycholinguistic level for visibility (calculated based on the viseme taxonomy of Corthals [1984]), word structure, and sentence length (Ceuleers et al 2022). All words and sentences were pronounced clearly by a female Dutch-speaking speech- and language therapist, and were recorded audio-visually in a head and shoulders full-face view using a Sony HDR-CX625 camera and an external clip-on microphone (type Sennheizer EW-100-ENG G3).…”

“…(Audio)visual Assessments • to investigate the ability to use visual information (i.e., information from orofacial articulations) in the process of speech understanding, an extended version of the test for (Audio) Visual Speech perception (tAUVIS) was used (Baudonck et al 2020;Ceuleers et al 2022). the tAUVIS is a newly developed Dutch assessment tool and is considered the most appropriate test for (audio)visual speech processing abilities in Dutch.…”

Optimized Design of English Learning Environment Based on Deep Neural Network

“…e classroom learning environment is a complex overall system composed of many elements, which produces a signi cant e ect on students' cognition, emotion, and behavior in the learning process; is an important hidden curriculum affecting teaching activities; and is an indispensable element for the healthy growth of students' personality [6]. e classroom environment is the atmosphere in the classroom group as a social collective, which potentially influences the teaching and learning behaviors that occur in the classroom; is a potential determinant of students' development; and is a basic prerequisite for classroom management [7]. In China, most students learn English surrounded by their native language environment and lack a natural English learning environment [8].…”