Abstract

Hearing loss is one of the most neglected and least considered health problems, even when there is a considerable proportion of people suffering from different extent of hearing loss. Hearing aids used around the world work by simply amplifying the detected sound waves including unwanted background noises, which makes it more difficult for users to extract and perceive important speech. It requires more attention and focus of the users to maintain a span of attention on the speech. Cognitive abilities of the users also play an important role in the maintenance of attention required for speech processing.

An inductive research method is used with a systematic review of literature resources in this study to explore the role of cognition in speech processing and the impacts of unfamiliar signal processing methods to improve hearing for hearing aid users. The search of articles is limited to the latest (within 10 years of publication) resources on Google Scholar and PubMed databases. A total of 10 articles were analysed using the thematic analysis process to present compelling evidence of arguments made in this research.

It was found that without the context of the spoken words, it is difficult for new hearing aid users to discernibly comprehend the speech themselves. Although the cognitive abilities of the users help in processing of the speech, unfamiliar environments pose a significant challenge for new hearing aid users.

Keywords: Speech recognition, hearing aid, speech processing, cognition

You can download the full study here: Ming Wai, C. (2022). Cognition for Speech Understanding in New Hearing Aid Users. SAERA – School of Advanced Education, Research and Accreditation.