Effects of Discourse Context on the Intelligibility of Synthesized Speech for Young Adult and Older Adult Listeners: Applications for AAC

• Published in: Journal of speech, language, and hearing research Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 1052 - 1057
• Main Authors: Drager, Kathryn D. R, Reichle, Joe E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rockville, MD ASHA 01.10.2001; American Speech Language Hearing Association; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Age differences; Analysis; Artificial Speech; Auditory Threshold - physiology; Augmentative and Alternative Communication; Augmentative and alternative communication devices; Biological and medical sciences; Communication Disorders; Communications equipment; Context Effect; Contextual factors; Discourses; Effects; Electronics; Female; Humans; Intelligibility; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Listening; Listening Comprehension; Male; Medical sciences; Otorhinolaryngology functional investigation (larynx, voice, audiometry, vestibular function, equilibration...); Semantics; Speech Intelligibility; Speech Perception - physiology; Speech processing systems; Speech, Alaryngeal; Speech, Intelligibility of; Synthetic speech; Voice synthesis; Young Adults; United States; Human; Discourse; Intelligibility; Young adult; Adult; Exploration; Speech synthesis; Application; Elderly
• ISSN: 1092-4388; 1558-9102
• DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2001/083)

This study investigated whether discourse context affected the intelligibility of synthesized sentences for young adult and older adult listeners. Findings indicated a significant facilitating effect of context wherein previous words and sentences are related to later sentences for both listener groups. Results have direct implications for augmentative and alternative communication system message transmission. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)