The Effect of Music and Vocabulary on Auditory Narrative Comprehension
Lisa Micheludis
Co-Presenters: Makayla Lally, Morgan Siracusa
College: The College of Health Professions and Human Services
Major: Speech-Language Pathology (M.A.)
Faculty Research Mentor: Iyad Ghanim
Abstract:
Students who study while listening to music may be hindering their ability to comprehend narratives effectively. To evaluate the effect of noise, our project explores differences in auditory perception among individuals with varied music experience and vocabulary skills. The presence of noise influences factors related to comprehension, such as memorization and reading. Efforts to understand speech with background noise can create a cognitive overload on working memory (Vasilev et al., 2018). Additionally, individuals with musical backgrounds may have an advantage in auditory tasks, as their ability to process multiple auditory streams and discriminate speech from background noise is enhanced (Brown & Bidelman, 2022; Kraus, 2011). Therefore, the study tests the effect of past music history, working memory, and vocabulary level on auditory narrative comprehension tasks in a quiet vs. loud environment.Participants completed an online survey with pre recorded passages from the Oral Passage Understanding Scale (OPUS) followed by corresponding comprehension questions. Vocabulary level was assessed using the LexTALE test, and past music history using questionnaire and the Profile of Music Perception Skills (PROMS). Each participant randomly listened to a total of four passages; two in a quiet setting and two with white noise in the background. Data collection is ongoing and projected to be completed in March of 2025. Preliminary accuracy data suggests no effect of white noise and a positive effect of past music history. The results can assist in clinical development of cognitive speech therapy approaches and ideal environments for completing comprehension tasks, relevant across a diversity of students and professionals.