Influence of acoustic and non-acoustic environmental and individual factors on speech perception in real-world complex listening environments

Virtual acoustic environments can capture the acoustic properties of real-world environments with remarkable realism. However, listening performance in real-world complex environments could depend on non-acoustic environmental factors that are not as easily reproduced in the lab (environment type, signal location, listening activity, visual cues, listening activity, noise sources) as well as individual perceptual factors (hearing ability, working memory, attention). In this preliminary study, we investigated the contributions of acoustic and non-acoustic environmental factors and individual factors to speech perception in real-world complex listening environments using a hearing aid research platform, the Portable Hearing Lab (PHL), and ecological momentary assessment. Participants completedassessments using the PHL in complex listening environments they encountered in their life over the course of a week. Using all-subset analyses, the results suggest that hearing ability and signal-to-noise ratio are the most important contributors to speech perception in complex environments. However, listening activity, signal location, and environment type also contributed significantly. Surprisingly, we did not find significant effects from visual cues or cognitive abilities. The results can be used to inform designs of ecological experiments using virtual acoustic scenes by highlighting the importance of including scene type, signal location, and task as factors in the experiment design.