Linguistic and Nonlinguistic Competing Message Effects

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of competing auditory stimuli on the performance of children with learning disabilities as compared to the performance of normal children. Two groups of first gradE children were tested individually on three tasks under four listening conditions: (1) in quiet, (2) in 74 dB SPL broad band white noise (0 dB S/N), (3) in 64 dB SPL linguistic competing messages (+10 dB S/N), and (4) in 74 dB SPL linguistic competing messages (0 dB S/N). The recorded instructions for tasks I and II were delivered through a loudspeaker in front of the child at 0° azimuth. Three loudspeakers arrayed behind the child at azimuths of 135°, 180°, and 225° delivered competing auditory messages. The findings were: (1) linguistic competing auditory messages interfered with the performance of children with suspected learning disabilities but did not interfere with the performance of normal children; (2) competing auditory messages that are nonlinguistic did not interfere with the performance of either group.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Birch, H.G. , and Lefford, A. : Intersensory development in children. Monogr. Society for Research in Child Development, 1963, 28, 89.

Broadbent, D.E. : Perception and Communication. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1958.

Carhart, R. , Tillman, T.W. , and Greetis, E.S. : Perceptual masking in multiple sound backgrounds. J. Acoust. Soc. America, 1969, 45, 694-703.

Egan, J.P. , Carterette, E.C. , and Thwing, E.J. : Some factors affecting multi-channel listening. J. Acoust. Soc. America, 1954, 26, 774-82.

Eisenberg, L. : Behavioral manifestations of cerebral damage in childhood. In: H. G. Birch (Ed.), Brain Damage in Children: The Biological and Social Aspects. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1964.

Hogan, D.D. , and Hanley, T.D. : Some effects on listener accuracy of competing messages varied systematically in number rate and level. J. Acoust. Soc. America, 1963, 35, 293-295.

Johnson, D.J. , and Myklebust, H.R. : Learning Disabilities. New York: Grune & Stratton, 1967.

Lashley, K.S. : Persistent problems in the evolution of the mind. Quart. Rev. Biology, 1949, 24, 28-42. Reprinted in F.A. Beach : The Neuropsychology of Lashley. New York: McGraw-Hill, 7960.

Lasky, E.Z. : Competing auditory message effects on children with learning problems. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Case Western Reserve Univ. , Cleveland, Ohio, 1971.

10.

Machover, Karen : Personality Projection in the Drawing of the Human Figure: A Method of Personality Investigation. Springfield, III.: Charles C. Thomas, 1949.

11.

Miller, G.A. : The masking of speech. Psychol. Bull., 1947 , 44, 105-129.

12.

Roach, E. , and Kephart, N.C. : The Purdue Perceptual Motor Survey. Columbus, O.: Charles E. Merrill, 1966.

13.

Speaks, C. , Karmen, J.L. , and Benitez, L. : Effects of a competing message on synthetic sentence identification . J. Speech and Hearing Res., 1967, 10, 390-395.

14.

Treisman, A.M. : Verbal cues, language, and meaning in selective attention. Amer. J. Psychology, 1964, 77, 211.

15.

Venables, P.H. : Changes in motor response with increase and decrease in task difficulty in normal industrial and psychiatric patient subjects. British J. Psychology, 1955, 46, 101-10.

16.

von Bekesy, G. : Experiments in Hearing. New York: McGraw-Hill, 7969.

17.

Webster, J.C. , and Chaney, R.B. : Information and complex signal perception. In: W. Wathen-Dunn (Ed.), Models for the Perception of Speech and Visual Form. Cambridge, Mass.: MlT Press, 1967.

18.

Webster, J.C. , and Solomon, L.N. : Effects of response complexity upon listening to competing messages . J. Acoust. Soc. America, 1955, 27, 1199-203.

19.

Winer, B.J. : Statistical Principles in Experimental Design. New York : McGraw-Hill Book, 1962 .