This project investigates whether a general cognitive factor better explains speech-in-noise (SiN) intelligibility than individual cognitive task scores. While the role of cognition in SiN perception is widely accepted, the contributions of different domains are unclear.
Working memory (WM), typically assessed by the Reading Span (RSPAN) task, consistently correlates with SiN (Akeroyd, 2008), but this does not imply that WM is uniquely critical for SiN tasks. Instead, a broader cognitive factor may influence both RSPAN and SiN performance. Cognitive abilities often intercorrelate, forming the ‘positive manifold’ (Spearman, 1904; 1927), which suggests that diverse cognitive tasks may rely on a shared set of resources, summarized by a common factor ‘g.’ Consequently, the association between WM and SiN may reflect this broader cognitive factor rather than a specific reliance on WM alone. Using data from the UK Biobank, we will conduct factor analysis to determine how SiN performance on the Digit Triplet Test aligns with cognitive factors beyond single-task associations. We expect a common factor, consistent with ‘g’, to emerge, potentially alongside other factors reflecting other clusters of tests. This study aims to clarify the cognitive dimensions underlying SiN perception, ultimately contributing to a more comprehensive model of the cognitive demands involved in effortful listening.