Comprehension of Speech Presented at Synthetically Accelerated Rates: Evaluating Training and Practice Effects

The ability to monitor multiple sources of concurrent auditory information is an integral component of Navy watchstanding operations. However, this leads to attentionally demanding environments. The present study tested the utility of a potential solution to listening to multiple speech communications in an auditory display environment: presenting speech serially at synthetically accelerated rates. Comprehension performance of short auditory narratives was compared at seven accelerated speech rates. Practice effects and training effects were examined. An optimum acceleration rate for comprehension performance was determined, and training was found to be an effective method when synthetic speech was presented at slow to moderately accelerated rates.