J. SPEECH LANG. HEAR. RES. 43/6 (2000) 1402-1415


Age-related improvements in auditory backward and simultaneous masking in 6- to 10-year-old children

Hartley D.E.H., Wright B.A., Hogan S.C., Moore D.R.

University Laboratory of Physiology, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK

Abstract
This study investigated the development of auditory frequency and temporal resolution using simultaneous and backward masking of a tone by a noise. The participants were 6- to 10-year-old children and adults. On the measure of frequency resolution (the difference in the detection threshold for a tone presented either in a bandpass noise or in a spectrally notched noise), 6-year-old children performed as well as adults. However, for the backward masking task, 6-year-olds had, on average, 34 dB higher thresholds than adults. A negative exponential decay function fitted to the backward masking data for subjects of all ages indicated that adult-like temporal resolution may not be reached until about 11 years of age. These results show that, measured by masking, frequency resolution has reached adult-like performance by 6 years of age, whereas temporal resolution develops beyond 10 years of age. Six-year-old children were also assessed with tests of cognitive ability. Improvements in both frequency and temporal resolution were found with increasing IQ score.


 

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