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IQ Strongly Predicts Ability to Understand Speech in Noisy Settings, Study Finds

All participants had clinically normal hearing, suggesting cognitive factors underlie some real-world listening problems.

Overview

  • University of Washington researchers reported a strong correlation between standardized intelligence scores and multitalker speech perception across neurodivergent and neurotypical groups.
  • The study tested 49 people ages 13–47 with normal audiograms, including 12 with autism, 10 with fetal alcohol syndrome, and 27 age- and sex-matched controls.
  • Participants focused on a target male voice while two competing voices grew louder, then completed brief IQ assessments that were compared with listening thresholds.
  • The findings appear in PLOS One, led by Bonnie Lau of UW School of Medicine, with co-authors from UW centers and the University of Michigan.
  • Authors caution the small sample size and recommend larger studies, while noting potential benefits from classroom accommodations and hearing-assistive technology.