Use of semantic context and F₀ contours by older listeners during Mandarin speech recognition in quiet and single-talker interference conditions

This study followed up Wang, Shu, Zhang, Liu, and Zhang [(2013). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 34(1), EL91-EL97] to investigate factors influencing older listeners' Mandarin speech recognition in quiet vs single-talker interference. Listening condition significantly interacted with F₀ contours but not with semantic context, revealing that natural F₀ contours provided benefit in the interference condition whereas semantic context contributed similarly to both conditions. Furthermore, the significant interaction between semantic context and F₀ contours demonstrated the importance of semantic context when F₀ was flattened. Together, findings from the two studies indicate that aging differentially affects tonal language speakers' dependence on F₀ contours and semantic context for speech perception in suboptimal conditions.