Linguistic and Nonlinguistic Competing Message Effects

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of competing auditory stimuli on the performance of children with learning disabilities as compared to the performance of normal children. Two groups of first gradE children were tested individually on three tasks under four listening conditions: (1) in quiet, (2) in 74 dB SPL broad band white noise (0 dB S/N), (3) in 64 dB SPL linguistic competing messages (+10 dB S/N), and (4) in 74 dB SPL linguistic competing messages (0 dB S/N). The recorded instructions for tasks I and II were delivered through a loudspeaker in front of the child at 0° azimuth. Three loudspeakers arrayed behind the child at azimuths of 135°, 180°, and 225° delivered competing auditory messages. The findings were: (1) linguistic competing auditory messages interfered with the performance of children with suspected learning disabilities but did not interfere with the performance of normal children; (2) competing auditory messages that are nonlinguistic did not interfere with the performance of either group.