Poster Session I
Project Type
Poster
Project Funding and Affiliations
Montana INBRE Pilot Planning Grant, Grant No.: P20GM103474. School of Speech, Language, Hearing and Occupational Sciences; The BEAR Lab
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Anoop Basavanahalli Jagadeesh
Faculty Mentor’s Department
School of Speech, Language, Hearing and Occupational Sciences
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Title: Ear Differences and Working Memory
Introduction: Previous research has demonstrated performance differences between the right and left ears on auditory perception tasks, suggesting a right ear advantage in auditory processing and speech perception. The present study investigated whether such ear-related differences extend beyond perception into the cognitive domain of working memory, specifically during tasks that require the manipulation and recall of verbal information.
Methods: Twenty-four right-handed adults (ages 18–30) with normal hearing completed backward digit span tasks under three listening conditions: right ear, left ear, and binaural presentation. Stimuli consisted of digit sequences ranging from three to eight numbers. Working memory scores for each condition were calculated as the total number of digits correctly recalled in their exact serial positions, as well as calculating the normalized working memory efficiency (total correct/total digits), providing a measure of accuracy across listening conditions.
Results: Repeated measures ANOVA with ear of stimulation (right, left, binaural) as the within-subject factor showed no statistically significant differences in WM performances between the three ears. This trend was observed for both the total correct digit scores as well as the normalized WM efficiency score.
Discussion: Results showed that, unlike auditory perception, auditory cognition (as measured by WM tasks) does not display ear differences. This result is likely due to auditory cognition being a higher-level process compared to auditory perception, which is largely completed in the primary auditory cortex.
Category
Life Sciences
Ear Differences and Working Memory
UC South Ballroom
Title: Ear Differences and Working Memory
Introduction: Previous research has demonstrated performance differences between the right and left ears on auditory perception tasks, suggesting a right ear advantage in auditory processing and speech perception. The present study investigated whether such ear-related differences extend beyond perception into the cognitive domain of working memory, specifically during tasks that require the manipulation and recall of verbal information.
Methods: Twenty-four right-handed adults (ages 18–30) with normal hearing completed backward digit span tasks under three listening conditions: right ear, left ear, and binaural presentation. Stimuli consisted of digit sequences ranging from three to eight numbers. Working memory scores for each condition were calculated as the total number of digits correctly recalled in their exact serial positions, as well as calculating the normalized working memory efficiency (total correct/total digits), providing a measure of accuracy across listening conditions.
Results: Repeated measures ANOVA with ear of stimulation (right, left, binaural) as the within-subject factor showed no statistically significant differences in WM performances between the three ears. This trend was observed for both the total correct digit scores as well as the normalized WM efficiency score.
Discussion: Results showed that, unlike auditory perception, auditory cognition (as measured by WM tasks) does not display ear differences. This result is likely due to auditory cognition being a higher-level process compared to auditory perception, which is largely completed in the primary auditory cortex.