A comparative study of the influence of voice type on speech-in-noise tests and questionnaires among non-native English speakers

Non-native English speakers often struggle in noisy environments due to their language background, limited ability to identify contextual clues, and the presence of competing auditory stimuli. These challenges resemble those faced by individuals with hearing impairments; however, the characteristics of their listening experiences differ. This study focuses on the voice preference between male and female speakers in noisy environments. The research investigates how non-native English speakers perceive voice types in competing auditory conditions and measures their listening performance using a speech-in-noise test. Preliminary findings suggest that participants prefer female voices in noisy environments, likely due to the higher pitch, which is easier to detect. A customized questionnaire, adapted from the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults, aligns with these findings and highlights the preference for female voices. The speech-in-noise test results indicate equivalent performance for male and female voices at higher signal-to-noise ratios. However, at lower signal-to-noise ratios ( +5 and 0 dB), participants showed better performance with female voices. These results suggest that vocal pitch plays a critical role in listening outcomes under challenging auditory conditions. The implications of these behavioral findings and questionnaire results will be further discussed in detail.