Examining the Interplay of Working Memory and Attention on Listening Effort

Objectives: This study investigates how variations in working memory (WM) and attention demands during listening effort (LE) assessments contribute to inconsistencies in the literature. Utilizing different cognitive demand levels, the study aims to reveal age-related variations and offer insights for addressing listening effort in clinical and aging populations with a reliable assessment tool. To achieve these objectives, the study is guided by the following specific aims: 1) Investigate the impact of increased attentional demand on LE in young versus older adults. 2) Assess the influence of increased WM demand on LE in young versus older adults. 3) Explore the relationship between attention and WM for LE across the two age groups. 4) Determine the reliability of the method employed for measuring LE. Design: Guided by a medium effect size from pilot data and existing literature on age group differences, an a priori analysis determined a sample size of 30 normal-hearing participants, including young adults (18-35 years) and older adults (>50). Assessments included behavioral measures (WM and dichotic digit scores), physiological measurements (pupillometry), and subjective ratings on the LE questionnaire. The Word Auditory Recognition and Recall Measure (WARRM) protocol assessed WM capacity, which formed the reference point for low and high-demand set sizes for WM. Data collection involved a Tobii-T60-XL eye-tracker. Participants engaged in WM-only and attention-only conditions, with attention assessed through a dichotic digit paradigm, with demand manipulated by requiring participants to repeat digits heard in the right ear only (AttnD-low) or in both the right and left ears sequentially (AttnD-high). The WM-only condition involved two levels of WM demand (WMD-low and WMD-high) at n-1 and n+1, respectively. Participants listened to n+1 and n-1 words and were subsequently asked to recall them after a retention period. Additionally, the study explored various WM and attention combinations in low and high-demand scenarios, with continuous pupil data gathered across 20 trials for each condition. Here, WM is the initial task, followed by a retention interval during which participants performed a dichotic test as a distractor task. Subsequently, participants were asked to recall the words heard during the initial part of the trial. It encompassed WMD-low + AttnD-low, WMD-low + AttnD-high, WMD-high + AttnD-low, and WMD-high + AttnD-high combinations. Test-retest reliability was assessed with a 20% subject sample over a three-to-six-week gap, approved by the IRB. Analysis: Repeated Measures ANOVA analyzed peak-pupil dilation (PPD) data, examining main effects and interactions for WM and Attention, with high- and low-demand levels. Age, WM capacity, and attention-alone conditions were covariates, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) values determined test-retest reliability. Results: Pilot data from six participants indicated higher PPD in the high-demand condition (Cohen’s d = .54) with strong ICC values (0.877 to 0.751), supporting test-retest reliability. Expected Results: 1) Elevated attentional and WM demand will increase pupil dilations, especially in older adults. 2) The interaction between attention and WM will enhance pupil dilation, varying by age. 3) The LE measure will exhibit good test-retest reliability.