The Effect of Seeing the Interlocutor on Speech Production in Different Noise Types

Talkers modify their speech production in noisy environments partly as a reflex but also as an intentional communicative strategy to facilitate the transmission of the speech signal to the interlocutor. Previous studies have shown that the characteristics of such modifications vary depending on the type of noise. The current study examined whether speech production (and its interaction with noise type) would be affected by being able to see their interlocutor or not. Participants completed an interactive communication game in various noise conditions with/without being able to see their interlocutor. The results show that speech modifications differed with noise condition and that the speech amplitude was significantly lower when interlocutors could see each other. These results suggest that talkers actively monitor their environment and adopt appropriate speech production for efficient communication.