ADULT AUDITORY LEARNING AND TRAINING

We describe a theoretical framework that distinguishes stimulus, proce dural, and task aspects of learning, and we suggest that this framewor k may allow an improved understanding of acclimatization and late-onse t auditory deprivation. We review the literature on learning after sen sorineural hearing loss and after the provision of amplification. We t hen examine the possibility of using training to improve the speech-un derstanding skills of listeners with sensorineural hearing loss after provision of amplification. Here, we concentrate on techniques recentl y demonstrated to encourage the acquisition of non-native phonetic con trasts in second-language learners. We argue that there are three gene ral principles associated with auditory learning and training: 1) the more complex the task, the longer the learning period required; 2) the greater the similarity between training and test tasks, the greater t he transfer of training; and 3a) the more familiar the stimulus materi als, the faster the subsequent learning. When training for speech iden tification in everyday life, maximizing the opportunity for the listen er to dope with the acoustic variability found in natural speech, both within and between talkers, is important. We, therefore, argue that t he third principle should be extended: 3b) the more the training set e xemplifies the acoustic variability found within and between talkers, the greater the transfer to open-set speech identification in everyday life. Throughout the review, we show that individual differences in l earning are observed in the rate of acquisition and in the level of as ymptotic performance. We argue that it is possible to postulate modula tors of learning that may account for some of these individual differe nces. Possible candidates for influential modulators are: 1) the histo ry of hearing impairment-the longer the history, the longer the time t aken to improve performance and, possibly, the lower the asymptotic le vel of performance; 2) the severity and pattern of hearing loss; 3) th e degree of asymmetry in the hearing loss and its effect on the binaur al organization of the hearing system; and 4) the level of patient ada ptability and cognitive abilities, such as attentional control and sho rt-term memory span.