Auditory Working Memory Mediates the Relationship Between Musical Sophistication and Speech-In-Noise Perception.

Understanding speech in noisy environments (SPIN) is an important everyday ability, and engaging in musical activities has been proposed as a factor that may support this ability. However, the cognitive mechanisms underlying a potential musical advantage in SPIN perception remain unclear. Here we in...

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Publicado en:Trends in Hearing Vol. 30; pp. 1 - 16
Autores principales: Colak, Hasan, Benzaquén, Ester, Guo, Xiaoxuan, Lad, Meher, Sedley, William, Griffiths, Timothy D.
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Sage Publications Inc. 8/6/2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: 8/6/2026
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        atl: Auditory Working Memory Mediates the Relationship Between Musical Sophistication and Speech-In-Noise Perception.
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          Colak, Hasan
          Benzaquén, Ester
          Guo, Xiaoxuan
          Lad, Meher
          Sedley, William
          Griffiths, Timothy D.
        affil: Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
      sug:
        subj:
          Music
          Auditory Perception
          Speech Perception
          Noise
          Memory, Short Term
          Intelligence
          Human
          Funding Source
          Female
          Male
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Aged
          Mediation Analysis
          Descriptive Statistics
          Grammar
          Questionnaires
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Structural Equation Modeling
          Acoustic Stimulation
          Auditory Threshold
          Cognition
          Perceptual Masking
          Performing Artists
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Female
          Male
      ab: Understanding speech in noisy environments (SPIN) is an important everyday ability, and engaging in musical activities has been proposed as a factor that may support this ability. However, the cognitive mechanisms underlying a potential musical advantage in SPIN perception remain unclear. Here we investigated whether musical sophistication is associated with better SPIN perception in a large population-based sample, and whether this relationship is mediated by auditory working memory (AWM), verbal working memory (VWM), or non-verbal intelligence. We recruited 203 participants and measured SPIN perception at both word and sentence levels. Musical sophistication was assessed using the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI). AWM was measured using delayed matching of tone frequency or the modulation rate of amplitude modulated white noise, VWM was based on backward digit span task, and non-verbal intelligence used matrix reasoning. Mediation analyses revealed that AWM fully mediated the relationship between musical sophistication and SPIN perception, whereas VWM showed no mediation effect. Non-verbal intelligence showed a partial mediating effect. Additional control analyses using structural equation modelling revealed that the indirect effect through AWM remained significant after accounting for age, hearing thresholds, and non-verbal intelligence. Together, these findings suggest that greater musical sophistication is associated with better daily-life listening abilities, and that AWM may be an important cognitive factor linking musical sophistication and SPIN perception.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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