Slow release from forward masking impairs comprehension of rapid speech.

Evidence

Results from forward-masking experiments demonstrate that sounds that precede other sounds in time impact the perception of those occurring sounds. Given that many everyday sounds contain informative components that unfold over time (e.g., like speech), forward masking has strong implications for everyday listening. A listener who is very susceptible to forward masking, or who has an ear that does not release from forward masking quickly, is likely to experience difficulties understanding rapid speech, due to the temporal smearing of auditory representations. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1039

Categorization

• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1039
• XREF: connects to: Loud flanking syllables immediately preceding a soft target induce forward masking — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 4045; Prolonged forward masking makes vowels mask consonants in impaired ears — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1111; Forward-masking recovery is slower in sensorineural hearing loss regardless of audibility (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Prolonged forward masking makes vowels mask consonants in impaired ears #corroborates (0.85) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1111
• Within-speech forward masking hampers consonant identification for hearing-impaired listeners #expands (0.85)
• Forward-masking recovery is slower in sensorineural hearing loss regardless of audibility #complicates (0.75)
• Loss of peripheral compression alone impairs recognition of low-level syllables between louder ones #qualifies (0.75)