Dr. Ishikawa Published by Nature.com
Congratulations to Dr. Keiko Ishikawa, PhD, MM, CCC-SLP, who was recently published by Nature.com, an international research journal, for the paper "Cognitive load associated with speaking clearly in reverberant rooms" of which she was a co-author.
"Communication is a fundamental aspect of human interaction, yet many individuals must speak in less-than-ideal acoustic environments daily," the abstract states. "Adapting their speech to ensure intelligibility in these varied settings can impose a significant cognitive burden. Understanding this burden on talkers has significant implications for the design of public spaces and workplace environments, as well as speaker training programs. The aim of this study was to examine how room acoustics and speaking style affect cognitive load through self-rating of mental demand and pupillometry."
Specifically, it went on to say, the pupillometry data suggested that speaking in clear speech elevates the cognitive load comparably to speaking in a room with long reverberation, challenging the conventional view of clear speech as an ‘easy’ strategy for improving intelligibility.
Congratulations Dr. Ishikawa!