Among people with clinically normal hearing, intellectual ability strongly predicted how well they understood speech amid competing voices, according to a peer-reviewed study from University of Washington researchers.
Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine report a strong association between general intellectual ability and the capacity to follow speech in noisy environments. The paper, published in PLOS One on September 24, 2025, found the link held across diagnostic groups. (doi.org)
The study enrolled 49 participants: 12 with autism, 10 with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and 27 age- and sex-matched comparison participants. Ages spanned roughly 13 to 47 years. All participants met criteria for typical hearing after audiology screening; one autistic participant who did not pass was excluded. (journals.plos.org)
Participants completed a computer-based “multitalker” listening task built from Coordinate Response Measure sentences of the form “Ready [callsign], go to [color] [number] now.” The target voice was always male and identified by the callsign “Charlie,” while two competing talkers (“maskers”) were presented from different simulated spatial locations. After each trial, listeners selected the matching color and number on a screen. (doi.org)
Intellectual ability was measured with the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence–Second Edition (WASI‑II), combining verbal and nonverbal/perceptual reasoning subtests. Lower IQ scores were linked to poorer thresholds on the multitalker task in the full sample and within each group. Lead author Bonnie Lau said the relationship “transcended diagnostic categories,” a point echoed in the university’s release; the paper reports “a highly significant relationship” between directly assessed intellectual ability and multitalker speech perception. (newsroom.uw.edu)
Lau also noted that real-world listening in noise draws heavily on cognitive processes such as stream segregation, selective attention and language comprehension—not solely on the ears. “You don’t have to have a hearing loss to have a hard time listening in a restaurant or any other challenging real-world situation,” she said. (sciencedaily.com)
Because the study sample was under 50, the authors call for larger replications. They suggest practical accommodations—such as preferential seating or hearing-assistive tools—may help neurodivergent students or those with lower cognitive ability in busy classrooms. Co-authors are affiliated with several University of Washington departments and the University of Michigan. (sciencedaily.com)
