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Is the Role of External Feedback in Auditory Skill Learning Age Dependent?

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextOnline resources: In: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research • (2017) p. 1-11Summary: The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of external feedback in auditory perceptual learning of school-age children as compared with that of adults. Method: Forty-eight children (7–9 years of age) and 64 adults (20–35 years of age) conducted a training session using an auditory frequency discrimination (difference limen for frequency) task, with external feedback (EF) provided for half of them. Results: Data supported the following findings: (a) Children learned the difference limen for frequency task only when EF was provided. (b) The ability of the children to benefit from EF was associated with better cognitive skills. (c) Adults showed significant learning whether EF was provided or not. (d) In children, within-session learning following training was dependent on the provision of feedback, whereas between-sessions learning occurred irrespective of feedback. Conclusions: EF was found beneficial for auditory skill learning of 7–9-year-old children but not for young adults. The data support the supervised Hebbian model for auditory skill learning, suggesting combined bottom-up internal neural feedback controlled by top-down monitoring. In the case of immature executive functions, EF enhanced auditory skill learning. This study has implications for the design of training protocols in the auditory modality for different age groups, as well as for special populations.
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the
role of external feedback in auditory perceptual learning
of school-age children as compared with that of adults.
Method: Forty-eight children (7–9 years of age) and 64 adults
(20–35 years of age) conducted a training session using
an auditory frequency discrimination (difference limen for
frequency) task, with external feedback (EF) provided for
half of them.
Results: Data supported the following findings: (a) Children
learned the difference limen for frequency task only when
EF was provided. (b) The ability of the children to benefit
from EF was associated with better cognitive skills. (c) Adults
showed significant learning whether EF was provided or
not. (d) In children, within-session learning following
training was dependent on the provision of feedback,
whereas between-sessions learning occurred irrespective
of feedback.
Conclusions: EF was found beneficial for auditory skill
learning of 7–9-year-old children but not for young adults.
The data support the supervised Hebbian model for
auditory skill learning, suggesting combined bottom-up
internal neural feedback controlled by top-down monitoring.
In the case of immature executive functions, EF enhanced
auditory skill learning. This study has implications for the
design of training protocols in the auditory modality for
different age groups, as well as for special populations.

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