3- Keeping up in conversation

Keeping up in conversation

Many people know it can be challenging to follow conversations in some places, like in a noisy restaurant. The reason for this is that speech is made up of a great number of different sounds, put together in a very rapid flow.

Some letters are heard better than others

For instance, the high-pitched consonants like f, s and t are easily drowned out by louder, low pitched vowels like a, o and u.

The reason for the brain drain

When it comes to hearing, it may come as a surprise to learn that the brain works harder than the ears, this is why in noisy environments, such as in a crowded restaurant, it can be very frustrating just trying to follow conversation. Even people with no hearing loss can find this challenging.

Faced with noisy situations, our cognitive system works hard to decipher and separate sounds. Someone with only slight hearing loss can often feel exhausted after visiting a noisy venue.

Ordinarily your brain will be able to sort through all information you apply your attention to through a cognitive process: Simply the brain organizes, selects and follows.

Watch movie: Organize, Select, Follow

Organize	Select	Follow
1 A good mental map of the current sound environment.	2 A good mental map of the current sound environment.	3 Enhances the ability to follow the source over time as knowledge about the selected source is accumulated