Researchers at Villanova University found that in low levels of background noise (for the purposes of recognizing spoken sentences immediately after presentation), face masks have a small effect related to speech production without a mask, and some masks have no effect. In high levels of background noise, the effects of different mask types become more apparent.

Homemade cloth masks and N95 respirators had the largest impact on speech recognition while surgical masks had no effect.

Reference

Toscano J, Tocasno C. (2021) Effects of face masks on speech recognition in multi-talker babble noise. PLOS ONE. February 24

Share this

Related Posts

Why Wild Animals Don’t Have Floppy Ears

Button Batteries and Socioeconomic Risk

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults

Recent Posts

Academy Files Rulemaking Petition to Restore ABA Language in VA Regulations

Earlier last year, the Virginia Board of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology finalized regulatory changes intended to streamline licensure by removing direct ties between certification and…

Read More

Congress Needs to Hear From Audiologists on Student Loan Access

The Professional Student Degree Act, H.R. 6718, introduced by Representative Michael Lawler (R-NY), was introduced in mid-December. This bill reaffirms audiology’s status as a professional…

Read More

Why Wild Animals Don’t Have Floppy Ears

In 1959, a scientist began a domestication experiment with silver foxes. Critics believed the experiment was, at the very least, too ambitious (if not outright…

Read More