Gaby
We all find ourselves in situations where we need to listen to someone in a noisy environment and respond to what they’re saying. But it isn’t always easy.
A new study from researchers at Aix-Marseille University in France found that tapping your fingers in a steady rhythm can improve your ability to hear in those conditions.
In their paper, the researchers describe experiments designed to “uncover the role of movement in speech comprehension” based on the idea that the motor system helps integrate and reuse temporal (timing) information. Here’s what that means.
How Was the Research Conducted?
Participants in the study, who were native French speakers, listened to recordings of a speaker reading 40 text messages. Background noise made these messages difficult to understand, as reported by Science Alert.
The research team, led by psycholinguist Noémie te Rietmolen, ran three experiments, but the main findings came from the second experiment.
Each time a participant was about to listen to a new text “block,” they were asked to prepare. The preparation options included: rhythmically tapping their finger at their own pace; tapping on the table in the rhythm suggested by the researchers; simply listening to the rhythm without tapping; or waiting in silence for the start.
Afterward, the researchers measured how well participants understood the recordings, using both accuracy and response speed.
Participants who prepared by tapping—either at their own pace or at the suggested rhythm—were significantly better at identifying words in the sentences.
So if you’re having trouble hearing someone, say, at the next table in a noisy restaurant, try this simple trick.
The results of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
