Does Talker Variability Help Adults Learn Novel Words?

Exposure to multiple talkers has been shown to be beneficial for adults learning speech sounds in a second language and for children learning novel words in a lab-based word learning task. The current study examines the extent to which variability is beneficial for adults in a word learning task and how individual differences in reading and language skills affect performance. Seventy-six participants were randomly assigned to either the multiple-talker (four talkers) or single-talker condition and learned novel object-nonword pairings. To assess word learning, listeners completed three naming tasks throughout the study (after 4 exposures, after 8 exposures, and after a brief delay) in which they had to generate the name of the object. Overall, listeners with higher language skills showed better word learning than those with poorer language skills. No effects of reading ability or talker variability were found. These results suggest that variability may only be beneficial in some tasks.