{"id":43,"date":"2020-09-03T13:03:12","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T17:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/?page_id=43"},"modified":"2026-07-16T19:09:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T23:09:19","slug":"projects","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"43\" class=\"elementor elementor-43\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58f8106 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"58f8106\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6abe7f1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6abe7f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-start=\"652\" data-end=\"1055\">Research in the Speech Perception and Cognition (SPAC) Lab seeks to understand <strong data-start=\"731\" data-end=\"815\">how people successfully communicate in complex real-world listening environments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-start=\"652\" data-end=\"1055\">Our work combines hearing science, cognitive psychology, language science, and quantitative modeling to identify the perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral mechanisms that support successful communication in older adults with hearing loss.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1057\" data-end=\"1581\">A central goal of our research is to bridge the gap between traditional laboratory studies of speech perception and the complexity of everyday communication. We develop experimentally controlled paradigms that progressively increase ecological validity while preserving the ability to identify the mechanisms underlying successful communication. This work provides the scientific foundation for future hearing technologies and communication interventions that respond to individual listeners&#8217; needs in real-world situations.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ffa12ca e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5ffa12ca\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-217685b1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"217685b1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\">\u202f <\/span>\u00a0<\/h4>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"wp-image-698\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Shen_Lab_2024_06-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Shen_Lab_2024_06-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Shen_Lab_2024_06-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Shen_Lab_2024_06-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Shen_Lab_2024_06-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Shen_Lab_2024_06-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\">Mechanisms of Speech Perception in Complex Listening Environments<\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-start=\"1658\" data-end=\"1960\">Understanding speech in noise requires the interaction of multiple perceptual and cognitive processes. Our research investigates how acoustic cues, linguistic context, listening effort, and individual differences jointly contribute to successful speech understanding under adverse listening conditions.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1962\" data-end=\"1985\">Current topics include:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1987\" data-end=\"2191\">\n<li data-section-id=\"1feqtbu\" data-start=\"1987\" data-end=\"2026\">Speech perception in background noise<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"10mk402\" data-start=\"2027\" data-end=\"2062\">Listening effort and pupillometry<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"17zb0s5\" data-start=\"2063\" data-end=\"2127\">Perceptual and cognitive interactions during speech processing<\/li>\n<li data-section-id=\"tm0omf\" data-start=\"2128\" data-end=\"2191\">Individual differences associated with hearing loss and aging<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2060\" height=\"1334\" class=\"wp-image-702\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-13-at-1.04.28\u202fPM.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-13-at-1.04.28\u202fPM.png 2060w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-13-at-1.04.28\u202fPM-300x194.png 300w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-13-at-1.04.28\u202fPM-1024x663.png 1024w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-13-at-1.04.28\u202fPM-768x497.png 768w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-13-at-1.04.28\u202fPM-1536x995.png 1536w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2024\/09\/Screenshot-2024-09-13-at-1.04.28\u202fPM-2048x1326.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2060px) 100vw, 2060px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-start=\"2259\" data-end=\"2502\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;font-weight: bold\">Discourse Comprehension and Continuous Speech Processing<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-start=\"2259\" data-end=\"2502\">Everyday communication involves understanding connected speech rather than isolated sentences. This line of research investigates how listeners integrate acoustic, semantic, and contextual information during continuous speech and conversation.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2504\" data-end=\"2739\">Using behavioral measures, pupillometry, and computational time-series analyses, we study how speech comprehension unfolds over time and identify the mechanisms that support successful communication in realistic listening environments.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer wp-block-heading\" data-section-id=\"18hhvyv\" data-start=\"2746\" data-end=\"2796\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1834\" class=\"wp-image-204\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/08\/Photo4-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/08\/Photo4-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/08\/Photo4-300x215.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/08\/Photo4-1024x734.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/08\/Photo4-768x550.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/08\/Photo4-1536x1101.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/08\/Photo4-2048x1468.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\">Face-to-Face Communication and Visual Attention <em>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-start=\"2798\" data-end=\"3096\">Face-to-face communication depends on the continuous integration of auditory and visual information. We use AI-generated conversational agents together with eye tracking and pupillometry to investigate how listeners allocate visual attention during communication under adverse listening conditions.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3098\" data-end=\"3313\">Rather than studying audiovisual speech perception in isolation, our goal is to understand how gaze behavior and physiological responses contribute to successful communication in realistic face-to-face interactions.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\" data-section-id=\"1rd0kll\" data-start=\"3320\" data-end=\"3353\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" class=\"wp-image-241\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/09\/DSC00529.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/09\/DSC00529.jpg 900w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/09\/DSC00529-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/files\/2021\/09\/DSC00529-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 14pt\">Adaptive Communication Systems<\/span><\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"3355\" data-end=\"3657\">Communication is a dynamic process that changes continuously as acoustic environments, conversational partners, and communication demands evolve. Our long-term research seeks to develop mechanistic models of adaptive communication by integrating behavioral, physiological, and computational approaches.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3659\" data-end=\"3838\">This work lays the foundation for future intelligent hearing technologies and AI-assisted communication systems capable of adapting to users&#8217; moment-to-moment communication needs.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer wp-block-heading\" data-section-id=\"1rd0kll\" data-start=\"3320\" data-end=\"3353\">\u00a0<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Research in the Speech Perception and Cognition (SPAC) Lab seeks to understand how people successfully communicate in complex real-world listening environments. Our work combines hearing&#8230;<\/p>\n<div class=\"more-link-wrapper\"><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/projects\/\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Projects<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":17971,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-43","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17971"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":882,"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/43\/revisions\/882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/spaclab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}