signature=c3a0ad157c97790e290bdd9482e4c154,Auditory situation awareness: Effects of enhanced hearing...

摘要：

An in-situ experiment was conducted in a specially-prepared, quiet, flat, open, rural field to determine the effects of current hearing protection/enhancement devices (HPEDs) and tactical communications and protection systems (TCAPS) on auditory detection and identification of 3 critical military "threat signals": gunshots from a suppressor-equipped weapon, AK-47 rifle charging (cocking and safety click-off), and conversational Arabic. Devices included: 3M's Combat Arms™ earplug in its nonlinear (open) rocker position, Etymotic EB-15 ™ earplug on high gain, Peltor's Com-Tac II™ electronic muff on high gain, Nacre Quiet Pro+™ on high gain, and Phonak's Dominator™ on high gain. On each trial, either wearing a device or with open ears, subjects walked along a 3000-ft line of discrete distance markers toward the auditory threat, stopping to listen when instructed. On approach to the threat, the linear distance at first detection was measured, followed by a continued approach until positive identification occurred. Then the subject reversed direction, retreating away from the threat until detection was lost. Specific statistically significant detection and identification differences were revealed among devices, as well as compared to the open ear, and are reported. One particularly notable finding was that two in-the-ear devices (Quiet Pro+™ and Combat Arms™), both of which have substantial high-frequency attenuation, can reduce detection of auditory threats, particularly for signals of high-frequency spectral bias. The results have implications for selection of HPDs, HPEDs and TCAPS for applications where preservation of auditory situational awareness via the fundamental detection task is essential.

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