Speaker
Description
Room acoustics play a central role in speech communication by influencing both speaker behavior, speech intelligibility and listening effort. While the effects of acoustics and background noise on listening effort are well established, the relationship between speaker comfort and listening effort remains largely unexplored. This study examines how room acoustic conditions, background noise, and sound field amplification (SFA) influence listening effort, with a specific focus on its relationship to speaker’s comfort and listener motivation.An experimental within-subject design was conducted during an acoustic refurbishment of a university lecture hall. Data were collected across four stages (pre- and post-intervention) with 17 listeners and 15 speakers. Self-reported measures of listening effort, speaker comfort, and motivation were obtained under controlled conditions with and without background noise, and with and without SFA.The results showed that improved room acoustics significantly reduced listening effort, confirming the importance of acoustic treatment. SFA further decreased listening effort in background noise conditions. Importantly, the relationship between speaker comfort and listening effort was weak and context-dependent: no significant association was found overall, although a small positive correlation emerged in quiet conditions. This suggests that increased speaker comfort does not necessarily translate into reduced listening effort, and that the two may be influenced differently by acoustic parameters.Listener motivation was negatively associated with listening effort, indicating an interaction between cognitive and acoustic factors.These findings highlight that in order to optimize classroom acoustics, both speaker comfort and listening effort should be considered to achieve effective communication environments