CRM Paradigm

In order to manipulate attentional load and listening difficulty, we will include a block of trials in which the location of the target word will be certain 100% of the time (i.e., participants will be told the target word will always be presented at 0 degrees; termed 100% trials; lower cognitive load) and a block of trials in which the location of the target word will be uncertain, presented from the centre 60% of the time and from the left 40% of the time (i.e., participants will be told that the target word will be coming from the middle 60% of the time and from the left 40% of the time; termed 60% trials; higher cognitive load). Participants will complete these 100% and 60% trial types in single and dual-task conditions.
Overall, there will be a total of 5 different trial types: 1) single-task CRM (100%/low cognitive load), 2) single-task semi-tandem standing, 3) dual-task (60%/high cognitive load), 4) single-task CRM (60%/high cognitive load), 5) dual-task (100%/low cognitive load). Participants will complete all trial types in this order and will then repeat the trials in the reverse order, for a total of 10 trials. DTCs (percentage) will be calculated for both the standing and CRM tasks: [(single-task – dual-task) / single task * 100]. DTC change scores will be calculated by subtracting the post-training DTCs from the pre-training DTCs.