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Discovering Emotion in a Cocktail Party: How Emotional Learning Shapes Neural Dynamics in Speech-on-Speech Masking.

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Title: Discovering Emotion in a Cocktail Party: How Emotional Learning Shapes Neural Dynamics in Speech-on-Speech Masking.
Authors: Lu, Lingxi1,2,3 lingxilu@blcu.edu.cn, Bao, Xiaohan4,5, Zheng, Li6, Luo, Lu7
Source: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research. May2026, Vol. 69 Issue 5, p1944-1954. 11p.
Subject Terms: *Emotions, *Listening, *Experimental design, *Learning strategies, *Speech perception, *Comparative studies, Brain physiology, Masking (Psychology), Noise, Prompts (Psychology), Research funding, Electroencephalography, Anger, Multivariate analysis, Signal processing, Descriptive statistics, Statistics, Acoustic stimulation, Human voice, Reaction time, Data analysis software, Facial expression, Brain mapping
Abstract: Purpose: Under a noisy environment such as a cocktail party, emotional signals play a crucial role in helping listeners unmask target speech. However, it remains unclear how emotional features carried in a speaker's vocal timbre shape neural processing over time. This study aimed to characterize the temporal neural dynamics of learned emotion with a speaker's voice in complex listening conditions. Method: We employed an emotional learning paradigm in a speech-on-speech context, pairing two different target speakers with either angry or neutral facial expressions. Electroencephalogram data were recorded from healthy participants, and multivariate pattern analysis combined with representational similarity analysis was used to track the temporal unfolding of learned emotion linked to the target speaker's voice. Results: We observed early neural signatures of emotional processing between 150 and 180 ms after stimulus onset, occurring nearly simultaneously with the decoding of speaker identity. Importantly, brain-behavior analysis revealed that subjective emotional valence ratings could be decoded from neural signals as early as 94 ms. These findings suggest that vocal emotion can be processed rapidly and in a way relatively independent to the process of low-level acoustic cues. Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that acquired emotional associations with a speaker's voice can shape early-stage neural dynamics during speech processing under challenging listening conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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PubType: Academic Journal
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  Data: Discovering Emotion in a Cocktail Party: How Emotional Learning Shapes Neural Dynamics in Speech-on-Speech Masking.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lu%2C+Lingxi%22">Lu, Lingxi</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2,3</relatesTo><i> lingxilu@blcu.edu.cn</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bao%2C+Xiaohan%22">Bao, Xiaohan</searchLink><relatesTo>4,5</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zheng%2C+Li%22">Zheng, Li</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Luo%2C+Lu%22">Luo, Lu</searchLink><relatesTo>7</relatesTo>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language+%26+Hearing+Research%22">Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 69 Issue 5, p1944-1954. 11p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotions%22">Emotions</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Listening%22">Listening</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experimental+design%22">Experimental design</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+strategies%22">Learning strategies</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+perception%22">Speech perception</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+studies%22">Comparative studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Brain+physiology%22">Brain physiology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Masking+%28Psychology%29%22">Masking (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Noise%22">Noise</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prompts+%28Psychology%29%22">Prompts (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electroencephalography%22">Electroencephalography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anger%22">Anger</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multivariate+analysis%22">Multivariate analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Signal+processing%22">Signal processing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistics%22">Statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Acoustic+stimulation%22">Acoustic stimulation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Human+voice%22">Human voice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reaction+time%22">Reaction time</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Facial+expression%22">Facial expression</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Brain+mapping%22">Brain mapping</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: Under a noisy environment such as a cocktail party, emotional signals play a crucial role in helping listeners unmask target speech. However, it remains unclear how emotional features carried in a speaker's vocal timbre shape neural processing over time. This study aimed to characterize the temporal neural dynamics of learned emotion with a speaker's voice in complex listening conditions. Method: We employed an emotional learning paradigm in a speech-on-speech context, pairing two different target speakers with either angry or neutral facial expressions. Electroencephalogram data were recorded from healthy participants, and multivariate pattern analysis combined with representational similarity analysis was used to track the temporal unfolding of learned emotion linked to the target speaker's voice. Results: We observed early neural signatures of emotional processing between 150 and 180 ms after stimulus onset, occurring nearly simultaneously with the decoding of speaker identity. Importantly, brain-behavior analysis revealed that subjective emotional valence ratings could be decoded from neural signals as early as 94 ms. These findings suggest that vocal emotion can be processed rapidly and in a way relatively independent to the process of low-level acoustic cues. Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that acquired emotional associations with a speaker's voice can shape early-stage neural dynamics during speech processing under challenging listening conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research is the property of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1044/2026_JSLHR-25-00844
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 11
        StartPage: 1944
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Emotions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Listening
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Experimental design
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning strategies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Speech perception
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Comparative studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Brain physiology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Masking (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Noise
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Prompts (Psychology)
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      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Electroencephalography
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anger
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Multivariate analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Signal processing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Acoustic stimulation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Human voice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reaction time
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Facial expression
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Brain mapping
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Discovering Emotion in a Cocktail Party: How Emotional Learning Shapes Neural Dynamics in Speech-on-Speech Masking.
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            NameFull: Lu, Lingxi
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            NameFull: Bao, Xiaohan
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            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: May2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 69
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            – TitleFull: Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research
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