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Dual Assessment of Word Recognition and Auditory Working Memory in Older Adults With Hearing Loss: Validation of the Korean Word Recognition and Span Test.

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Title: Dual Assessment of Word Recognition and Auditory Working Memory in Older Adults With Hearing Loss: Validation of the Korean Word Recognition and Span Test.
Authors: Lee, Sungmin1, Lee, Soo Jung1 sjslp@tu.ac.kr
Source: American Journal of Audiology. Jun2026, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p591-603. 13p.
Subject Terms: *Predictive tests, *Data analysis, *Phonological awareness, *Research methodology evaluation, *Audiometry, *Speech audiometry, *Research methodology, *Hearing disorders, *Speech perception, *Short-term memory, *Predictive validity, Pearson correlation (Statistics), Noise, Research funding, Multiple regression analysis, Multivariate analysis, Analysis of variance, Statistics, Health outcome assessment, Data analysis software, Impedance audiometry, Old age
Abstract: Purpose: This study aimed to validate the Korean Word Recognition and Span Test (K-WRST) in older adults with hearing loss. The K-WRST was developed to simultaneously assess auditory working memory and monosyllabic word recognition using standardized Korean Speech Audiometry materials. Method: Forty-two older adults (age range: 60-84 years, M = 70.67 years, SD = 6.05) with slight to profound age-related hearing loss participated in this study. The K-WRST was administered under four test conditions, varying by background noise (quiet vs. noise) and recall order (forward vs. backward): quiet-- forward (QF), quiet--backward (QB), noise--forward, and noise--backward (NB). Outcome measures included word recognition scores, percent correct recall, and word-recall span. Validation was conducted by examining correlations and regression analyses between K-WRST outcomes and working memory measures, including digit span scores from the Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Fourth Edition and a reference word span test (R-WST). Results: Word recognition and recall performance were significantly affected by noise, with quiet conditions yielding higher scores. Word-recall span was highest in the QF condition and lowest in the NB condition. Among the four conditions, QB span scores demonstrated the strongest and most consistent correlations with both digit span and R-WST outcomes. Regression analyses identified QB span as the best predictor of working memory outcomes in older adults. Conclusions: The K-WRST appears to be a valid tool for concurrently assessing word recognition and auditory working memory in older adults with hearing loss. The results underscore the clinical potential of the K-WRST, particularly the QB condition, as a cognitively informative measure in audiological evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of American Journal of Audiology 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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  Data: Dual Assessment of Word Recognition and Auditory Working Memory in Older Adults With Hearing Loss: Validation of the Korean Word Recognition and Span Test.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lee%2C+Sungmin%22">Lee, Sungmin</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lee%2C+Soo+Jung%22">Lee, Soo Jung</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> sjslp@tu.ac.kr</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22American+Journal+of+Audiology%22">American Journal of Audiology</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 35 Issue 2, p591-603. 13p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Predictive+tests%22">Predictive tests</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis%22">Data analysis</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phonological+awareness%22">Phonological awareness</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+methodology+evaluation%22">Research methodology evaluation</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Audiometry%22">Audiometry</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+audiometry%22">Speech audiometry</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+methodology%22">Research methodology</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hearing+disorders%22">Hearing disorders</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+perception%22">Speech perception</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Short-term+memory%22">Short-term memory</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Predictive+validity%22">Predictive validity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pearson+correlation+%28Statistics%29%22">Pearson correlation (Statistics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Noise%22">Noise</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multiple+regression+analysis%22">Multiple regression analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multivariate+analysis%22">Multivariate analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Analysis+of+variance%22">Analysis of variance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistics%22">Statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+outcome+assessment%22">Health outcome assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Impedance+audiometry%22">Impedance audiometry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Old+age%22">Old age</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This study aimed to validate the Korean Word Recognition and Span Test (K-WRST) in older adults with hearing loss. The K-WRST was developed to simultaneously assess auditory working memory and monosyllabic word recognition using standardized Korean Speech Audiometry materials. Method: Forty-two older adults (age range: 60-84 years, M = 70.67 years, SD = 6.05) with slight to profound age-related hearing loss participated in this study. The K-WRST was administered under four test conditions, varying by background noise (quiet vs. noise) and recall order (forward vs. backward): quiet-- forward (QF), quiet--backward (QB), noise--forward, and noise--backward (NB). Outcome measures included word recognition scores, percent correct recall, and word-recall span. Validation was conducted by examining correlations and regression analyses between K-WRST outcomes and working memory measures, including digit span scores from the Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale--Fourth Edition and a reference word span test (R-WST). Results: Word recognition and recall performance were significantly affected by noise, with quiet conditions yielding higher scores. Word-recall span was highest in the QF condition and lowest in the NB condition. Among the four conditions, QB span scores demonstrated the strongest and most consistent correlations with both digit span and R-WST outcomes. Regression analyses identified QB span as the best predictor of working memory outcomes in older adults. Conclusions: The K-WRST appears to be a valid tool for concurrently assessing word recognition and auditory working memory in older adults with hearing loss. The results underscore the clinical potential of the K-WRST, particularly the QB condition, as a cognitively informative measure in audiological evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
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  Data: <i>Copyright of American Journal of Audiology 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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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1044/2026_AJA-25-00146
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 591
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Predictive tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Phonological awareness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology evaluation
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      – SubjectFull: Audiometry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Speech audiometry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology
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      – SubjectFull: Hearing disorders
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Speech perception
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Short-term memory
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Predictive validity
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      – SubjectFull: Pearson correlation (Statistics)
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      – SubjectFull: Noise
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      – SubjectFull: Research funding
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      – SubjectFull: Multiple regression analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Multivariate analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Analysis of variance
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      – SubjectFull: Statistics
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      – SubjectFull: Health outcome assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
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      – SubjectFull: Impedance audiometry
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Old age
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Dual Assessment of Word Recognition and Auditory Working Memory in Older Adults With Hearing Loss: Validation of the Korean Word Recognition and Span Test.
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            NameFull: Lee, Sungmin
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              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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