Face-to-face conversations are some of our closest and most important social experiences. Research shows that when we are with another person, our brain activity and mannerisms are quite different compared to when we are alone. We want to understand these behaviours, and how they shape our sense of social connection, and what happens to them if a person has hearing loss.
Most of what we know about listening and the brain is based on studies performed when a person is isolated from others. This research is important and has led to useful frameworks for understanding listening effort and overall cognitive function. While these frameworks are intended to apply to real social contexts, they are often not investigated in real social situations. We want to understand cognition and hearing within real conversations and real social interactions to see if our theories stand up to them.
Example publications:
Salehi, N., & Paul, B.T. (January 2026). To the Brain and Back: “Second-person neuroscience” for hearing loss, aging, and social connection. Volume 13 Issue 1. Cover Story
cognitivehearinglab.ca 