Virtual audiovisual technology has matured and its use in research is widely
considered. However, the technology has yet to be established for speech- and
audio-related perception research. This study examined the effects of different
audiovisual conditions on head yaw and gaze direction when listening to
multi-talker conversations. Two immersive displays were tested, a curved screen
(CS) and a head-mounted display (HMD), combined with three visual conditions
(audio-only, virtual characters and video recordings). Three groups of
participants were tested: seventeen young normal-hearing, eleven older
normal-hearing and ten older hearing-impaired with hearing aids. Results showed
that, when visual cues were not present, the participants tended to look ahead.
When visual information was available, they looked at the target speaker.
Significant differences between displays and visual conditions were found,
pointing out that using different audiovisual setups might lead to slightly
different head yaw and gaze direction. No significant differences were found
between groups. An open interview showed that the CS was preferred over the HMD
and that the video recordings were the favorite visual condition.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure