Understanding degraded speech is demanding, requiring increased listening effort (LE). Evaluating processed and unprocessed speech with respect to LE can objectively indicate if speech enhancement systems benefit listeners. However, existing methods for measuring LE are complex and not widely applicable. In this study, we propose a simple method to evaluate speech intelligibility and LE simultaneously without additional strain on subjects or operators. We assess this method using results from two independent studies in Norway and Denmark, testing 76 (50+26) subjects across 9 (6+3) processing conditions. Despite differences in evaluation setups, subject recruitment, and processing systems, trends are strikingly similar, demonstrating the proposed method's robustness and ease of implementation into existing practices.

翻译：理解退化语音具有挑战性，需要付出更高的听音努力（LE）。基于LE对经处理与未经处理的语音进行评估，可客观反映语音增强系统是否有助于听者。然而，现有LE测量方法复杂且适用性有限。本研究提出一种简易方法，可在不增加受试者或操作者负担的情况下同步评估语音清晰度与LE。我们采用挪威和丹麦两项独立研究的结果对该方法进行验证，共测试76名（50+26名）受试者在9种（6+3种）处理条件下的表现。尽管评估设置、受试者招募和处理系统存在差异，但趋势高度一致，证明了本方法的稳健性及其在现有实践中的易实施性。