Earable acoustic sensing offers a powerful and non-invasive modality for capturing fine-grained auditory and physiological signals directly from the ear canal, enabling continuous and context-aware monitoring of cognitive states. As earable devices become increasingly embedded in daily life, they provide a unique opportunity to sense mental effort and perceptual load in real time through auditory interactions. In this study, we present the first investigation of cognitive load inference through auditory perception using acoustic signals captured by off-the-shelf in-ear devices. We designed speech-based listening tasks to induce varying levels of cognitive load, while concurrently embedding acoustic stimuli to evoke Stimulus Frequency Otoacoustic Emission (SFOAEs) as a proxy for cochlear responsiveness. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association (p < 0.01) between increased cognitive load and changes in auditory sensitivity, with 63.2% of participants showing peak sensitivity at 3 kHz. Notably, sensitivity patterns also varied across demographic subgroups, suggesting opportunities for personalized sensing. Our findings demonstrate that earable acoustic sensing can support scalable, real-time cognitive load monitoring in natural settings, laying a foundation for future applications in augmented cognition, where everyday auditory technologies adapt to and support the users mental health.

翻译：耳戴式声学传感提供了一种强大且非侵入式的模态，可直接从耳道捕获细粒度的听觉与生理信号，实现对认知状态的连续且情境感知的监测。随着耳戴式设备日益融入日常生活，它们为通过听觉交互实时感知心智努力与知觉负荷提供了独特机遇。本研究首次利用商用入耳式设备捕获的声学信号，通过听觉感知进行认知负荷推断的探索。我们设计了基于言语的听觉任务以诱发不同水平的认知负荷，同时嵌入声学刺激以诱发刺激频率耳声发射（SFOAEs），作为耳蜗反应性的代理指标。统计分析显示，认知负荷的增加与听觉敏感度的变化之间存在显著关联（p < 0.01），63.2%的参与者在3 kHz处表现出峰值敏感度。值得注意的是，敏感度模式在不同人口统计亚组间也存在差异，这为个性化传感提供了可能。我们的研究结果表明，耳戴式声学传感能够支持自然场景中可扩展的实时认知负荷监测，为增强认知领域的未来应用奠定基础——日常听觉技术可借此适应用户需求并支持其心理健康。