Stability and accuracy of adaptive tests of speech discrimination

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Five experiments were conducted with normal listeners to investigate the reliability (stability) and validity (accuracy) of adaptive tests for measuring the linear portion of CNC discrimination functions. Monosyllables (consonant‐vowel‐consonant form) included in Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 were employed as test stimuli. Constant‐level tests were used as criterion measures to judge the accuracy of best‐of‐five (100 words), best‐of‐three (50 words), doublet (50 words), and simple‐up‐and‐down (50 words) adaptive tests. All tests were conducted under monaural (earphone) listening conditions in quiet or against a background of either 60‐ or 80‐dB‐SPL white noise. The shorter doublet tests were found to be as stable and accurate as the longer best‐of‐five procedures when seeking levels required for approximately 30% and 70% CNC discrimination. Adaptive tests using 50 words appear to be highly reliable and valid for determining the location and slope of CNC articulation functions with normal listeners.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: