Evaluation of the Computer-assisted Speech Perception Assessment Test (CASPA)

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Computer-Assisted Speech Perception Assessment (CASPA) Test is a tool used to evaluate speech perception.
• Understanding interlist equivalency and practice effects is crucial for accurate assessment results.
• Previous research has not fully detailed these specific effects for the CASPA Test's recorded stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate interlist equivalency of recorded word lists for the CASPA Test.
• To assess short-term practice effects associated with repeated administration of CASPA Test lists.
• To determine the impact of these factors on the reliability of speech perception scores.

Main Methods:

• Twenty lists of 10 consonant-vowel-consonant words were administered to 20 normal-hearing adults.
• Stimuli were presented at 50 dB SPL (Leq) amidst spectrally matched steady-state noise (55 dB SPL Leq).
• Phoneme recognition scores were analyzed to identify practice effects and interlist differences.

Main Results:

• A small practice effect was observed, with scores increasing from the first to subsequent lists.
• Four specific lists (3, 6, 7, and 16) showed significantly higher scores (approx. 10 percentage points) than the others.
• Excluding interlist differences reduced the 95% confidence interval for a single list score from 18.4 to 16.1 percentage points.

Conclusions:

• A single practice list can mitigate the observed short-term practice effect in the CASPA Test.
• While interlist differences are small, excluding specific lists (3, 6, 7, 16) may enhance score precision for some clinicians.
• The CASPA Test demonstrates good reliability, with minor adjustments improving score interpretation.