Revisiting loudness measures in children using a computer method of cross-modality matching (CMM)

The test efficiency and reliability of loudness assessment using a computer-controlled method of cross-modality matching (CMM) between line length and loudness was investigated in children 4 to 12 years with normal hearing or mild to severe degrees of sensorineural hearing loss. Adult listeners with normal hearing served as a comparison group. Computer-generated visual and acoustic stimuli were used to derive individual loudness data. Children and adults with normal hearing presented with similar loudness functions, while children with sensorineural hearing loss had steeper functions than their normal-hearing counterparts. Retest data supported reliability of the CMM method with children within the current study and between previous studies performed with a similar, but manual, method. The computer CMM approach proved more time efficient than the manual one, halving the test time. The CMM loudness task in a computerized version may have potential in a research or clinical setting, in particular for individualizing hearing aid fittings with children.