[Performance-intensity function of mandarin monosyllable and sentence materials for normal-hearing subjects]

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech-language pathology
• Psychoacoustics

Context:

• Mandarin speech test materials (MSTMs) require established normative data for accurate hearing assessments.
• Understanding the performance-intensity function is crucial for quantifying speech recognition abilities.
• Previous research has not fully established the equivalence and performance-intensity function for Mandarin monosyllabic and sentence lists.

Purpose:

• To analyze monosyllabic and sentence lists of Mandarin speech test materials (MSTMs) for equivalent difficulty.
• To establish the performance-intensity (P-I) function for Mandarin speech test materials in individuals with normal hearing.
• To provide normative data for clinical audiological evaluations.

Summary:

• The study analyzed Mandarin monosyllabic and sentence lists, establishing their performance-intensity (P-I) functions.
• The P-I function was found to be 3.1% per dB for monosyllabic materials and 7.4% per dB for sentence materials.
• Speech sound pressure levels for 50% recognition were 30.1 dBSPL (10.1 dBHL) for monosyllabic lists and 23.1 dBSPL (3.1 dBHL) for sentence lists.

Impact:

• Establishes normative data for the performance-intensity function of Mandarin speech test materials.
• Facilitates accurate identification of normal hearing thresholds in Mandarin-speaking populations.
• Supports clinical audiology by providing reliable speech perception benchmarks.