Spondaic word detection and recognition functions for female and male speakers

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently produced a compact disc of speech audiometry materials. The compact disc, which is available commercially, includes the W-1 spondaic words recorded by a female speaker. Two experiments were conducted. The purposes of experiment 1 were to obtain normative detection and recognition data on the female recording of the spondaic words and to compare the detection and recognition functions for the original male speaker version of the W-1 words. No significant differences were found between the recognition functions for each speaker. The recognition functions for both speakers were displaced to higher sound-pressure levels by 8 dB above the detection functions. Clinically, the two versions of the W-1 spondaic words should produce equivalent results. In experiment 2, slopes of the individual spondaic word recognition functions for the female speaker were obtained from two listeners and are discussed in terms of interstimulus, intertrial, and intersubject variability.