Development of a mandarin monosyllable test material with homogenous items (II): lists equivalence evaluation

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech Science
• Psychophysics

Background:

• Standardized test materials are crucial for accurate hearing assessments.
• Evaluating the equivalence of auditory test lists ensures reliable and comparable results across different test administrations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the psychophysical equivalence of newly developed Chinese Mandarin monosyllable test lists.
• To establish a reliable set of auditory test materials for Mandarin speakers.

Main Methods:

• A genetic algorithm was used to create 10 lists of 25 monosyllabic items each.
• Eighty normal-hearing participants completed all 10 lists at various presentation levels.
• Performance-intensity functions were analyzed to determine recognition thresholds and P-I curve slopes.

Main Results:

• Initial equivalence testing revealed issues with list 2 and list 9 (reused item).
• After removing lists 2 and 9, multivariate ANOVA confirmed good equivalence among the remaining eight lists (p = 0.136).
• The eight equivalent lists demonstrated a mean threshold of 10.32 ± 0.38 dB HL and a mean slope of 5.00 ± 0.29%/dB.

Conclusions:

• A set of Chinese Mandarin monosyllable test lists with good reliability and sensitivity was successfully established.
• The finalized eight lists provide a psychophysically equivalent and sensitive tool for auditory testing in Mandarin speakers.