Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 18, 2026
14:05
Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
Published on: January 23, 2017
Measurement of stop consonant identification using adaptive tracking procedures
1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 1 University Station A1100, The University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas 78712, USA. changliu@mail.utexas.edu
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|September 18, 2012
Summary
Adaptive tracking procedures offer an accurate and efficient method for estimating consonant identification thresholds, especially in noisy environments. While slope estimates differ from constant stimuli, adaptive methods provide reliable results for speech perception research.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Speech Perception
- Psychoacoustics
Background:
- Evaluating speech perception in noise is crucial for understanding hearing impairments.
- Traditional methods like the method of constant stimuli can be time-consuming.
- Adaptive procedures offer a potentially more efficient alternative for threshold determination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the utility of adaptive tracking versus the method of constant stimuli for consonant identification.
- To assess the accuracy and efficiency of these methods in cafeteria noise and four-talker babble.
- To identify factors influencing the accuracy of adaptive procedures.
Main Methods:
- Consonant identification was tested using both adaptive tracking and the method of constant stimuli.
- Stimuli included speech presented in cafeteria noise and four-talker babble.
- Psychometric functions were analyzed to compare thresholds and slope estimates.
Main Results:
- Consonant identification thresholds were comparable between the two methods.
- Statistically significant differences were found in the slopes of the psychometric functions.
- Adaptive procedures were found to be more efficient for estimating identification thresholds.
Conclusions:
- Adaptive tracking procedures are accurate and efficient for estimating phoneme identification thresholds.
- Careful consideration of target percent correct and signal-to-noise ratio variability is needed for accurate slope estimation with adaptive methods.
- Adaptive procedures are recommended for threshold estimation in speech perception research.
