[Performance-intensity function of short Mandarin monosyllabic word list for normal-hearing listeners]

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech Science
• Psychoacoustics

Background:

• Standardized speech test materials are essential for accurate hearing assessments.
• Equivalence of difficulty in speech materials ensures reliable and comparable results.
• The performance-intensity function (P-I function) is a key metric for understanding speech recognition thresholds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the difficulty equivalence of short monosyllabic Mandarin speech test materials (MSTMs).
• To establish the P-I function for individuals with normal hearing using MSTMs.
• To provide clinical reference data for hearing recovery and speech processing abilities.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-seven young adults with normal hearing, fluent in Mandarin, participated.
• Eight lists of short Mandarin monosyllabic words (20 words/list) with equal difficulty were used.
• Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.0.

Main Results:

• The P-I function was modeled as x = 98.557/(1 + 12.243 exp (-0.17(P-15)), with x(max) = 98.557.
• The speech sound pressure level for a 50% recognition score was 29.6 dB SPL (9.6 dB HL).
• The P-I function slope for Mandarin materials was determined to be 3.1% per dB.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully established the P-I function for equally difficult Mandarin short monosyllabic word lists.
• This provides normative data crucial for identifying normal hearing in clinical audiology.
• The findings support the use of these MSTMs for reliable speech audiometry.