Individualized estimation of the Speech Intelligibility Index for short sentences: Test-retest reliability

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Speech Science
• Psychoacoustics

Background:

• The Speech Intelligibility Index (SII) is a valuable tool for predicting speech recognition.
• Individual differences in hearing can affect speech intelligibility.
• Existing SII models may not fully capture individual listener characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To modify the SII model for individualized parameter estimation.
• To develop and validate an efficient procedure for estimating these parameters.
• To assess the reliability and variability of the estimated parameters in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners.

Main Methods:

• Modified the SII model to include individualized band importance and transfer functions.
• Utilized a Bayesian adaptive procedure, the quick-band-importance-function (qBIF), for parameter estimation.
• Conducted two experiments with normal-hearing and hearing-impaired adults using standardized speech materials and varying sound levels.

Main Results:

• The qBIF procedure demonstrated satisfactory reliability for estimating SII parameters in both normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners.
• Estimated SII parameters showed good reliability between repeated measurements separated by at least one week.
• Hearing-impaired listeners exhibited greater inter-listener variability in SII parameters compared to intra-listener variability.

Conclusions:

• The individualized SII model and qBIF procedure provide a reliable method for assessing speech intelligibility parameters.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering individual listener characteristics, especially in hearing-impaired populations.
• This approach can lead to more accurate predictions of speech recognition in diverse listening conditions.