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Sound Intensity Level

Sound Intensity Level

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Updated: Sep 2, 2025

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

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Reference equivalent threshold sound pressure levels for the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System.

Odile H Clavier¹, James A Norris², David W Hinckley¹

¹Creare LLC, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

|August 5, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study provides corrected reference equivalent threshold sound pressure levels (RETSPLs) for the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System (WAHTS). These adjustments ensure accurate hearing test results by accounting for slight threshold elevations in initial test populations.

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Area of Science:

Audiology
Acoustics
Biomedical Engineering

Background:

The Wireless Automated Hearing Test System (WAHTS) is a commercialized boothless audiometer.
Standard audiometric equipment calibration relies on Reference Equivalent Threshold Sound Pressure Levels (RETSPLs).
Previous RETSPL determinations may be affected by participant hearing thresholds.

Purpose of the Study:

To present RETSPLs for the WAHTS.
To address and correct for elevated hearing thresholds observed in initial study populations.
To ensure accurate and consistent hearing threshold measurements with WAHTS.

Main Methods:

Conducted two initial studies following ISO 389-9 standards for RETSPL determination.
Recruited participants and measured hearing thresholds using WAHTS.
Compared WAHTS thresholds with established clinical audiometric equipment.
Performed two additional studies to validate corrected thresholds.

Main Results:

Initial studies revealed slightly elevated hearing thresholds (5-10 dB HL) in the recruited populations.
Bias errors were observed between WAHTS and clinical equipment, consistent with elevated thresholds.
Corrected RETSPLs were proposed to account for the observed elevated hearing levels.
Two independent studies confirmed the validity of the corrected thresholds.

Conclusions:

The presented corrected RETSPLs enhance the accuracy of the WAHTS as a boothless audiometer.
These corrections are crucial for maintaining consistent hearing threshold measurements across different devices.
The findings support the reliable use of WAHTS in clinical audiology settings.