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Between and within listener variability in response to CID W-22 presented in noise
Ear and Hearing
|March 1, 1981
Summary
Using background noise with the CID W-22 word discrimination test introduces significant variability. Results suggest caution when interpreting scores from a single test list in noise, as they may not reliably reflect true hearing ability.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Hearing Science
Background:
- The Central Institute for the Deaf (CID) W-22 is a common word discrimination test.
- Assessing speech understanding in noise is crucial for clinical audiology.
- Background noise can affect speech perception test results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability of the CID W-22 word discrimination test when presented with background noise.
- To determine the impact of different speech-to-noise ratios (SNRs) on test variability.
- To assess the clinical utility of noise-added CID W-22 scores.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted with college students having normal hearing.
- CID W-22 word lists were presented with white noise at two SNRs (+1 dB and +7 dB).
- Four-word discrimination scores were collected and analyzed for variability and correlation.
Main Results:
- Large standard deviations were observed in discrimination scores across both SNRs.
- Low correlations between scores indicated significant response variability.
- The addition of background noise increased unreliability in test performance.
Conclusions:
- The CID W-22 test in noise demonstrates considerable response variability.
- A single test list score in noise may not accurately represent a listener's true discrimination ability.
- Clinical interpretation of CID W-22 scores obtained in noise requires caution.
