Some Relations between Normal Hearing for Pure Tones and for Speech
Abstract
The experiment was designed to determine the intensity difference between normal hearing for spondee words and normal hearing for a 1000 cps pure tone. A preliminary investigation indicated that sophisticated listeners achieved considerably lower spondee threshold sound pressure levels than unsophisticated listeners, in spite of essentially equivalent pure-tone threshold sound pressure levels. The main experiment, employing 96 young adults with normal hearing, investigated the five factors of threshold determination, order of test administration, sex, ear, and familiarity with test vocabulary. Only familiarity with test vocabulary exerted a major influence on threshold response, yielding sound pressure levels about 3 db lower for those subjects given prior knowledge of spondee vocabulary. The results indicate that an intensity difference of 12-13 db between thresholds for a 1000 cps pure tone and for speech is approximately medial for normal-hearing subjects. It represents a value which might properly be selected as the relationship to be specified for audiometric standards.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1959
- Accession Number
- ADA036104
Entities
People
- James F. Jerger
- Raymond T. Carhart