User-operated speech in noise test: Implementation and comparison with a traditional test

Objective: The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a user-operated speech in noise test. Design: The test is based on the Danish speech material Dantale II, which consists of five words sentences (Wagener et al, 2003). For each word presented the subject selected a response from ten alternative words. Two versions of the test were made: one with and one without the possibility that for each word presented the subject could answer I do not know (?-button). Using a listening test the two versions were evaluated against a traditional test, where the subjects orally repeated the words that were perceived. Study sample: Twenty-four normal-hearing subjects. Results: The speech intelligibility as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio can be described by logistic functions in the different user-operated tests and in the traditional test. The logistic parameters obtained from the user-operated test with the ?-button agree with the parameters obtained in a traditional test. The homogeneity of the speech material is uninfluenced when the material is used in a user-operated test. Conclusions: It is reasonable to use the Dantale II speech material for a user-operated speech in noise test, and the use of the ?-button is favourable.