A convergent validity study: Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences (LiSN-S) test and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT)

Abstract

Objectives

The primary purpose of this study was to compare Listening in Spatialized Noise – Sentence (LiSN-S) test and the Hearing in Noise Test (HINT) thresholds in order to determine if the two tests measure the same construct (convergent validity). The secondary purpose was to determine performance differences between the two test protocols. The third purpose was to determine the relationships between quiet measures (pure-tone average [PTA] and HINT Quiet thresholds) vs. speech-in-noise performances.

Design

Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Spearman rho statistic, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear mixed model analyses.

Study sample: Fifty-six young adults with normal PTAs (≤15 dB HL for 0.5–4.0 kHz) participated in this study.

Results

No statistically significant relationships were found between LiSN-S and HINT measures (poor convergent validity). However, statistically significant relationships were found between the quiet measures (HINT Quiet thresholds and average PTA_{(0.5–4.0 kHz)}) vs. the LiSN-S (same and different voices) ±90° performances.

Conclusion

LiSN-S performances in two-talker babble cannot be generalized to the ability to recognise HINT sentences in steady-state speech-shaped noise, and vice versa. The results imply that LiSN-S ± 90° thresholds were influenced by hearing sensitivity or by supra-threshold distortions that co-vary with hearing sensitivity.

Keywords:

• Speech perception
• dult or general hearing screening
• behavioural measures
• noise

Acknowledgements

The first author thanks Brenda Vermiglio, MA for her very helpful comments on all drafts of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

This research received no external funding. The first author is a co-developer of formerly available commercial versions of the Hearing in Noise Test. He has no current financial conflicts of interest.