title: A closed- versus open-set measure of speech discrimination in normally hearing young and elderly adults.
abstract: This investigation sought to determine whether the pattern of performance differed between young and elderly normally hearing adults on a closed v. open-set discrimination task. The California Consonant Test was administered at 32 dB SL (re:SRT) to 20 young and 20 elderly normally hearing subjects under two conditions: one which required subjects to mark their response on a multiple choice answer form; and a second which required subjects to provide a one-word written response on a blank answer form. The only significant difference occurred within the young group between conditions (closed-set, open-set). The young group's speech discrimination was significantly better in the closed-set condition then in the open-set condition. No other differences were significant. The results question the concept of phonemic regression as a concomitant of ageing.
authors: Department of Speech, University of Florida.
authors: A E
authors: AE
authors: Holmes
authors: P B
authors: PB
authors: Kricos
authors: R A
authors: RA
authors: Kessler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011304:Presbycusis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012016:Reference Values; D013067:Speech Perception; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test