title: Behavioral auditory assessment of young infants: methodological limitations or natural lack of auditory responsiveness?
abstract: The determination of auditory thresholds by means of behavioral techniques in young infants can be difficult. This could be the result of limitations in methodology, a lack of observable auditory responsiveness, or both. In the current study, 2- and 4-month old infants were tested under enhanced conditions for obtaining behavioral responses (i.e., salient auditory stimuli, reduced visual distractions, reinforced correct responses). A two-interval, forced-choice task with four intensity levels was used. Although a behavioral threshold was obtained for the 4-month-olds, threshold determination for the 2-month-olds remained elusive. In light of the current findings and previous studies of visual acuity of infants, these results suggest a lack of behavioral responsiveness to auditory stimuli for the younger infants rather than methodological limitations. With infants in the 2-month-old age range, clinical audiologists should expect few behavioral responses to auditory stimuli at intensity levels below those that elicit startle responses.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. candace.d.bourland@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tharpe
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ashmead
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D005260:Female; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D012016:Reference Values; D013017:Sound Localization; D013069:Speech Reception Threshold Test