title: Validation of an on-line implementation of the Imitative test of Speech Pattern Contrast perception (IMSPAC).
abstract: The imitations of syllables by six children with sensorineural hearing loss were evaluated in a forced-choice procedure, providing information on the production and perception of ten phonetic contrasts. One listener responded on-line. Four listeners responded off-line, to recordings. When all listeners were unfamiliar with the talkers, on- and off-line scores were not significantly different. After a training study, in which the on-line listener was the teacher, on-line scores were 9%pts higher than off-line. There were also task-related improvements in the children's performance. The children's performance Increased considerably when text was presented with the auditory models. It is concluded that: children's imitations can provide a measure of auditory speech perception that is not necessarily limited by speech production; imitations can be evaluated on-line without affecting validity--provided that listener is not intimately familiar with the child's speech. Task-related learning on the part of the child should be taken into account when assessing changes over time.
authors.affiliation: Lehman College, City University of New York, Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Bronx, NY, USA. ckosky@alpha.lehman.cuny.edu
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kosky
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boothroyd
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006309:Hearing; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D010465:Perception; D010699:Phonation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013060:Speech; D013068:Speech Production Measurement