title: Learning effects associated with repeated word-recognition measures using sentence materials.
abstract: We investigated the learning effects of repeated presentation of sentence materials in an adaptive paradigm in five sessions over 5 to 10 days using 10 subjects in each of three age groups (<30 years, 40 to 60 years, and >65 years). Three target words, based on word-usage frequency and word confusability, were embedded within the seven to nine syllable sentences. Thresholds were obtained for the control lists in Sessions 1 to 5 and for the experimental lists in Sessions 1 and 5. The experimental lists were withdrawn in Sessions 2 to 4. The mean thresholds (1) for the three subject groups were significantly different, (2) for the experimental conditions and the control conditions were not significantly different, and (3) for Session 5 were significantly lower than in Session 1. The implication is that improved thresholds were the result of the subjects learning the test procedure (including the listening-response task, speaker familiarity, and test environment) and not from learning the test words/sentences.
authors.affiliation: James H. Quillen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mountain Home, TN 37684, USA. richard.wilson2@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Theodore S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Koslowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014163:Transfer, Psychology