Test-Retest Reliability of Uncomfortable Loudness Level Using an Instructional Set

Song, Wook; Lee, Junghak

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Commun Sci Disord. 2003;8(1): 287-299.

Wook Song^` , and Junghak Lee^`

송욱(Wook Song)| 이정학(Junghak Lee)

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the test-retest reliability of pure tone UCLs. The UCLs were obtained from 43 normal-hearing subjects all of whom had normal otoscopy, middle ear pressure within +/-50daPa. This study integrated the methodologies of previous studies in terms of test stimuli, instructional set, and psychophysical method. UCL measurements were obtained from pure tones of four frequencies(500Hz, 1000Hz, 2000Hz and 4000Hz) using a simple ascending method. The listener’s task was to judge whether the stimu- lus was uncomfortably loud using a rating scale of bounded loudness categories. UCL measurements were repeated twice within a period of 2 weeks. The results of the study could be summarized as follows: (1) the test-retest reliability was high in all test con- ditions, (2) the average UCLs for the pure tones was 77.23dBHL in the test and 76.94dBHL in the retest, (3) UCLs were higher in male subjects than in female subjects, (4) there were no significant differences in the UCLs among the three sessions. In addition, no practice effect was found. One precondition that we noticed was that the subjects of the experiment should be well aware of the aim of the test and the procedures thereof. These results suggest that if subjects clearly understand the purpose and procedures of UCLs measurements, reliable data can be obtained even with a single trial of measurement.