Subjective versus objective intelligibility of sentences in listeners with hearing loss

Abstract

The relation between estimated intelligibility and correct key-word repetitions of sentences was examined in listeners with normal hearing and hearing loss. The ten lists of CID sentences [S. R. Silverman and I. J. Hirsh, Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Laryngol. 64, 1234–1245 (1995)] were arranged in two randomly ordered groups. Listeners were asked to complete two tasks: (1) rate the intelligibility of 50 sentences on a scale of 0% to 100%, (2) repeat each of the 50 sentences, which were scored as the number of key words repeated correctly. Sentences were presented at five signal-to-noise ratios, +6, +4, +2, 0, and −2 dB. The 0 dB S/N point was established by the method of adjustment using the revised speech intelligibility rating passages to reach a criterion of 50% intelligibility. Correlations of rated intelligibility and correct repetition of key words were 0.85 for listeners with normal hearing and 0.87 for listeners with hearing loss. These findings confirm earlier work [Speaks et al., J. Speech Hear. Res. 15, 590–602 (1972)] with listeners with normal hearing and demonstrate that listeners with hearing loss preserve the ability to rate intelligibility of speech.