Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Audiology

Major Professor

James W. Thelin

Committee Members

Samuel B. Burchfield, A. A. Krishnan, Janice R. Eby

Abstract

The Behavioral Audiometry Simulator (BAS) (Halpin, Horner and Tarrant, 1988; Halpin, Homer and O'Neil, 1991) is an interactive videodisc system that provides simulation training in Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA). O'Neil, Halpin and Cox (1991) have shown that BAS training improves VRA skills in simulated infant tests. The present study extended the research of O'Neil et al. to determine if BAS training improves the performance of VRA with real infants. Eight audiology graduate students with little or no VRA experience each performed a VRA test on one infant and were evaluated by three audiologists experienced in infant testing. Four subjects (Ss) were assigned to the experimental group and then participated in nine BAS training sessions. One week later, trained and untrained Ss each tested a second infant and were evaluated by the same three audiologists. Evaluators rated Ss on the overall ability to perform VRA and on the ability to perform in seven component categories of VRA. The primary purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of BAS training on Ss' overall performance of VRA. Between Trials 1 and 2, control group performance did not change significantly, while the performance of the BAS-trained experimental group improved significantly. Evaluators also rated Ss' performance for the following seven components of VRA: 1) use of the equipment; 2) procedures used to condition the infant; 3) ability to judge the infant's receptive state; 4) ability to identify the infant's responses; 5) procedures used to determine minimal response levels; 6) adaptation of test procedures based on infant's ability to respond; and 7) completeness of audiogram considering the infant's state. The results for each of the seven components of VRA were very similar to the results for the overall ability to perform VRA. There was no significant improvement for any component for the control group. For the experimental group, there was improvement for every component; the improvement was significant in five of the seven components. The similarity of the results for the VRA components and for overall performance of VRA suggest that the evaluators might have rated performance for the individual components of VRA nearly the same as overall VRA performance. Of the four Ss who received BAS training, the S who showed the least performance improvements during BAS training also showed the least improvement of any experimental S in overall VRA performance ability. This provides the first evidence that there is a relationship between performance during BAS training and overall performance of VRA, in that those students who demonstrate better performance during simulated infant VRA tests will also show better performance of VRA with real infants. Results of the present study indicate that the BAS system would be a promising addition to audiology training programs.

Download
Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS