Stopping Rules for Audiological Ascending Test Procedures: Computer Simulation Evaluation

This study used Monte Carlo simulations to examine the efficiency of various stopping rules for audiological threshold test procedures. It was found that thresholds were located at higher percents correct for steeper psychometric functions. Stopping rules requiring two responses at one level were faster than those requiring three responses with only a small decrease in consistency. Among stopping rules using the same number of responses for criterion, differences were seen primarily in efficiency at shallow slopes, particularly for procedures using a three response rather than a two-response criterion. The most efficient rule uses the first N responses at a level, with no requirement about whether the responses were present on half or a majority of the ascens, no consideration of the total number of asents, and no update rule. Audiological procedures using a two-response criterion are preferable to those using three-response criterion. While the reliability of these procedures is probably adequate for clinical estimates of threshold, it is inadequate for sonar laboratory research unless modifications can improve the reliability.