Adaptive testing in audiology.

A general approach to adaptive testing of the up-down type is described. Audiological applications of the procedure are described, including measurement of the auditory threshold, estimating the spread of the subject's response curve, testing for sequential response dependencies, and finding PB-max. Guidelines are provided for the practical implementation of these procedures using relatively simple rules for controlling stimulus levels and for estimating the parameters of interest. Also described is the Simplical Method, a multivariate adaptive procedure which, like the transformed up-down method, is relatively efficient yet involves simple rules of adjustment and of estimation. The Simplical Method has been used in the adaptive fitting of a wearable master hearing aid and an example of this application is given.