Distinctive Feature Scoring of the California Consonant Test

¹ University of Washington, Seattle

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a distinctive feature (DF) scoring technique for List 1 of the California Consonant Test CCT) for the purpose of improving test reliability. The CCT was presented to 50 subjects with high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (HFSNHL). The DF scoring technique resulted in a split-half correlation of .86 compared to .78 for standard percentage-correct scoring. A partial correlation of .50 was found for DF scoring with the effect of standard scoring held constant, indicating that DF scoring accounted for 25% of the variance in scores unaccounted for by standard scoring. DF scoring also led to smaller percentage differences between the two halves of the CCT (p < .0005). An analysis of individual feature error patterns suggests that DF scoring may provide a more effective means of differentiating among listeners with HFSNHL than traditional scoring.

Key Words: speech audiometry • California Consonant Test • distinctive features • sensorineural hearing loss

Submitted on April 17, 1989
Accepted on July 17, 1989