Behavioral Audiometry

Question 1

Classical (pavlovian) conditioning

Answer 1

• In early development of behavioral pediatric audiology, psychogalvanic skin response (PSR) was used (Bordley, Hardy, & Richter, 1948)
• Auditory stimulus (neutral) paired with electric shock (unconditioned stimulus) while measuring the amplitude and frequency of change in skin resistance (unconditioned response)
• After repeated trials, the power of the electric shock will be transferred to the auditory stimulus
• –Was used as an alternative to play audiometry for measuring hearing in children. However, it was phased out of use after it was clearly demonstrated that the audiometric results and outcomes were less accurate, more time consuming, and traumatic compared to Instrumental (operant) Conditioning Techniques

Question 2

Instrumental (Operant Conditioning)

Answer 2

A behavioral response elicited by a stimulus is controlled by the
consequences of the behavior

Skinner (1953) stated “ the term ‘operant’ emphasizes the fact that the
behavior operates upon the environment to generate consequences”

Approach to behavioral assessment of hearing in infants and young
children uses this approach→ Operant discrimination procedure

Question 3

operant conditioning & audiology

Answer 3

● The auditory stimulus serves as a discriminative stimulus (i.e. is it present or absent)
○ Indicates the time frame during which a response will yield a stimulus
● Response–single example of the appropriate behavior
● Operant–range of responses that are controlled by their consequences
● Consequence–an appropriately selected and appropriately applied reinforcement
● When a behavior generates a reinforcing consequence, there is an increased probability that similar behavior will reoccur
○ Frequency of operant behavior depends on the changes it brings about in an organism’s environment

Question 4

Behavioral observation

Answer 4

● Not considered appropriate for the estimation of hearing in infants under
approximately 5-6 months
○ High inter- and intrasubject variability in responses
○ Rapid response habituation
● Often helpful to observe babies in a drowsy or light state of sleep
● Audiologists should look for gross behavioral responses to broadband
noise or speech stimuli
● For infants under 2 months of age, expect few if any behavioral levels
below those that elicit startle responses

Question 5

Visual Reinforcement Audiometry

Answer 5

VRA is a detection, not a localization task
aligns with operant conditioning. see 23-2

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Question 6

Conditioned Play Audiometry

Answer 6

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