J Am Acad Audiol 16:622–630 (2005) 622 *James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, TN; † Departments of Surgery and Communicative Disorders, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN Richard H. Wilson, PhD, VA Medical Center, Audiology (126), Mountain Home, TN 37684; Phone: 423-927-3653; Fax: 423-979-3403; E-mail: RICHARD.WILSON2@MED.VA.GOV The Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, supported this work through a Merit Review, the Auditory and Vestibular Dysfunction Research Enhancement Award Program (REAP), and a Senior Research Career Scientist award to the first author. Word Recognition in Multitalker Babble Measured with Two Psychophysical Methods Richard H. Wilson* † Christopher A. Burks* Deborah G. Weakley* Abstract The purpose of this experiment was to determine the relationship between psychometric functions for words presented in multitalker babble using a descending presentation level protocol and a random presentation level protocol. Forty veterans (mean = 63.5 years) with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing losses were enrolled. Seventy of the Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 words spoken by the VA female speaker were presented at seven signal-to-babble ratios from 24 to 0 dB (10 words/step). Although the random procedure required 69 sec longer to administer than the descending protocol, there was no significant difference between the results obtained with the two psychophysical methods. There was almost no relation between the perceived ability of the listeners to understand speech in background noise and their measured ability to understand speech in multitalker babble. Likewise, there was a tenuous relation between pure-tone thresholds and performance on the words in babble and between recognition performance in quiet and performance on the words in babble. Key Words: Hearing loss, multitalker babble, signal-to-babble ratio, speech perception, word-recognition performance Abbreviations: S/B = signal-to-babble Sumario El propósito de este experimento fue determinar la relación entre las funciones psicométricas para palabras presentadas en medio de balbuceo de hablantes múltiples utilizando un protocolo de niveles descendentes de presentación y un protocolo de nivel aleatorio de presentación. Se involucró a cuarenta veteranos (media = 63.5 años) con hipoacusia sensorineural leve a moderada. Setenta de las palabras de la Prueba Auditivo No. 6 de la Universidad Northwestern, expresadas por una hablante femenina se presentaron a siete tasas de señal/balbuceo, desde 24 a 0 dB (pasos de 10 palabras). Aunque el procedimiento al azar requirió de 69 segundos más para su administración que el protocolo descendente, no hubo diferencia significativa entre los resultados de ambos métodos psicofísicos. Casi no hubo relación entre la capacidad percibida de los sujetos para entender lenguaje en ruido, y su capacidad medida de entender lenguaje en medio de balbuceo de hablantes múltiples. Asimismo, existió una tenue relación entre los umbrales tonales puros y el desempeño con las palabras en medio de balbuceo, y entre el desempeño de reconocimiento en silencio y el desempeño ante las palabras en balbuceo.