Speech and Hearing Science Commons^™

Examiner Bias And Intelligence Test Scoring : A Study Of The Effect Of Speech-Handicapped Responses On The Scoring Of The Wisc-R Comprehension Subtest, Julia B. Peyser

Dissertations

Problem

One of the concerns in education today is bias in intelligence tests. Examiner bias and the expectancy effect is largely ignored. An unexplored variable in the research is an examinee's speech handicap and the effect it may produce in the scoring of an intelligence test.

Method

Identical responses to the Comprehension subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised were audiotaped on separate cassettes by two children, one with and one with no speech handicap. Sixty-four examiners, thirty-two practicing psychologists and thirty-two graduate students of psychology, were randomly assigned to score the responses on one of the tapes. Sixteen …

A Hearing Assessment Using Operant Audiological Testing With A Severely Retarded Deaf-Blind Child, Patricia Timpson

Masters Theses

This study assessed the feasibility of teaching a 7-year-old severely retarded, hearing and vision impaired girl to respond consistently to a pure tone stimulus using operant audiometric techniques. The experimenter first shaped a head turn response using the opportunity to rock on a rocking horse as reinforcement. Following response shaping, the experimenter used a bone conduction transducer (BCT) as a tactile stimulus in training the subject to turn her head to the left in a similar fashion to a 500 Hz, 65 dB tone/vibration. After 15 days of transfer training, designed to bring the left head turn response under control …

A Comparison Of Level Of Knowledge In Communicative Disorders Between Senior Medical Students And Senior Speech-Language Pathology Students, Cynthia R. Huffman

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In California, physicians are required to "refer and prescribe the extent and duration of hearing, speech and equilibratory services for their patients who are beneficiaries of the state's Medicaid program (Title 22, Division 3 and 4 of the Medi-Cal Utilization Controls #51096). The present study was designed to determine whether senior medical students have knowledge in all areas of Communicative Disorders which is equal to or better than that of the senior speech-language pathology students to whom they will "prescribe" when they enter professional practice.

The study was conducted with the cooperation of students from the Loma Linda University School …

Effect Of Tinnitus Maskers On Speech Discrimination Among Those Wearing Tinnitus Maskers, John Alexander Chonka

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect(s) of tinnitus maskers and tinnitus instruments on speech discrimination utilizing a population of subjects who currently have tinnitus and are presently wearing these devices. The hypothesis which guided this investigation states that there is no difference between discrimination scores with and without tinnitus maskers. In an attempt to test this hypothesis, speech discrimination scores were obtained from 26 listeners both in quiet and in the presence of cafeteria noise, with and without use of their tinnitus maskers.

The Effect Of A Small-Stepped Computer-Based Program On The Graphic Output Of Chronically Asphasic Adults, Cynthia Rubin

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an especially designed small-stepped treatment program utilizing the Apple II microcomputer on the graphic output of eight chronically aphasic adults. The subjects manifested moderate/ severe to severe communicative impairment as determined by performance on the Aphasic Language Performance Scales (ALPS) (Keenan and Brassell, 1974) and were receiving management at the Communicative disorders Clinic at the University of Central Florida. Pretreatment status of each subject was measured via a visual and hearing screening. In addition, the Aphasia Language Performance Scales were administered as an indicant of overall communicative ability. Spelling …

Toward A Phenomenological-Based Perspective Of Acculturation With Application To Scottish Immigrants, Dorothy M. Sermol

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is an attempt to construct a perspective of the acculturation of immigrants drawing on certain communication- based phenomenological assumptions. From these phenomenological assumptions a Framework of Acculturation is constructed as a guide through which to examine the acculturation process. The Framework of Acculturation is then applied to the particular group of Scottish immigrants who live in the Northwest of the United States.

Toward A Behavioral Analysis Of Attentiveness As A Style Of Communication, Ray Alan Coker

Dissertations and Theses

Attentiveness, a variable of communication, primarily serves a stylistic function in the communicative process by providing behavioral evidence that an individual is actively involved in message reception. Past research suggests that while both verbal and nonverbal behaviors signal attentiveness, nonverbal cues are more closely associated with this construct. Among the many nonverbal behaviors of individuals in interactions, postural positions have been deemed highly indicative of attentiveness. At present however, most of the empirical evidence attesting to this notion has been established through the use of self-report measures. As a result of the felt need by this author to improve upon …

Pragmatic Conversational Skills Of Young Adults In Normal, Emr, And Tmr Classrooms, Jane Nicholson

Dissertations and Theses

Current language theory focuses on how a person communicates within a context (Bates, 1976a). A person's communicative competence depends on how effectively she translates her cognitive and social knowledge into linguistic forms to interact in the specific situation, following pragmatic rules (Prutting, 1982b). Thus, in order to assess a person's language ability accurately, the clinician needs to assess pragmatic skills as well as cognitive, social, and linguistic skills. A person's pragmatic development culminates in the ability to participate in a conversation (Rees, 1978).

One-Third Octave Band Augmented Speech Discrimination Testing For Cochlear Impaired Listeners, Dianne Heath

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 500 Hz and 3,150 Hz one-third octave band augmentation on the speech discrimination ability of listeners with cochlear hearing impairments. The results were analyzed both within the experimental group of subjects included in the present study and in comparison with data collected on a control group of normal hearing subjects reported earlier.

Lingual Function And Articulatory Competence, Donna E. Swenson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Dworkin (1979) states that, of the 2.5 million children and young adults in the United States with a communication problem, 60% have a functional articulation disorder for which no psychologic or physical problem can be found. The oral mechanism examination is an established part of a speech and language examination for testing these children, and the tongue is the most important organ for speech (Johnson, Darley, and Spriestersbach, 1963). However, no conclusive rationale for the procedure or objective lingual measurements have been established. This research, therefore, was designed as a pilot study to investigate whether lingual structure and function are …

Easily Administered Recognition Of Linguistically-Handicapped Youngsters, Robin J. Webb

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study investigates the feasibility of involving parents as evaluators using an objective screening test for their children who are 36 to 42 months of age. A more available and nonthreatening assessor is needed as physicians, dentists and other allied health professionals who are typically used to screen children for speech, language and hearing have not been effective with this age group. This is partially due to the limited contacts they have with these children and the environmental limitations for eliciting an adequate speech and language sample (Behrens, 1978; Webb, 197B; Hirsch, 1981).

An objective-type screening instrument has been designed …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Self-Disclosing Communication On Attraction-To-Group In The Small Group Setting, Pamela Walker Vredevelt

Dissertations and Theses

A review of the literature on self-disclosure and small group communication showed that few investigations dealt with the effects of disclosing communication on small group process. The present study was conducted in order to assess the effects of the frequency of self-disclosure within small groups on the members' overall attraction to the group. 120 subjects were selected from the East Hill Church senior high youth department in Gresham, Oregon. Subjects were placed at random into ten small groups with twelve members each which met for one-half hour per week for six consecutive weeks. All group communications were audio tape recorded. …

Graduate Bulletin, 1982-1984 (1982), Moorhead State University

Graduate Bulletins (Catalogs)

No abstract provided.

A Pragmatic Comparison Of Syntactically Matched Normal And Mentally Retarded Children, John A. Tetnowski

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

One-Third Octave Band Augmented Speech Discrimination Testing For Normal Hearing Listeners, Nancy Marie Bowen

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 500 Hz and 3150 Hz one-third octave band augmentation on the speech discrimination ability of normal hearing listeners and whether such effects vary with signal presentation level. The augmented portion of monosyllabic words was systematically varied from 5-55dB above the intensity level of the unfiltered version of the words and presented simultaneously to one ear.

Perspectives On Speechlessness : A Case Study, Michelle Alexander Carlson

Dissertations and Theses

This study addresses a problem of speech disruption as an individual abruptly and without explanation stops speaking to those around her. The matter for investigation involves the meaning this event has for those who are closely involved with this individual either in a practical day to day way or in a continuing relationship.

A Qualitative Analysis Of Nine Nonverbal Communications Texts, Edward J. Cavin

Dissertations and Theses

Throughout the past decade, numerous texts have been published which claim to be ideally suited for use in a basic, introductory nonverbal communication course. Many authors state that their text will comprehensively cover all aspects of the field of nonverbal communication. Unfortunately, many of the texts cover only a portion of the concepts which have been deemed as essential for inclusion in a beginning nonverbal communication course.

With the plethora of material relating to this topic on the market, there is a need for a comprehensive evaluation form by which an elevator could determine the specific method of layout (manner …

Speech Intelligibility As A Function Of The Propositionality Of Background Noise, Gail Swanstrom

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to measure the ability of young normal hearing listeners to perceive speech in the presence of a background noise which varies in the relative intensity of its semantic content. The Speech Perception in Noise test was mixed with a two-component competing noise complex in which the narrative-to- speech noise ratio varied in 2 dB increments from -2 dB Na/SpN to +8 dB Na/SpN. These stimuli were presented at an overall +8 dB signal-to-noise ratio to thirty young normal hearing adults through the soundfield system. The differences between the mean error scores and standard deviations …

Magnitude Estimation Of The Quality And Intelligibility Of Degraded Speech, Theresa Smith

Masters Theses

The purpose of the study was to identify within-group and between-group differences in perceived quality and perceived intelligibility of degraded speech for listeners with normal and impaired hearing. Following a visual magnitude estimation task, 10 subjects with normal hearing and 10 subjects with sensory-neural hearing impairment listened to connected speech samples degraded by seven levels of harmonic distortion and estimated the magnitude of their quality and intelligibility. Log average quality estimates and log average intelligibility estimates varied linearly with log degradation values for each group. The slopes of the log-log functions were interpreted as measures of perceptual sensitivity. Slopes for …

A Comparison Of Two Articulation Carry-Over Techniques, Robyn Schwartz

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the comparative effectiveness of two articulation carry-over techniques. It was hoped that through this comparison answers regarding carry-over results could be ascertained for purposes of aiding public school clinicians currently spending the majority of management time on carry-over. If one technique was found to be superior, its use among speech pathologists might aid in changing this time allocation trend.

The Effect Of Articulation Therapy On The Accurate Use Of Phonemes In Non-Imitative Speech Tasks, Elizabeth Baker

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Remediation Of Rate And Rhythmic Stress Patterns With Deaf Children, Jeannetta D. Bruso

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Academic Achievement Of Third Grade Students Who Failed First Grade Hearing Screening Tests, Catherine A. Cowan

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Mother Anxiety Trait Levels With Positive Comments Following Their Child's Verbalizations, Peggy A. Gornto

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Determination Of Normal Bone Conducted Speech Results Utilizing A Radioear B-72 Bone Oscillator, Roger Edwin Lundberg

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to establish a normal, bone conducted intensity level for the speech reception threshold (SRT) and obtain a normal performance intensity function by bone conduction from 0 dB SL (threshold) through the maximum output level of the standard audiometer. All bone conducted speech test materials consisted of pre-recorded W-2 spondiac words and NU-6 monosyllabic speech discrimination word lists.

Evaluation Of Blissymbolics As A Means Of Communication For The Deaf-Cerebral Palsy Population, Linda Howells

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purposes of this study are:

1. To present the deaf-cerebral palsied population with a more functional means of communication.
2. To test the validity of using a non-vocal means of communication, Blissymbolics, when other more traditional methods of teaching communication skills (sign language or verbal communication) have been ineffective.

Blissymbolics has been found to be an effective means of communication with cerebral palsy children who are unable to develop verbal communication skills. However, there is no research in the use of Blissymbolics with the deaf-cerebral palsy population.

The traditional means of communication used with the nonspeaking deaf person (manual sign language) …

A Comparison Of Articulation Errors Of Second Grade Students In Three Speaking Conditions, Susan Murray

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of /R/ Phoneme Production By Kindergarten Children In Stress-Varied Sentences, Josephine Willison

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of A Talking Machine: The Hc 120 Phonic Mirror Handivoice, James Joseph Oggerino

Dissertations and Theses

This study sought to determine the basic intelligibility of synthesized speech as produced by the HC 120 Phonic Mirror Handivoice. It involved 48 male and female subjects divided into two groups. Group 1 had 40 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 44 years. Group 2 had eight subjects ranging in age from 18 to 33 years. All subjects were screened for normal hearing. Testing for normal hearing was done in an audiological suite at Portland State University. The study was designed to determine the degree to which a group of normal hearing college students could recognize words and phrases …

Blissymbolics As An Augmentative Communication Tool For Adults With Expressive Aphasia, Lynne K. Nishikawa

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The present study had been designed to determine whether Blissymbolics - a visual-graphic communication system based on meaning rather than phonetics - could be used as a means of communication re-training with adults having expressive aphasia. This study investigated the performance of those individuals who had plateaued in re-learning expressive language and speech via traditional speech therapy techniques.

Specifically, answers were sought to the following questions:

1. To what extent does Blissymbolics augment the expressive communication of adults with expressive aphasia, compared with their ability to communicate through speech and writing?
2. Will there be any statistically significant difference in the ability …