Standard clinical threshold testing estimates the 85-95% detection point

Evidence

After familiarization, the adaptive procedure begins. Upon a detection (“yes”) response, the stimulus level is decreased by 10 dB. This change in level is the step size of the procedure. The sets of trials in which the stimulus level is decreasing are referred to as the descending runs, which continue until a listener does not detect the presence of the signal. At this point, the stimulus level is increased by 5 dB; these are the ascending runs, which will continue until the listener detects the signal. At that point, a descending run is again initiated. … This procedure, commonly called the 10-dB down, 5-dB up procedure or the 10-down, 5-up procedure, is continued until the patient responds to at least two out of three stimulus presentations at the same level on the ascending runs. The final value is taken as the threshold, leading to a very efficient means of estimating threshold. This procedure yields a threshold that corresponds to 50% or higher detections. Marshall and Jesteadt (1986) estimated that the clinical procedure converges at about 85 to 95% detections. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 305

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains the 10-down/5-up adaptive procedure mechanics and its detection-convergence percentage.