Threshold estimates reflect both ear sensitivity and listener response bias

Evidence

In many areas of psychoacoustics, and particularly in clinical assessment, we are interested in the auditory sensitivity of the listener, essentially what the ear can do. However, we must also consider the response proclivity of the listener, or how the listener responds to the stimuli. We also refer to response proclivity as response bias, more explicitly defined as the listener’s tendency to say, “Yes I heard something.” Listeners may come to the laboratory or the clinic with different motivations for participation, and these factors must be considered in any psychoacoustic or audiological assessment. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 328

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines response bias vs. auditory sensitivity — a core distinction for anyone measuring thresholds.
• XREF: Connects to signal detection theory and to any experimental-design concern about how yes/no answers vary with motivation.