DEVELOPMENT OF A NONSENSE SPEECH RECOGNITION TEST IN MODERN GREEK
 
Trimmis N (1), Makri V (1), Markatos N (1), Gouma P (2).
 
(1) Department of Speech Pathology. Technological Educational Institute of Patras; (2) 251 General Air Force Hospital.
 
 Background: Although several speech audiometry tests are presently available in Modern Greek, there is still a deficit in nonsense materials. Nonsense materials are the least redundant type of item and as a result their recognition is not dependent upon the vocabulary of the listener. In addition, nonsense materials permit a detailed analysis of the phonemic errors made by the listener.
 
Aims: The purpose of the present study was to develop material for the construction of a nonsense test for suprathreshold speech recognition testing for native speakers of Modern Greek language. The specific aims of the present study were to construct phonemically balanced lists of nonsense material, and to perform a preliminary investigation of list equivalence.
 
Methods: Nonsense bisyllables with possible phonemic combinations in Greek were chosen as stimuli. Two syllable combinations were chosen as stimuli in order to satisfy the criterion of phonemic balance. To examine list equivalency, the 5 lists were administered monaurally in 5 dB increments to 10 subjects whose hearing was within normal limits.
 
Results: A nonsense test for speakers of Modern Greek has been developed. The test material consists of five lists, each of which contains 50 open-set bisyllabic combinations. Statistical analysis of the results revealed no statistical significant differences among the five lists.
 
Conclusions: These findings suggest that all four lists were found to be equivalent for clinical purposes. Further investigations with larger numbers of subjects are required to determine the validity and reliability of those lists.

E-mail: trimmis@teipat.gr