Methodological considerations in employing the continuous discourse tracking procedure with hearing-impaired adults.

Abstract

This article addresses the various methodological issues involved in the use of the Continuous Discourse Tracking (CDT) procedure as a test instrument for evaluating communication efficiency in hearing-impaired adults. An overview of the potentially confounding variables associated with the CDT technique is provided and consideration is given to the reliability of this procedure with reference to areas requiring systematic investigation. It is proposed that the adoption of an alternative paradigm as well as interdisciplinary approach to test construction may facilitate a multi-dimensional perspective to the assessment of speechreading and communicative ability in the hearing-impaired population.