Web-based psychoacoustics: Hearing screening, infrastructure, and validation

Abstract

Anonymous web-based experiments are increasingly used in many domains of behavioral research. However, online studies of auditory perception, especially of psychoacoustic phenomena pertaining to low-level sensory processing, are challenging because of limited available control of the acoustics, and the inability to perform audiometry to confirm normal-hearing status of participants. Here, we outline our approach to mitigate these challenges and validate our procedures by comparing web-based measurements to lab-based data on a range of classic psychoacoustic tasks. Individual tasks were created using jsPsych, an open-source JavaScript front-end library. Dynamic sequences of psychoacoustic tasks were implemented using Django, an open-source library for web applications, and combined with consent pages, questionnaires, and debriefing pages. Subjects were recruited via Prolific, a subject recruitment platform for web-based studies. Guided by a meta-analysis of lab-based data, we developed and validated a screening procedure to select participants for (putative) normal-hearing status based on their responses in a suprathreshold task and a survey. Headphone use was standardized by supplementing procedures from prior literature with a binaural hearing task. Individuals meeting all criteria were re-invited to complete a range of classic psychoacoustic tasks. For the re-invited participants, absolute thresholds were in excellent agreement with lab-based data for fundamental frequency discrimination, gap detection, and sensitivity to interaural time delay and level difference. Furthermore, word identification scores, consonant confusion patterns, and co-modulation masking release effect also matched lab-based studies. Our results suggest that web-based psychoacoustics is a viable complement to lab-based research. Source code for our infrastructure is provided.

Auditory Category Learning in Children With Dyslexia

“…We conducted these auditory learning experiments with children online. While recent research has demonstrated that in-person findings of auditory learning and perception generally replicate in online conditions (Mok et al, 2023;Roark et al, 2021Roark et al, , 2022Zhao et al, 2022), this has not yet been tested in children. It is possible that children are much more susceptible than adults to distractions or other technological challenges posed by an online environment.…”

Comparison of Psychometric Functions Measured Using Remote Testing and Laboratory Testing

“…Accurately measuring psychoacoustic thresholds outside the confines of specialized laboratories could initiate important changes in how data is collected and would increase accessibility for basic and translational research [ 4 ]. Previous studies have shown success in comparing equivalent data collected in the lab versus remotely with acoustic hearing [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ] as well as with electric hearing [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. For instance, Lelo de Larrea-Mancera et al (2022) [ 5 ] measured performance on a battery of psychoacoustic experiments in tasks involving audibility, temporal fine structure sensitivity, spectro-temproal modulation sensitivity, and spatial release from masking from a large group of young normal-hearing listeners.…”

“…The results indicated that the suprathreshold auditory processing thresholds obtained using uncalibrated, participant-owned devices in remote settings were comparable to the thresholds obtained in the laboratory with calibrated devices. Similarly, Mok et al (2021) [ 7 ] compared web-based measurements to lab-based thresholds on a range of classic psychoacoustic tasks such as fundamental frequency discrimination, gap detection, and sensitivity to interaural time and level differences, co-modulation masking release, word identification, and consonant confusion. The results revealed an excellent agreement between the thresholds collected using web-based and lab-based measurements indicating robustness in thresholds.…”