Examination effects in audiometric testing of children.

Serial AC threshold data recorded at 6-month intervals in 261 children aged 6 to 18 years have been analyzed for examination effects. After excluding effects of age, linear examination effects are shown by a multivariate analysis of variance for repeated measures and by a regression method. The findings indicate that hearing sensitivity improves with repeated examination. In the present data, the cumulative examination effects for eight examinations at 6-month intervals approximate 3 dB at 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz and 5 dB at 4 and 6 kHz. The effects are larger in the right ear than in the left ear, but there is no significant sex difference. The recorded serial data have been adjusted for the estimated examination effects prior to further analyses.