Time-efficient multidimensional threshold tracking method

Traditionally, adaptive methods have been used to reduce the time it takes to estimate psychoacoustic thresholds. However, even with adaptive methods, there are many cases where the testing time is too long to be clinically feasible, particularly when estimating thresholds as a function of another parameter, such as in temporal masking curves or when characterizing auditory filters. Here we present a new method, the “grid” method, which adaptively varies multiple parameters during each experimental run. By changing the way the parameter-response space is sampled, the method increases the proportion of experimental time spent in the vicinity of the sought-after threshold curve. The resulting increase in time-efficiency is substantial and can make some measurements clinically feasible. Thresholds from temporal masking curves obtained with the grid method are compared with those from one of the most time-efficient standard methods (single-interval up-down adaptive method of Lecluyse, 2013). Overall, individuals' results from both methods are very highly correlated, but the grid method was an order of magnitude faster in estimating thresholds. The application of the grid method to other measurements, such as characterizing auditory filters, will also be discussed.