Academic Journal
Factor Analysis of Auditory Processing Measures in School-Age Children: Evidence for a Four-Factor Structure.
| Title: | Factor Analysis of Auditory Processing Measures in School-Age Children: Evidence for a Four-Factor Structure. |
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| Authors: | Shaikh MA; Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg., Jenna Barrett; Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg., Ruiz-Velasco L; Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg., Pinchasov Y; Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg. |
| Source: | American journal of audiology [Am J Audiol] 2026 Sep 03; Vol. 35 (3), pp. 1150-1163. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Aug 24. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9114917 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1558-9137 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 10590889 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Am J Audiol Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Rockville, MD : American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, c1991- |
| MeSH Terms: | Speech Perception*/physiology , Auditory Perception* , Spatial Processing*, Humans ; Female ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dichotic Listening Tests ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Hearing Tests |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Traditional auditory processing (AP) test batteries rarely include validated measures of spatial speech segregation, despite clinical guidelines demonstrating the importance of spatial hearing. This study aimed to explore the factor structure of nine AP tests in school-age children, hypothesizing a multifactor model that includes degraded speech processing, dichotic listening, temporal processing, and spatial processing, using both traditional tests and the Listening in Spatialized Noise-Sentences (LiSN-S) test. Method: A retrospective, cross-sectional study examined clinical AP measures through factor analysis. The sample included 68 children (24 girls, 44 boys), 8.0-10.67 years of age, referred for AP evaluation from 2012 to 2025. All had normal hearing (thresholds ≤ 20 dB HL), normal middle ear function, no neurological or psychological conditions, English spoken as primary language, and typical cognitive functioning. The sample size met guidelines with a 7.6:1 participant-to-variable ratio. Results: A four-factor solution accounting for 68.7% of the variance was identified: (1) dichotic processing (27.81%; Competing Sentences = 0.98, Competing Words-Free Recall = 0.76), (2) degraded speech processing (15.48%; Auditory Figure Ground = 0.88, Time Compressed Sentences = 0.51, Phonemic Synthesis = 0.47), (3) spatial processing (13.62%; LiSN-S spatial advantage = 0.69, high cue = -0.42), and (4) temporal processing (11.82%; Frequency Pattern Test = 0.73). Intercorrelations were moderate (r = .08-.45), and internal consistency ranged from α = .64 to Spearman-Brown coefficient = .80 for multi-item factors. Conclusion: A multidimensional model of AP was supported, emphasizing the need for including spatial processing measures in routine AP assessment batteries. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.33228396. |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260824 Date Completed: 20260903 Latest Revision: 20260903 |
| Update Code: | 20260904 |
| DOI: | 10.1044/2026_AJA-25-00218 |
| PMID: | 42635526 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
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