In audiometric testing, a false-positive response means that the

In audiometric testing, a false-positive response means that the

• A. Signal was not presented and the patient did not respond
• B. Signal was not presented and the patient responded
• C. Signal was presented and the patient responded
• D. Signal was presented and the patient did not respond

Answer: (B)

In audiometric testing, decisions are based on a yes/no detection task: did the sound occur and did the patient respond? A false-positive is a false alarm—no sound was presented, yet the patient indicates hearing something. This is why the described scenario fits: no signal is given, but the patient presses the button in response. Such responses can skew the results by making thresholds appear better (lower) than they truly are, since the tester attributes those responses to actual hearing. This is why clinicians sometimes include catch trials and monitor response patterns to ensure reliability, using clear instructions and a calm testing environment to reduce guessing or inadvertent responding.

In audiometric testing, decisions are based on a yes/no detection task: did the sound occur and did the patient respond? A false-positive is a false alarm—no sound was presented, yet the patient indicates hearing something. This is why the described scenario fits: no signal is given, but the patient presses the button in response. Such responses can skew the results by making thresholds appear better (lower) than they truly are, since the tester attributes those responses to actual hearing. This is why clinicians sometimes include catch trials and monitor response patterns to ensure reliability, using clear instructions and a calm testing environment to reduce guessing or inadvertent responding.