[Equivalence analysis of disyllabic Mandarin speech test materials].

To evaluate the equivalence of difficulty of disyllabic Mandarin Speech Test Materials (MSTM) in order to facilitate wider use of speech audiometry in Chinese audiology clinics. The Mandarin disyllabic materials, including 10 lists with 50 words in each, have been recorded and converted digitally into CD format. Sixty-five subjects (the age-range 18-25 years) with normal hearing who speak Mandarin well in their daily lives participated in this study. Five of them joined the pilot study, which aimed to identify a presentation level which would be used into the formal test. The other sixty subjects participated in the formal speech perception test. The results were analyzed statistically with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Software Version 11.0 (SPSS 11.0). Nine of the 10 lists were found to have equal difficulty with application of the ANOVA and SNK-Q statistical methods. Nine lists of 50 words of these Mandarin disyllabic materials can be considered to have equal difficulty and could be used in a clinical setting.