The phenomenon where sound in the test ear is loud enough to be heard by the non-test ear is called what?

The phenomenon where sound in the test ear is loud enough to be heard by the non-test ear is referred to as crossover. This occurs during audiometric testing, particularly when testing hearing thresholds. When the sound stimulus presented to one ear is sufficiently loud, it can escape from the test ear and be perceived by the non-test ear, which can lead to inaccurate test results.

Understanding crossover is essential for audiologists and audiology technicians as it may affect the validity of hearing assessments. Measures such as using a sound booth or employing narrow band noise masking can help to minimize this effect, ensuring that the results accurately reflect the hearing ability of the test ear alone.

The other terms have different meanings in the context of audiology. Interference often refers to a disruption in sound perception rather than the transmission itself between ears, sound leakage specifically describes the unintended passage of sound in a technical context, and transduction pertains to the process of converting sound waves into neural signals within the auditory system rather than concerning the interaction of sound between the ears.