Evaluating the usability of gamified spatial release from masking tasks using the Portable Automated Rapid Testing app

This research presents initial findings from an ongoing study assessing the usability of gamified Spatial Release from Masking (SRM) tasks using the Portable Automated Rapid Testing (PART) app on an iPad. Evaluating usability data is crucial for optimizing task design, ensuring accessibility, and improving user engagement across diverse populations. The SRM tasks used target and masker sentences from the Coordinate Response Measure (CRM) speech database (Bolia et al., 2000). Participants completed two gamified SRM tasks and one non-gamified version in randomized order. After each task, participants rated usability through five survey questions on a 5-point Likert scale (e.g., “Please rate your willingness to perform this task again: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree”). Performance on each SRM task was also compared to usability feedback collected via a 6-question survey administered after all tasks (e.g., “Which of the three tasks did you find most challenging?”). Demographic factors, including age, hearing level, and history of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), were analyzed in relation to SRM performance. Overall, usability scores were high, suggesting that gamification is a viable direction for psychoacoustical tests of SRM. Interactions with demographic variables will be discussed.