ABSTRACT
This chapter is a comprehensive reference manual providing information on the Whispered Voice Test (WVT), which is a good choice as a screening test for impairment of hearing function. Most of its validity data come from older populations. This test should be carefully applied using standard methods to achieve adequate reliability. Items of the WVT comprise a combination of three numbers or letters (e.g., 4–K–2) that are whispered by the examiner. This assessment has been in clinical use for a long time. It was systematized in the 1980s and this probably occurred independently in a number of settings. A brief history of the instrument's development is provided, along with a description of item content and administration/scoring procedures. Psychometric properties are reviewed and a critical commentary is provided. Key references are cited and in most cases the actual scale is included, giving the reader easy access to the instrument.
