Conditioned Play Audiometry
Also written as: CPA — Conditioned Play Audiometry
A paediatric behavioural test method in which children aged approximately 2.5–5 years are conditioned to perform a play activity in response to detecting a sound.
Full Definition
In Conditioned Play Audiometry (CPA), the child is trained to perform a repetitive play task—such as placing a block in a bucket or a peg in a board—each time a tone or speech stimulus is heard. The method bridges the gap between VRA and conventional audiometry, providing reliable ear-specific and frequency-specific thresholds in pre-school-aged children. Calibration of the play task to the auditory stimulus is critical to test validity. Editors should ensure CPA is not interchanged with VRA, as the two techniques target different developmental age groups.
Usage
Usage note: CPA requires a cooperative child and an experienced clinician; editors reviewing paediatric audiology reports should flag any use of CPA with children under approximately 2 years as potentially inconsistent.
In Context
- "Conditioned Play Audiometry yielded reliable thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz." — Paediatric audiology report
- "The audiologist transitioned from VRA to CPA when the child reached 30 months of age." — Longitudinal audiology case summary