Online and in-lab testing of gap detection abilities in normal hearing adults

This study evaluated the feasibility and reliability of a browser-based Adaptive Gap Detection Test (AGDT) for remote assessment of temporal resolution in normal-hearing adults. Forty-eight participants completed AGDT testing in both face-to-face and online environments, and within-channel (WC) thresholds were compared with those obtained using the traditional Gaps-in-Noise (GIN) test. WC thresholds were similar between AGDT and GIN (2.09 ms vs 2.77 ms), indicating good agreement. Online and in-person AGDT results were also comparable [2.21 ms vs 2.09 ms for WC; 30.42 ms vs 33.80 ms for between-channel (BC)]. Reliability analyses demonstrated moderate-to-good intraclass correlation coefficients across modalities, with no significant differences in thresholds. Mean thresholds remained stable across test order, although test-retest reliability was higher when in-person instructions preceded online testing. Despite some variability in BC performance, AGDT yielded consistent and valid thresholds in remote contexts, particularly for WC tasks. With its browser-based design, rapid administration, and minimal supervision requirements, AGDT provides a practical tool for remote auditory assessment, supporting applications in large-scale research, monitoring, and screening where in-person testing is not feasible.