In testing, what does a false negative mean?

A false negative in testing refers to a situation where a stimulus is present, such as a sound that is audible, but the patient fails to respond to it. This means that the test indicates the patient did not perceive the sound when, in fact, they did hear it but chose not to react or did not respond accurately. This situation can occur for several reasons, such as the patient's level of attention, fatigue, or understanding of the testing procedure. Identifying false negatives is crucial in audiology as it can indicate potential hearing issues or other underlying problems that may go unnoticed without proper evaluation of the patient's response patterns.

On the other hand, the other options describe scenarios that don't reflect the definition of a false negative. For instance, hearing a sound and responding to it implies a correct detection, while responding correctly every time indicates a consistent and accurate response, not a false negative. Additionally, the scenario where a patient hears sounds but does not respond complicates the interpretation, as it suggests awareness but is not the precise definition of a false negative in the context of audiometric testing.