Research on the Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) has been dominated by attempts to develop techniques to enhance the clarity of the ABR waveform and to define the parameters that separate normal from abnormal responses. While the effects of stimulus rate are clearly documented, the effects of stimulus polarity on the ABR are not. There may be an interaction of polarity and rate which accounts for the inconsistent results reported in the literature.This study examined the effect of stimulus rate and polarity for waves I, III, and V, on the ABR latency, amplitude, and amplitude ratio.Rarefaction and condensation clicks were delivered at rates of 11.l; 21.1, 41.1, and 81.1 clicks per second. Fourteen male subjects were used, each having normal hearing thresholds and normal middle ear function.The results from this investigation revealed no interaction of rate and polarity on the three waves under study.There was a significant rate effect but not a significant polarity effect for latency, amplitude, and amplitude ratio.These results reveal that the discrepant results in the literature are not due to the different stimulus rates.Therefore, further investigation on the effects of polarity is recommended.