The interactive effects of gender, age, and degree of sensori-neural hearing loss on the absolute latency of wave V of the auditory brain stem response were analyzed in 325 subjects with cochlear loss. Norms based on these data were then applied to an analysis of the wave V latencies of 87 subjects with retrocochlear loss. Results in the cochlear group revealed interactions between gender and age and between gender and degree of hearing loss. The interactive effect between gender and degree of loss was observed for wave V, but not for waves III or I. Separate gender norms for absolute wave V latency, based on empirical boundaries encompassing 99% of the cochlear group, resulted in a 90% correct identification rate in the 87 subjects with retrocochlear lesion.