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The "hearing aid effect" 2005: a rigorous test of the visibility of new hearing aid styles
Carole E Johnson1, Jeffrey L Danhauer, Reid B Gavin
1Department of Communication Disorders, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5232, USA. johns19@auburn.edu
Purpose:
The visibility of open ear (OE) styles of hearing instruments was rigorously investigated for their potential to reduce the stigma of wearing hearing aids.
Method:
Three groups of 50 young adults (150 total) rated the visibility of 6 hearing aid styles-OE, invisible completely-in-the-canal (CIC), mini in-the-canal (m-ITC), half- and full-shell in-the-ear (ITE), and behind-the-ear (BTE)-worn by a peer model with revealing hairstyle, photographed from 2 ft and at 3 different angles (45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 135 degrees).
Results:
CIC was rated significantly most "invisible" at 45 degrees and 90 degrees, OE and m-ITC were next at those angles, and OE and BTE were least invisible at 135 degrees.
Conclusions:
The findings have implications for counseling potential users who are reluctant to try hearing aids for cosmetic reasons.
