Motivation in hearing aid acceptance

Patient case histories are presented in an attempt to pinpoint possible motivational factors affecting the acceptance of a hearing aid. Personality profiles were constructed on three representative patients through the use of an in-depth interview as well as three personality scales: the 16PF Multiphasic Personality Scale; the Crowne-Marlowe Social Desirability Scale; and the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons Scale. The very preliminary results indicate at least some face validity to the assertion that unsuccessful hearing aid wearers are measurably different from successful wearers and that these differences may be used to predict success of failure for future patients.