AJA
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

American Journal of Audiology Vol.14 169-175 December 2005. doi:10.1044/1059-0889(2005/019)
© American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow My Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Johnson, C. E.
Right arrow Articles by Lopez, I. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Johnson, C. E.
Right arrow Articles by Lopez, I. P.

The "Hearing Aid Effect" 2005

A Rigorous Test of the Visibility of New Hearing Aid Styles

Carole E. Johnson 1, Jeffrey L. Danhauer 2, Reid B. Gavin 1, Summer Raye Karns 1, Amber C. Reith 1, and Ilian Priscilla Lopez 2

1 Auburn University, Auburn, AL
2 University of California, Santa Barbara

johns19{at}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°, 90°, and 135°).

Results: CIC was rated significantly most "invisible" at 45° and 90°, OE and m-ITC were next at those angles, and OE and BTE were least invisible at 135°.

Conclusions: The findings have implications for counseling potential users who are reluctant to try hearing aids for cosmetic reasons.

Key Words: stigma, open ear hearing aids

Submitted on May 10, 2005
Accepted on September 17, 2005






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
All ASHA Journals AJA AJSLP JSLHR LSHSS
Copyright © 2005 by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.