Be Part of the Conversation: Audiology Messaging During a Hearing Screening.
Craig Richard St Jean, Jacqueline Cummine, Gurjit Singh and 1 others
PMID 34010246WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy adults under 40 exposed to a gain-framed poster reported greater willingness to seek hearing help than those seeing a loss-framed one.
This effect held without them noticing the poster, but applies only to young people with normal hearing.
Key findings
01Participants exposed to a gain-framed poster showed significantly higher agreement with statements about seeking professional help and trying hearing aids compared to those exposed to a loss-framed poster.
02The effect occurred even though participants were not explicitly directed to look at the posters, suggesting passive exposure influences attitudes.
03Telling participants their hearing test indicated a loss did not significantly change their attitudes compared to those who received no such feedback.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample consisted entirely of healthy young adults (18-39) with no history of hearing loss, so findings cannot be generalized to older adults or those with actual hearing impairment. The study was underpowered for multiple comparisons; after Bonferroni correction, only 2 of 5 initially significant differences remained. Participants were recruited from a university campus, with high educational attainment and a majority female, which may limit generalizability. The feedback manipulation was a simulation of failing a hearing test, not an actual diagnosis, which may not replicate the psychological impact of a real hearing loss diagnosis.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Sonova AG, a manufacturer of hearing aids.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this finding applies to your typical hearing aid candidates. The study only tested healthy young adults with no hearing loss. Previous research suggests older adults or those with hearing loss may respond better to loss-framed messages.