The "Hearing Aid Effect" 2005

Abstract

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.