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Counseling is essential for hearing-impaired clients to gain insight into their disability and adjust to the unique challenges of living with a hearing disorder. The stigma associated with wearing hearing aids has been documented and labeled the "Hearing Aid Effect." This study examined 100 university students' preferences for increased speech understanding and amplification of sounds when compared to cosmetic variables (size and visibility of a hearing aid). Audio taped conversations were filtered to simulate a listening condition with a hearing loss. Eighty two of the participants reported that under adverse listening conditions they would consider wearing hearing aids. However, after hearing aids were fitted on participants, 25% preferred not to wear them. Subjects mentioned cosmetics and perceived stigma as the primary reasons for not wearing hearing aids. The need for counseling clients to deal with feelings and experiences of wearing hearing aids as well as become better communicators is discussed.
Over 22 million Americans are diagnosed with hearing losses. Approximately 1.4 million hearing aids are sold annually (Shimon, 1992) in an effort to deal with this communication disability. The stigma associated with the wearing of hearing aids may preclude the necessary commitment of clients to wear their hearing aids. The tradeoff between social acceptance, vanity, personal appraisal about aging, and other issues may play a pivotal role in improving the quality of lives for millions of Americans with hearing losses.
Hearing loss affects communication in a number of ways but primarily by decreasing the intensity of the speech signal and the clarity of the words and message. According to Hull (1997), "feelings of embarrassment, frustration, anger, defeat and ultimate withdrawal from situations that require communication are very real among older persons who are hearing impaired" (p. 326). LaFerle and LaFerle (1988) indicated that hearing loss in the presence of other limitations, especially in the elderly, may result in depression and self-isolation. The effects of hearing loss vary from speaker to speaker and the adjustment to hearing loss is a unique experience for each person. For some people conversations may sound muffled or unclear, while another person may barely hear any sound even when amplified with a hearing aid. Hearing aid wearers must be prepared to wear hearing aids, become active and informed consumers, understand...