Document Type

Capstone Project

Publication Date

2018

First Advisor

Scott Seeman

Keywords

Listening effort, fatigue, stress, hearing loss

Disciplines

Speech Pathology and Audiology

Abstract

There are many known negative impacts of hearing loss including difficulty communicating, especially in noise, avoidance or withdrawal from social situations, social rejection, strain on relationships with family members and friends, emotional effects, including anxiety, depression, and a decline in self-esteem and confidence. While a large amount of research exists regarding the financial, social, and physical costs of hearing loss, the relationship between hearing loss and listening effort, fatigue, and stress are not as well understood. The aim of this paper is to review research regarding the interrelationship of listening of listening effort, stress, and fatigue, as well as a review of subjective and objective measurements of listening effort, stress, and fatigue. A literature review was conducted using research papers obtained from Pubmed and ComDisDome. It has been inferred that increased mental effort associated with hearing loss can lead to an increase in stress, tension, and fatigue. Although self-report, behavioral, and physiological measurements have shown a relationship between hearing loss and listening effort, stress, and fatigue, there is not a consensus on how best to measure and its clinical implications. It can also be argued that hearing-impaired individuals do not experience increased listening effort, fatigue, and stress, simply because they ignore these types of unfavorable listening environments. Overall, more research is needed to obtain a better understanding of the relationship between hearing loss and listening effort, fatigue, and stress.

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