ABSTRACT
Hearing loss is one of the most common chronic conditions in older adults. Age-related and noise induced types of hearing loss constitute the biggest proportions of permanent hearing loss that have no medical or surgical cure. Untreated hearing loss can result in various physical, mental, and social consequences to both the person with hearing loss and their significant others. The most commonly used management strategy for those with permanent hearing loss is hearing aids. Hearing aids have been shown to reduce the negative effects of hearing loss. However, in the Western world only one in three or one in four people with hearing loss own a hearing aid, and an even smaller number use them. In hearing healthcare literature, several studies have examined the attitude and behavior of people with hearing loss towards hearing aids; however, not much is known about the manner in which society generally views and perceives hearing loss and hearing aids. In this chapter, a summary of audiological literature on attitude towards hearing loss and hearing aids is provided, the limitations of attitude research are identified, and a case for the use of Social Representations Theory in understanding the public perception of hearing loss and hearing aids is made.
