Can focusing on positive listening experiences improve hearing aid outcomes?

Solution adoption Question 01

Can focusing on positive listening experiences improve hearing aid outcomes?

The Scientific Institute of WS Audiology

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ORCA Labs’ research is available to all hearing healthcare professionals through many publications. For further information and access to specific publications, please contact us.

Our research is currently structured in four areas. Click below to discover each area.

ORCA Labs researchers and partners are spread across the globe but are united in being leaders in their field.

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Solution adoption Question 01

Can focusing on positive listening experiences improve hearing aid outcomes?

The challenge

Overcoming negative bias in the use of hearing aid

Negativity bias is a psychological phenomenon where negative experiences feel more significant than positive ones. In hearing care, this means that hearing aid benefits can be overshadowed by difficult listening situations, negatively influencing user satisfaction and, in turn, hearing aid use.

Research in positive psychology has shown that intentionally focusing on positive emotional experiences can help counteract negativity bias.

Our approach

Enhancing hearing aid use with positivity

To explore this further, we conducted a series of studies to determine whether Positive Focus (PF), an intervention that encourages hearing aid users to reflect on positive listening experiences, could improve hearing aid outcomes.

We assessed the effects of Positive Focus on hearing aid benefit and satisfaction in both first-time and experienced users across three studies. One study was conducted in close collaboration with Odense University Hospital, Denmark.

Participants were divided into two groups: one group documented and reflected on positive experiences, while the control group continued using their hearing aids as usual. We primarily evaluated:

Self-reported hearing aid satisfaction
Self-reported hearing aid benefit
Measured speech-in-noise abilities

Our approach

Evaluating the Positive Focus intervention

Study 1: Three-Week Trial investigating experienced hearing aid benefit and satisfaction (21 Experienced Users)

Participants in the PF group engaged in short-term Positive Focus reflection.
Significant improvement in user satisfaction and perceived hearing aid benefit was observed after just two weeks.

Study 2: Six-Month Trial investigating experienced hearing aid benefit and satisfaction (38 First-Time Users)

Examined the short- and long-term effects of Positive Focus.
Improvements in experienced hearing aid benefit and satisfaction were seen already at two weeks.
Improvements in experienced benefit and satisfaction were sustained over the six-month follow-up period, even as Positive Focus engagement declined.

Study 3: Two-Week Trial investigating measured speech-in-noise abilities (30 Experienced Users)

Investigated whether Positive Focus could influence speech-in-noise abilities.
Significant improvement in speech-in-noise performance was observed after two weeks.

"Sounds I heard to some extent "with a filter" before I got hearing aids, but just tonight more intense than they usually are - a nice experience"

Key insights

Lasting impact of positive focus

Overall, the Positive Focus studies highlight the importance of encouraging hearing aid users to focus on positive listening experiences to improve both short- and long-term outcomes.

The results from first-time users suggest that reflecting on positive listening experiences during the critical hearing aid onboarding period can have lasting effects.

Looking ahead Enhancing hearing aid outcomes

Future research focus

Future research will explore whether Positive Focus can enhance emotional responses to everyday sounds and how these improvements relate to overall well-being and quality of life.

Additionally, we will investigate how Positive Focus techniques can be integrated into clinical counseling to support long-term hearing aid engagement.

Real-world impact

A simple yet effective approach to hearing care

By integrating Positive Focus into audiological care, we can:

Help hearing aid users develop lasting positive perceptions of their devices.

Support clinicians in using PF techniques to improve patient satisfaction and long-term hearing aid use.

These findings highlight that hearing aid satisfaction outcomes are shaped not only by technology but by psychology.

This research underscores the potential of behavioral interventions like Positive Focus to complement hearing aid technology, ensuring that users not only hear better but also experience hearing in a more positive way.

Encouraging users to focus on positive listening experiences can be a powerful tool for improving engagement and fostering long-term positive hearing aid outcomes.

Related Publications

Explore our latest research on Positive Focus

Researchers involved

Research area Facilitate solution adoption

Dina Lelic

Principal Scientist, Denmark

Karolina Smeds

Principal Scientist, Sweden

Petra Herrlin

Senior Research Audiologist, Sweden

Florian Wolters

Senior Scientist, Sweden

Partners Universities

Solution adoption Question 01