1 Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
Trends Hear. 2018 Jan-Dec;22:2331216518813243. doi: 10.1177/2331216518813243.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between emotional responses to sounds, hearing acuity, and isolation, specifically objective isolation (social disconnectedness) and subjective isolation (loneliness). It was predicted that ratings of valence in response to pleasant and unpleasant stimuli would influence the relationship between hearing loss and isolation. Participants included 83 adults, without depression, who were categorized into three groups (young with normal hearing, older with normal hearing, and adults with mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss). Participants made ratings of valence in response to pleasant and unpleasant nonspeech sounds, presented at a moderate overall level in the laboratory. Participants also completed questionnaires related to social disconnectedness and loneliness. Data were analyzed using multiple regression with questionnaire scores as dependent variables. Independent variables were age, gender, degree of hearing loss, perceived hearing handicap, number of depressive symptoms, mean valence rating in response to unpleasant sounds, and mean valence rating in response to pleasant sounds. Emotional responses to pleasant sounds explained significant variability in scores of both social disconnectedness and loneliness. Depressive symptoms also explained variability in loneliness scores. Hearing loss was not significantly related to social disconnectedness or loneliness, although it was the only variable significantly related to ratings of valence in response to pleasant sounds. Emotional responses to pleasant sounds are related to disconnectedness and loneliness. Although not related to isolation in this study, hearing loss was related to emotional responses. Thus, emotional responses should be considered in future models of isolation and hearing loss.
本研究旨在评估对声音的情绪反应、听力和隔离（包括客观隔离[社交孤立]和主观隔离[孤独]）之间的关系。预测对愉快和不愉快刺激的反应的效价评定会影响听力损失与隔离之间的关系。参与者包括 83 名无抑郁的成年人，他们分为三组（年轻且听力正常、年老且听力正常、以及有轻度至中度严重听力损失的成年人）。参与者对愉快和不愉快的非言语声音进行效价评定，这些声音在实验室中以适度的总水平呈现。参与者还完成了与社交孤立和孤独感相关的问卷。使用多元回归分析，将问卷得分作为因变量，年龄、性别、听力损失程度、感知听力障碍、抑郁症状数量、对不愉快声音的平均效价评定和对愉快声音的平均效价评定作为自变量进行分析。对愉快声音的情绪反应解释了社交孤立和孤独感得分的显著可变性。抑郁症状也解释了孤独感得分的可变性。听力损失与社交孤立或孤独感无显著相关性，尽管它是与对愉快声音的反应效价评定唯一显著相关的变量。对愉快声音的情绪反应与社交孤立和孤独感有关。尽管在本研究中与隔离无关，但听力损失与情绪反应有关。因此，在未来的隔离和听力损失模型中应考虑情绪反应。
