Components and determinants of hearing aid benefit.

This study investigates the measured and perceived disabilities and handicaps and associated auditory performance in 309 first-time hearing aid candidates. The results suggest that both disability and hearing aid benefit may be divided into separate components having particular and separate relationships to predictor variables in terms of both auditory and nonauditory characteristics. This division leads to a better understanding of the problems associated with a hearing impairment and their alleviation (or lack of) by provision of a hearing aid. In addition, the results support the development of more appropriate speech identification measures and suggest a potentially important role for measures of the temporal properties of the impaired auditory system.