RECRUITING

Use of Airpod Pros as Assistive Technology

Description

The goal of this study is to investigate the suitability and effectiveness of the AirPod Pro 2nd generation (AP2) as hearing assistive technology for individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing loss when listening in noisy environments. Researchers will compare four types of assistive technology: hearing aids (HAs), AP2, dedicated wireless remote microphones, and Smartphone wireless remote microphone. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Which assistive technology provides the greatest benefit for speech recognition in noisy environments? * How do these devices impact listening effort, as measured by reaction time in a dual-task activity and changes in pupil size? * What are participants' preferences for each device based on how easy it is to understand speech and their overall satisfaction? Participants will visit the lab for a single 3-hour session. They will listen to sentences using each device and repeat what they hear. During this task, their reaction times for the secondary task and changes in pupil size will be measured.

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The goal of this study is to investigate the suitability and effectiveness of the AirPod Pro 2nd generation (AP2) as hearing assistive technology for individuals with mild-to-moderate hearing loss when listening in noisy environments. Researchers will compare four types of assistive technology: hearing aids (HAs), AP2, dedicated wireless remote microphones, and Smartphone wireless remote microphone. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Which assistive technology provides the greatest benefit for speech recognition in noisy environments? * How do these devices impact listening effort, as measured by reaction time in a dual-task activity and changes in pupil size? * What are participants' preferences for each device based on how easy it is to understand speech and their overall satisfaction? Participants will visit the lab for a single 3-hour session. They will listen to sentences using each device and repeat what they hear. During this task, their reaction times for the secondary task and changes in pupil size will be measured.

Use of Airpod Pros as Assistive Technology

Use of Airpod Pros as Assistive Technology

Condition
Hearing Loss, Adult-Onset
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Richardson

Callier Center for Communication Disorders, Richardson, Texas, United States, 75080

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * Adults aged 18 to 60 years.
  • * Native English speakers.
  • * Mild-to-moderate hearing loss confirmed by a pure-tone hearing test (average hearing threshold screening 25 to 55 dB HL across octave frequencies from 250 to 8000 Hz).
  • * Individuals with no prior hearing aid experience.
  • * Normal hearing.
  • * Hearing loss worse than moderate.
  • * Neurological, psychiatric, or ophthalmological conditions that might alter the pupil response.
  • * Non-native English speakers.
  • * Individuals with prior hearing aid experience.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to 60 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

The University of Texas at Dallas,

Linda Thibodeau, Ph.D., STUDY_DIRECTOR, The University of Texas at Dallas

Seeon Kim, Ph.D., PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Callier Center for Communication Disorders

Study Record Dates

2025-12