Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2026

Document Type

Doctoral Capstone Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Audiology

Program

Audiology

Advisor

Dorothy Neave-DiToro

Subject Categories

Speech and Hearing Science | Speech Pathology and Audiology

Keywords

hearing aids, AirPods, stigma, over-the-counter

Abstract

Background: The hearing aid market is continuously advancing to address the increasing prevalence of hearing loss and the barriers to obtaining hearing aids. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Apple AirPods Pro 2 devices to function as over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. This is an alternative option to manage hearing difficulties; however, it presents secondary complications related to headphone use and stigma.

Objective: Limited research is available regarding attitudes towards individuals wearing Apple AirPods Pro 2 as OTC hearing aids. This study intended to analyze if people’s pre-established perceptions of Apple AirPods shift once they learn they are being used as OTC aids rather than audio streaming devices. To examine the potential influence of the environment, this study assessed perceptions across a professional, social, and educational setting.

Methods: An online survey was administered to 40 adult participants on the Qualtrics software platform. It was composed of four main sections: demographics, two sets of six images, and post-study questions. This study utilized a 7-point Likert scale modeled after “The Hearing Aid Effect in 2013” (Rauterkus and Palmer, 2014). Participants rated images based on various attributes of an individual wearing a hearing aid or Apple AirPod in three different settings. Participants rated each picture before and after being given a description about the individual’s need to wear either device for their hearing loss.

Results: The findings suggest that the perceptions of both AirPods and hearing aids shifted after participants were given a description regarding the use of the device. This highlights the main idea of the study that wearing a hearing device in different settings and learning about its functionality to treat hearing loss impacts people’s views of the individual. All of the attributes revealed a significant change in the AirPod condition across all three environments except for the young/old attribute. Hearing aids were judged to be more neutral as less attributes had a significant effect in the varied contexts.

Conclusion: The outcomes of this survey highlight the importance and potential benefit of educating society about OTC devices and increasing awareness to normalize alternative hearing technologies, such as Apple AirPods.

Key Words: “Over-the-counter”, “hearing aids”, “AirPods”, and “stigma”

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