Valence ratings of recorded media for adults with and without hearing loss.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated valence ratings in response to recorded media under a variety of listening situations. DESIGN AND STUDY SAMPLE: Younger adults with normal hearing (n = 20), older adults with typical hearing (n = 20), and older adults with hearing loss (n = 20) provided ratings of valence (the degree to which they felt pleasant) for audio-only (Experiment 1) and audiovisual (Experiment 2) recorded media clips. Clips varied by dialogue-to-background ratio and loudspeaker configuration (television, stereo, surround sound). RESULTS: In both experiments, older listeners with hearing loss provided significantly lower valence ratings than their typical hearing peers, but only when the surround sound loudspeakers were used or when the dialogue-to-background ratio was +7 dB. Older listeners provided lower valence ratings when the loudspeaker was either stereo or surround sound or when dialogue-to-background ratio was +12 dB, but only when visual cues were not available. CONCLUSION: Older adults with hearing loss exhibit disrupted ratings of valence to recorded media. The effect could be mitigated with improved dialogue-to-background ratios of television shows and movies, but not with surround sound systems.