Purpose: The visibility of open ear (OE) styles of hearing instruments was rigorously investigated for their potential to reduce the stigma of wearing hearing aids.
Method: Three groups of 50 young adults (150 total) rated the visibility of 6 hearing aid styles-OE, invisible completely-in-the-canal (CIC), mini in-the-canal (m-ITC), half- and full-shell in-the-ear (ITE), and behind-the-ear (BTE)-worn by a peer model with revealing hairstyle, photographed from 2 ft and at 3 different angles (45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 135 degrees).
Results: CIC was rated significantly most "invisible" at 45 degrees and 90 degrees, OE and m-ITC were next at those angles, and OE and BTE were least invisible at 135 degrees.
Conclusions: The findings have implications for counseling potential users who are reluctant to try hearing aids for cosmetic reasons.