Effects of audible bandwidth and stimulus modality on emotional responses to sound

Abstract

A wide range of emotional responses is typical and important for overall well-being. Adults with hearing loss demonstrate a reduced range of emotional responses to non-speech sounds; their ratings of valence to pleasant and unpleasant sounds are less extreme than those of their peers with normal hearing. The purpose of this project was to explore the role of two potential explanations, limited audible bandwidth and emotional processing differences. Adults with normal hearing and sensorineural hearing loss rated their emotional responses (valence and arousal) to non-speech, affective sounds and pictures (in combination and in isolation). To explore the potential contribution of audible bandwidth, adults with normal hearing rated stimuli that were full bandwidth and also bandpass limited. In addition, adults with hearing loss were specifically recruited to include heterogeneous hearing loss configurations. Differences in ratings between auditory and visual stimuli provide insight into whether reduced emotional responses for adults with hearing loss are specific to audition or generalize to visual stimuli. Results demonstrate the importance of audition and audible bandwidth as key factors in emotional responses to pleasant, non-speech stimuli. These findings have important implications for designing interventions to support the listening needs of adults with hearing loss.