title: Conversation tactics in persons with normal hearing and hearing-impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the tactics people use when aural communication fails owing to environmental circumstances or impaired hearing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Persons with different degrees of self-reported hearing impairment completed an online questionnaire constructed from items taken from the literature on communication strategies but reworded to be understood by people with normal hearing. Tactics were examined for frequency of use in two severities of impairment and between genders. All the data were then factor analysed and factor scores related to variables of relevance to communication.
  
  
  METHODS
  A large convenience sample (n = 188) with a range of self-assessed hearing impairment from normal to profound.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Descriptive data revealed some differences in frequency of use in relation to severity and gender. Factor analysis yielded six clearly interpretable factors, the largest relating to disengagement (avoidance). Self-assessed impairment was chiefly associated with a speech reading tactic, negatively with environmental optimization strategies, and to a small extent with disengagement and conversation repair.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only the tactic of speech reading was closely associated with impaired hearing, with some evidence that females were more inclined to use it. Otherwise, all tactics were commonly employed, regardless of hearing status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Greenwich , London , UK.
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Hallam
authors.forename: Roslyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corney
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057189:Checklist; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008085:Lipreading; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011594:Psychometrics; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013067:Speech Perception; D055815:Young Adult