A study on the perception, learning experiences, and preferences in music among hard-of hearing adults

The purpose of this study was to investigate the music perception, learning experiences, and preferences of adults with hard-of-hearing and to examine how these factors vary depending on the type of rehabilitative assistive devices they use. A total of 107 adults with hard-of-hearing participated in a questionnaire consisting of 25 items related to music perception, learning experiences, and preferences with desires for learning music. The participants demonstrated a relatively high ability to perceive and identify music sounds, although they experienced difficulties in fully appreciating music while using rehabilitative assistive devices. Despite these challenges, participants expressed a strong desire to engage in music learning, with a particular interest in elements that foster enjoyment, rhythm, and tactile-based learning. Significant differences were observed between groups wearing different types of rehabilitative assistive devices and those not wearing devices, particularly in terms of the recognition of emotional content in songs (P = .003), music preference (P = .019), and perception level of music sounds (P = .000). In addition, significant differences were found in the consideration of self-learning function (P < .05) and listening to songs function (P < .05) when developing music-learning devices based on the use of rehabilitative assistive devices. Based on these research findings, priorities for the development of music-learning devices for adults with hard-of-hearing and relevant technological considerations have been proposed.