CONTROL AND DISPOSITIONAL STYLE AMONG THE HEARING-IMPAIRED IN COMMUNICATION SITUATIONS

Forty hearing-impaired subjects were exposed to three stressful commun ication situations in a laboratory setting. The communication patterns used and the extent to which the subjects succeeded in coping with th e situations were studied. Measures, such as the life orientation test measuring dispositional style, a hearing questionnaire measuring the ability to cope with different hearing situations, degree of control a nd pure-tone audiometry were performed. Coping behaviour and expressed emotion during communication situations were also observed. The resul ts showed that controllability together with dispositional style and a spects of expressed emotion played an important role in explaining the overall success rates of hearing-impaired individuals.