Can Acceptable Noise Levels Be Predicted from a Noise - Tolerance Questionnaire ?

The Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) test is a measure of the amount of background noise that a person is willing to tolerate. In recent years it has gained interest among researchers and hearing care professionals because of its ability to predict, with 85% accuracy, who will be successful with hearing aids. This statistic is not only useful for counselling purposes, but it implies that if one could understand why different people are able to tolerate different amounts of background noise, then one could gain insight into what makes a patient successful (or unsuccessful) with hearing aids. This knowledge could be used to target hearing-aid solutions to the individual to improve her prognosis with hearing aids. However, several studies have been unsuccessful at correlating ANLs with audiological factors other than hearing-aid success. This article reviews some of the ANL literature, speculates on the potential future applications of the ANL test and reports the results of a questionnaire that was administered to 139 participants to gain insight into the potential mechanisms underlying individuals’ ANLs.