Worsened multitasking performance with simulated hearing protection correlates with individuals' choice not to "wear" it

Workers' reasons for not wearing hearing protection devices (HPDs) largely come from performance issues that occur while wearing. Research has shown that such complaints are justified in regard to auditory situational awareness (e.g., speech comprehension), but other aspects of work performance (e.g., multitasking ability) are rarely characterized....

No direct change to audiology clinical practice; findings reinforce that hearing protection comfort and usability — including dual-task performance — should be considered when recommending occupational hearing protection devices.

Understanding why workers reject hearing protection is critical to reducing noise-induced hearing loss in occupational settings, and this study links measurable performance decrements to real-world non-compliance.

1. 01Worsened multitasking performance under simulated hearing protection predicted workers' self-reported decision not to wear it.
2. 02Study used a simulated hearing protection paradigm rather than real-world field data.
3. 03Published in Frontiers in Psychology (DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1657161).
4. 04Findings have implications for occupational hearing conservation program design.
5. 05Hearing protector selection should account for cognitive and performance demands of the job.

PMID

42344974

DOI

10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1657161.

Journal

Frontiers in Psychology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Workers assessed under simulated hearing protection device conditions

Intervention

Simulated hearing protection devices during dual-task (multitasking) performance testing

Comparator

No hearing protection condition