A factor analysis of the SSQ (Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale)

Abstract Objective: The speech, spatial, and qualities of hearing questionnaire (SSQ) is a self-report test of auditory disability. The 49 items ask how well a listener would do in many complex listening situations illustrative of real life. The scores on the items are often combined into the three...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of audiology 2014-02, Vol.53 (2), p.101-114
Main Authors: Akeroyd, Michael A., Guy, Fiona H., Harrison, Dawn L., Suller, Sharon L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Attention
Audiometry
behavioral measures
Comprehension
Disability Evaluation
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Female
Hearing
hearing aids
Hearing Disorders - diagnosis
Hearing Disorders - physiopathology
Hearing Disorders - psychology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Original
Persons With Hearing Impairments - psychology
Predictive Value of Tests
Psychoacoustics
Psychoacoustics/hearing science
Severity of Illness Index
Sound Localization
Space Perception
Speech Acoustics
Speech Intelligibility
Speech Perception
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:Abstract Objective: The speech, spatial, and qualities of hearing questionnaire (SSQ) is a self-report test of auditory disability. The 49 items ask how well a listener would do in many complex listening situations illustrative of real life. The scores on the items are often combined into the three main sections or into 10 pragmatic subscales. We report here a factor analysis of the SSQ that we conducted to further investigate its statistical properties and to determine its structure. Design: Statistical factor analysis of questionnaire data, using parallel analysis to determine the number of factors to retain, oblique rotation of factors, and a bootstrap method to estimate the confidence intervals. Study sample: 1220 people who have attended MRC IHR over the last decade. Results: We found three clear factors, essentially corresponding to the three main sections of the SSQ. They are termed "speech understanding", "spatial perception", and "clarity, separation, and identification". Thirty-five of the SSQ questions were included in the three factors. There was partial evidence for a fourth factor, "effort and concentration", representing two more questions. Conclusions: These results aid in the interpretation and application of the SSQ and indicate potential methods for generating average scores.
ISSN:1499-2027
1708-8186
DOI:10.3109/14992027.2013.824115