A Preliminary Examination of the Roles of Contextual Stimuli and Personality Traits Under the Adaptation Level Theory Model of Tinnitus

2015 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 543-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Durai ◽  
K. Kobayashi ◽  
G. D. Searchfield
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Theory Model ◽  
Adaptation Level ◽  
Preliminary Examination ◽  
Adaptation Level Theory ◽  
Contextual Stimuli

The Personality Profile of Tinnitus Sufferers and a Nontinnitus Control Group

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (04) ◽  
pp. 271-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mithila Durai ◽  
Mary G. O’Keeffe ◽  
Grant D. Searchfield
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Case History ◽  
Theory Model ◽  
Stress Reaction ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Adaptation Level ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Social Closeness ◽  
Parametric Statistics

Background: Chronic tinnitus (phantom perception of sound) significantly disrupts quality of life in 15–20% of those who experience it. Understanding how certain personality traits impact tinnitus perception and distress can be beneficial for the development of interventions to improve the lives of tinnitus sufferers. Purpose: Four key self-reported personality traits (social closeness, stress reaction, alienation, and self-control) were identified from previous research as being associated with tinnitus. These were compared between tinnitus and age-, gender-, and hearing level-matched nontinnitus controls to see whether underlying profile differences exist, and if personality traits levels correlate with various tinnitus characteristics assessed in typical clinical questionnaires. Research Design: A Web-based personality survey was administered comprising of self-control, stress reaction, alienation, and social closeness subscale questions of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, the Hearing Handicap Inventory-Screening Version, TFI, and the Tinnitus Case History Questionnaire. Study Sample: A total of 154 participants with tinnitus (81 males, 73 females, mean age = 62.6 yr) and 61 control (32 males, 29 females, mean age = 59.62 yr) participants were recruited via e-mail invitations to a tinnitus research clinic database, poster, and social media Web site advertising. Data Collection and Analysis: Statistical analysis was conducted using parametric statistics and IBM SPSS® Version 22 software. Results: Tinnitus sufferers displayed higher levels of stress reaction, lower social closeness, lower self-control, and higher alienation than the control group (p < 0.05). Alienation was related to tinnitus pitch and self-reported hyperacusis measured using the Tinnitus Case History Questionnaire (p < 0.05). Stress reaction correlated with self-reported hyperacusis, whether tinnitus sufferers had sought other treatments, and whether loud sounds make the tinnitus worse (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The four personality traits examined in this study exhibited a consistent association with tinnitus perception and distress, and differentiated tinnitus sufferers from nontinnitus control. Some of the traits also correlated significantly with certain characteristics measured in tinnitus history questionnaires. Personality traits are described in relation to “maladaptive” residuals under the Adaptation Level Theory model of tinnitus. The results of the study suggest that certain personality traits correlate with the clinical presentation of tinnitus.

Adaptation-Level Theory

1974 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 773-774
Author(s):  
JACOB BECK
Keyword(s):  
Adaptation Level ◽  
Adaptation Level Theory

The Effect of Set on the Two-Point Tactual Threshold

1966 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anima Sen
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Test Stimulus ◽  
Opposite Direction ◽  
Adaptation Level ◽  
Critical Stimulus ◽  
Positive Direction ◽  
Control Series ◽  
Longitudinal Line ◽  
Adaptation Level Theory ◽  
The Right

This experiment studies the influence of set on the two-point tactual threshold. The two-point limen (critical stimulus) was determined along the mid-longitudinal line of both volar and dorsal surfaces of the right forearms of seven university students. Test-stimuli were selected at 3 mm. steps both up and down from each of the critical stimuli. Each of these test-stimuli was presented separately, the critical stimulus being interpolated 30 times in each test of the series. The proportions of two-point and one-point responses to the critical stimulus were then determined again in a control series. It was found that, as the test-stimulus deviated in the positive direction from the critical stimulus, the proportion of two-point responses to the critical stimulus increased, reached a maximum and then began to decline. A similar rise and fall in one-point responses were found in the opposite direction. The results were explained by Adaptation Level Theory.

A note on adaptation level theory

1970 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-51
Author(s):  
Malcolm A. Colston
Keyword(s):  
Adaptation Level ◽  
Adaptation Level Theory

Grading Practices in Different Major Fields

1974 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy D. Goldman ◽  
Donald E. Schmidt ◽  
Barbara Newlin Hewitt ◽  
Ronald Fisher
Keyword(s):  
College Admission ◽  
Adaptation Level ◽  
Grading Practices ◽  
High Ability ◽  
Average Student ◽  
Admission Requirements ◽  
Adaptation Level Theory ◽  
High Grading ◽  
Grading Standards ◽  
High Ability Students

The present investigation was concerned with grading standards in different major fields. Specifically, adaptation-level theory was hypothesized as a model for describing grading behavior of instructors. In this model, the stringency of grading standards is positively related to average student ability. The regressions of GPA on HSGPA, SATV and SATM were computed for students in each of 12 major fields. This information was used to “project” hypothetical GPA’s if students were to major in fields other than their own. The results indicated that for middle and low ability students those fields with lowest ability students adopt lowest grading standards. Similarly, high grading standards are adopted by fields with high ability students. It appeared that adaptation-level theory was supported as a model of grading behavior at low and middle levels of ability but not for high levels of ability. The implications of the results were discussed with regard to: 1) changing college admission requirements, and, 2) open-enrollment experiments.

GOOD NEWS OR BAD NEWS FIRST?

1981 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda L. Marshall ◽  
Robert F. Kidd
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Attraction ◽  
Role Playing ◽  
Intelligence Test ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Good News ◽  
Adaptation Level ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Commonsense Reasoning ◽  
Adaptation Level Theory ◽  
Gain Loss

Commonsense reasoning predicts that people prefer hearing bad news before good news rather than the reverse. In two role-playing experiments, subjects were asked if they preferred to hear good news/bad news or bad news/good news. In a third experiment, subjects believed they would be receiving good and bad information about themselves from a personality, social sensitivity, or intelligence test. Results from all three studies showed that subjects overwhelmingly preferred to hear bad news first. Two possible interpretations of the results were offered. One interpretation derived from the gain-loss phenomenon in interpersonal attraction and the other from Helson's adaptation-level theory.

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