A person with a hearing loss who suffers from recruitment will have which characteristic?

Recruitment is a phenomenon associated with certain types of hearing loss, particularly sensorineural hearing loss. Individuals with recruitment often experience an abnormal increase in perceived loudness as sound levels increase. This means that there is a much smaller range between the threshold of hearing (the lowest level at which sound is perceived) and the uncomfortable loudness level (the point at which sound becomes uncomfortably loud).

In practical terms, this characteristic leads to the perception that sounds suddenly become loud and uncomfortable with only a slight increase in volume. As a result, individuals with recruitment will experience less distance between audibility and uncomfortable loudness levels than someone with normal hearing, where these thresholds are more separated. This condition can create challenges in sound comprehension and comfort in listening environments, making it crucial for audiologists to understand and address recruitment when evaluating and treating hearing loss.