Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-93).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-139).

Thesis (M.Communication Pathology) -- University pf Pretoria, 2009.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, June 30, 2007." Includes bibliographical references (p. 27-30). Also available in print.

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Carleton University, 1992. / Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

The decision regarding cochlear implantation is complex and involves the consideration of a multitude of factors that will influence the future of a hearing impaired child. Parents are often faced with the task of making this decision urgently during a period when they dealing with the diagnosis of a hearing loss. To date, there is sparse literature available on parental readiness for cochlear implantation. An understanding of parental experiences during the decision making process will help professionals involved in the cochlear implant teams to help parents through this difficult decision making time and hence have significant clinical implications for future practice. This is particularly relevant in South Africa where there is very little literature to guide both parents and professionals with regard to decision making. The objective of this study was to determine parental descriptions of their experiences with regard to the decision of cochlear implantation for their young children with hearing loss as well as the factors that needed to be considered by the parents for the child when deciding on a cochlear implant. Semi structured interviews were conducted with 13 parents at a Learning Facility in South Africa. The results revealed that the decision for cochlear implantation was based on two critical factors which were the sense of urgency and the future of the child. Other considerations such as the financial consideration, surgical risk, aesthetics, communicative outcomes, family consensus, and parental readiness were identified. The power of professionals during this time when decisions are being made in the context of ignorance and within an oral environment was revealed. This finding raised the question of the ethical and moral practice of professionals involved in cochlear implantation.

This program of research investigated the role of cognitive factors in adjustment to cochlear implantation. A cochlear implant is a medical device for severe to profoundly deaf individuals that simulates sound in the cochlea by electrically stimulating the hearing nerve. The audiological benefits of implantation have shown to be highly variable and difficult to predict. This has led to the utilisation of psychological factors to predict adjustment. The aim of this thesis was to develop an understanding of the psychological factors influencing adjustment to implantation within a cognitive framework. Three studies were conducted that investigated the central hypothesis that individuals with a maladaptive cognitive style are more likely to experience poorer psychological adjustment following implantation. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey that aimed to identify the main predictors of post-implant adjustment in a large representative sample of adult cochlear implant recipients. Participants completed measures of hearing-related cognitions, anxious and depressive symptomatology, emotional reaction to the implant, and hearing-related demographic characteristics. Psychological adjustment was assessed as stress and coping in relation to hearing impairment. The tendency to engage more frequently in negative hearing-related cognitions was found to be the strongest predictor of adjustment. This finding was consistent with the hypothesis that a maladaptive cognitive style plays a key role in determining psychological outcomes following implantation. Study 2 extended Study 1 by experimentally investigating the impact of a specific maladaptive cognitive process, rumination, on cochlear implant recipients' response to an auditory task. Based on the Study 1 finding that negative cognitions predicted poorer adjustment, participants engaged in either a positive or negative rumination task. During rumination, participants focussed on a series of either positive or negative self-statements. Following rumination, participants completed an auditory (story listening) task. Participants then rated their mood, extent of negative cognitions, and the perceived difficulty of the auditory task. Inconsistent with predictions, participants who engaged in negative rumination did not respond more negatively on any of the ratings than participants who engaged in positive rumination. A correlational analysis, however, showed that greater perceived task difficulty was associated with lower frequency of engagement in positive cognitions about hearing. Study 3 employed a thought suppression paradigm to investigate in cochlear implant recipients the effects of suppressing thoughts about hearing difficulty during an auditory task. It was predicted that participants instructed to suppress would experience an increased frequency of target thoughts and greater negative mood, both during and after suppression. During the first (baseline) experimental period, both suppression and non-suppression participants monitored their thoughts by pressing a button when they experienced a thought about hearing difficulty. In the second (suppression) period, suppression participants suppressed their thoughts about hearing difficulty. In the third (post-suppression) period, suppression participants were instructed to no longer suppress their thoughts. Participants who suppressed had an increased frequency of target thoughts subsequent to, but not during, suppression. There were no differences between suppression and non-suppression participants for mood, either during or after suppression. The finding of a delayed increase in target thoughts indicated that attempting to suppress thoughts about hearing difficulty may be a maladaptive cognitive strategy for managing unwanted negative cognitions about hearing in cochlear implant recipients. In concluding, the thesis proposes a cognitive model of adjustment to cochlear implantation that synthesises the findings of the studies conducted and takes into account the cognitive theories that informed the program of research. The major components of this model include the tendency to engage in negative hearing-related cognitions, the maladaptive cognitive processes employed to manage negative hearing-related cognitions, and cognitive load factors. While far from conclusive, the model presents an initial framework within which the current findings can be understood and further hypotheses generated. Methodologically, the model also provides an empirically informed framework for future investigations into the cognitive factors associated with adjustment in cochlear implant users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Dallas, 2006. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 166-175).

Thesis (M. Communication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.