The Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12): differences in online versus interview administration

Purpose: To investigate the equivalence of the 12-item speech, spatial, and quality of hearing (SSQ12) scale administered in either the interview or online version to adults with and without hearing loss. Methods: One hundred fifty-two listeners (99 females) aged 18-81 years (M = 46.0, SD = 15.3) participated in this study. Eighty-two individuals were in the normal hearing group and 70 were in the hearing-impaired group. Participants completed the SSQ12 questionnaire twice: 1) interview and 2) online format. The presentation order was randomized (interview or online first); after three to four weeks, the participants completed the questionnaire in another format. Results: SSQ12 scores differed significantly between formats (p < 0.001), but the mean difference was minimal (0.3 points). The internal consistency was high for both formats (Cronbach's alpha >0.9). Intraclass correlation (ICC) values showed excellent agreement for the speech (ICC = 0.88) and spatial (ICC = 0.84) subscales and good agreement for the Qualities (ICC = 0.66). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.863, indicating good diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions: The administration method affects SSQ12 scores, but the difference is not clinically significant. Therefore, both methods can be interchangeable, allowing clinicians to choose the most appropriate format based on patient needs. Additionally, the SSQ12 effectively distinguishes between normal and hearing-impaired listeners.