Women can hear better than men, ‘surprised’ researchers say. New study results reveal why
Many people have the impression women’s hearing is sharper. Now tests in 13 countries have shown they do. Researchers offer some reasons
Anyone who recalls whispering at the dinner table as a child likely also has memories of being overheard and reprimanded by a sharp-eared mother – even as an oblivious father ploughed through his meal.
According to British and French researchers, the impression that women often have sharper hearing than men is now backed by scientific evidence.
Following tests on around 450 people across 13 countries, the team revealed results showing women “typically” having hearing amplitude that is around two decibels more sensitive than men’s.
“Women consistently exhibit higher sensitivity by two decibels” on average across the entire frequency spectrum tested in all populations sampled, the research team said in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Concluding that female ears can be up to six kHz sharper than male ears in some populations, the team said women not only show “heightened cochlear sensitivity” – referring to the fluid-filled part of the inner ear that helps convert sound waves to be read by the brain – but outdo men in other acoustic tests.