By Dr. Max S. Chartrand Ph.D.

Development of human hearing reveals measurable patterns and differences between the sexes. Some of these appear to be transitory during early development. Others seem to become established over time, often defining educational and occupational goals.

New Findings May Shed Light on how the sexes differ in hearing. Because information about life and one's place within it are gathered through the sensorial window of audition, these findings may be significant in the planning and implementation of future educational and occupational training programs (U.S. Department of Education, 1992). And possibly, in better understanding human nature- as well as how men and women communicate.

MALE VS FEMALE AUDITORY DEVELOPMENT

The female auditory system, as a rule, develops earlier (Waber, 1976) and tends to fall off much later in life than does the male auditory system (Moscicki, et al, 1985), (Davis and Silverman, 1970). In the early development stage of human audition, females are more sensitive to loud sounds and have a more developed startle reflex, which is closely tied to development of the interneural pathways between the limbic system (emotions) and the superior colliculus of the central auditory system (Pool, 1994).

Males, on the other hand, exhibit greater interconnectedness at the more primitive (fight or flight) amygdala portion of the brain and intuitive response to danger signals (Wood, et al, 1991.) Female infants orient more readily to tones and subtleties of expression in voices (Hines, 1990). With increased skin sensitivity they are more proficient at early fine motor performance and, as a rule, are better than males at rapid sequential movements (Weinstein, 1968).

Females have greater interconnectedness between the right and left brain hemispheres because of the greater dendritic mass at the corpus callosum, which connects both sides of the brain for greater simultaneous utilization (Pool, 1994). Males tend to use their left hemisphere exclusively for language processing and abstract thinking, often missing more aesthetic and holistic indicators in human communication. Thus, mimic of speech sounds (right brain/holistic ability) comes more readily in early language development of females.

Females are more attracted to and attentive to social contexts such as facial expressions, speech patterns, and voice tones which require near equal and simultaneous abilities from both the right and left hemispheres of the brain during human communication (Ley and Bryden, 1979). Females speak sooner, possess larger vocabularies, and rarely demonstrate speech defects. Stuttering and many other speech and learning developmental problems, on the other hand, occur predominantly among boys (Halpern, 1992), (Bloodstein, 1987). Because of earlier development, females can sing in tune at an earlier age, and usually maintain superior linguistic bias throughout life (McGlone, 1980). They also read sooner, learn foreign languages easier and often enter occupations involving superior language mastery.

Auditory Development Comparisons:

MALES

• Late auditory dev./language acquisition
• Early superior visual bias
• Tend to be more inquisitive
• Superior spatial ability via right hemisphere
• Communication via left hemisphere spec.
• Faster reaction times, gross total body mvmt.
• Hearing declines earlier

FEMALES

• Early auditory dev/language acquisition
• Utilize social contexts
• More sensitive to nuances of speech
• Lowered spatial ability (bi-hemispheric)
• Utilize R/L hemisphere in communication
• Superior fine motor skills
• Earlier "ear training", sing in tune earlier
• Maintains hearing acuity longer in life

Males Show Superiority in visual acuity and tend to compensate through vision for their initially lower auditory capacity (McGuiness, 1976). While clumsier in the situations involving fine motor performance, they generally excel in gross total body movements and skills, especially those requiring fast reaction time (Burg, 1976). They are particularly superior in manipulating three-dimensional space, using their right hemisphere almost exclusively for special tasks.

Females, on the other hand, generally attempt to solve spatial problems with the left hemisphere of their brain (abstract/logic/verbal), sometimes causing an interference phenomenon, a kind of log jamming in which the use of words to solve a spatial problem results in slowed, incorrect, or absent responses. Males tend to explore their environment and life experiences firsthand. Females, however, typically tend to gain such knowledge in a more communicative mode, asking others, taking advantage of others' experiences, eliminating the need to personally encounter all the objects in their environment.

VOCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Males' ability to focus on abstract language in the left hemisphere and to solve spatial problems in the right hemisphere- hemispheric specialization- allows them to more readily excel in abstract and special manipulation occupations such as advanced mathematics, engineering, economics, medical surgery, and computer programming.

On the other hand, females naturally eexcel in subjects requiring use of both hemispheres: language, family counseling, the arts, and caregiving (Kimura, 1992). In making these observations, however it needs to be emphasized that there are myriad exceptions to the rule as more and more women pursue and excel in academic studies and occupations requiring advanced logic and abstract thinking skills (Kimura, 1993). In the other direction, one finds a significant number of males who are leading musicians, artists, caregivers, and family counselors.

Research continues to delve into just how men and women process and interpret data, and how we differ in communication styles. We do know that while nature takes it's course and developmental patterns proceed, our experiences, inclinations, and education also account for how we hear, who we are, and what we do.

REFERENCES

Bloodstein, Q.A. Handbook on Stuttering, National Easter Seal: Chicago, 1987.

Burg, A., "Visual Activity as Measured by Dynamic and Spatial Tests: A Comparative Evaluation, "Journal of Applied Psychology, No. 50, 1966, pp. 460-466.

Davis, H. and Silverman, R., Hearing and Deafness, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. New York, 1970.

Halpren, D., Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities, Lawrence Erlbaurm Associates, Publishers: Hillsdale, NJ, 1992.

Hines, M., "Gonadal Hormones and Human Cognitive Development," "in hormones, Brain and Behavior in Vertabrates, ed., Jacques Balthazart, Karger; Basel, 1990, pp.51-63.

Kimura, D.,"Sex Differences in the Brain," Scientific American, September, 1992, pp.118-125.

Ley, R., and Bryden, M, "Hemispheric Differences in Recognizing Faces and Emotions," in Brain and Language No.7, 1979.

McGlone, J., "Sex Differences in Human Brain Asymmetry: A Critical Survey," in The Behavioral and Brain Sciences, No. 3, 1980,pp. 215-263.

McGuiness, D., "Away From a Unisex Psychology: Individual Differences in Visual Perception, No. 5, 1976, pp.279-294.

Moscicki, E., Elkins, E., Baum, H., and McNamara, P., "Hearing loss in the elderly: an epiodialogic study of the Framingham Heart study Cohort," 1985:6 184-190.

Pool, R., Eve's Rib: searching for Biological Roots of Sex Differences, Crown Publishers: New York, 1994.

Springer, S., and Deutch, G., Left Brain, Right Brain, W.H. Freeman and company: New York, 1989.

U.S. Department of Education, Digest of education Statistics 1992, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

Waber, D., "Sex Differences in Cognition: A Function of Maturation Rate?" Science, No. 192, 1976, pp. 572-573.

Weinstein,S., "Intensive and Extensive aspects of Textile Sensitivity as a function of body Part, sex, and laterality" in The skin Senses, ed, D.R. Kenshalo, Charles C. Thomas: Springfield , Il, 1968, pp. 195-222.

Wood, F., Flowers, D., and Naylor, C., "Cerebral Laterality: Theory and Research, ed., Kitterle, Frederick 1., Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Hillsdale, NJ., 1991, pp. 103-115.