Posted on 08/07/2005 8:45:12 AM PDT by Loyalist
LONDON (AFP) - Men who are accused of never listening by women now have an excuse -- women's voices are more difficult for men to listen to than other men's, a report said.
The Daily Mail, quoting findings published in the specialist magazine NeuroImage, said researchers at Sheffield university in northern England discovered startling differences in the way the brain responds to male and female sounds.
Men deciphered female voices using the auditory part of the brain that processes music, while male voices engaged a simpler mechanism, it said.
The Mail quoted researcher Michael Hunter as saying, "The female voice is actually more complex than the male voice, due to differences in the size and shape of the vocal cords and larynx between men and women, and also due to women having greater natural 'melody' in their voices.
"This causes a more complex range of sound frequencies than in a male voice."
The findings may help explain why people suffering hallucinations usually hear male voices, the report added, as the brain may find it much harder to conjure up a false female voice accurately than a false male voice.
I am definitely printing this out.
It's true for me, I have difficulty hearing womens voices on the phone unless I know them well, and are used to thier voice patterns. I just always thought I had bad hearing.
Uh oh.....busted! I could smack you for that remark, but I'll let you slide....this time!
And now for my deep thoughts on the subject: Men seem to never have evolved from the caveman stage where they use grunting noises and sound effects to communicate with each other. Women are light years ahead of them! Thus I will have to conclude that men just have too much unused space between their ears. They can't help being clueless! Poor things! : )
Women find it difficult to condense their thought into a short succinct statement.
It`s my opinion that that is why we tune out after a certain point.
Doesn't work... Ask me! ;^)
So it's *not* just the prevalence of valley-speak by many women these days, which is like fingernails on a chalkboard...
Men would die even sooner than women if they had to hear us all the time. Is that what this piece is saying?
;)
The ear is not involved in this process. Trust me. I think being deaf would actually provide men with a reproductive advantage. Or as I often say to my wife, "huhn?"
Home free ladies.
Wife starts to tell me about some interpersonal problem she's having with another woman at work. So I respond, "Are you telling me this because you want me to recommend actions available to ameliorate the situation, or am I just supposed to listen and nod my head sympathetically. I do either one, I'm just not sure which one you're looking for."
Men, take note, the correct response to this is NOT, "And apparently so do I."
Try the "echo" technique.
When she asks "Do I look fat?", answer with "Fat?" She will keep on talking but can't acuse you of not listening.
Note: Do not use this technique more than a couple of times in a row or she will get wise and you will pay.
:D
come to be reminded of it, i think my wife used that particular technique on me 5 minutes after we were married...
Ops, what is THAT! I really meant :P Lol!
I couldn't imagine what purpose such a device could serve except to make it impossible for the woman to speak. I wish I could get my mother-in-law to convert to Islam and wear one of those things!
Does anybody know what it's called?
Women find it difficult to condense their thought into a short succinct statement.
They'll state the obvious 27 different ways.
"Hey look, it's raining. Why is it raining? And there's thunder too. Probably because there's lightning causing thunder... blink... boom. Gee that was close. Why is the lightning so close? And the thunder was really loud........."
She's complaining that you never listen to her...
...oh, and you've got to take the garbage out...
I wonder why she waited so long? She must really love you. :-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.