Those who remember quietly talking during meals as children probably also have recollections of being overheard and scolded by a keen-eared mom, all while an unaware dad continued munching through his plate of steak and fries.
The belief that women frequently possess keener auditory skills compared to men may hold validity for certain individuals, and scientific evidence supports this notion as confirmed by researchers from Britain and France.
After conducting tests involving approximately 450 individuals from 13 different nations, the researchers disclosed findings indicating that women generally exhibit hearing sensitivity about two decibels greater than men do.
The team stated in their paper published in Scientific Reports, "Across the entire range of frequencies examined in every population surveyed, women typically show greater sensitivity by an average of 2 decibels."
The researchers concluded that in certain populations, females can have hearing sharpness up to 6 kHz greater than males. They stated that women not only exhibit increased sensitivity in the cochlea – which is the fluid-filled section of the inner ear responsible for converting sound waves into signals the brain can interpret – but also perform better than men in various auditory assessments.
This is due to women having "enhanced performance in both the peripheral auditory system and the central auditory pathway," according to the scientists.
"We were astonished to discover that women exhibited two decibels greater auditory sensitivity compared to men across all the groups we assessed, which explained the majority of variation among individuals," stated Turi King from the University of Bath.
Apart from gender-related distinctions, the tests indicated that individuals residing in forested areas exhibited "the highest level of auditory acuity." Conversely, those dwelling in mountainous regions performed poorest, particularly for people “at high elevations,” who were noted by the scientists to possess the least acute hearing sensitivity.
The research revealed that population dynamics, environmental conditions, and linguistic factors all play significant roles in variations of hearing, influenced by elements such as differing acoustic environments, noise levels, and exposure to pollutants.
"Our research contradicts current beliefs and underscores the importance of examining both genetic and environmental elements in studies related to hearing," stated Patricia Balaresque from the Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research (CRBE) based in Toulouse.