An Anomalous Sex Difference in Auditory Laterality

Abstract

Eighty right-handed adults (40 females, 40 males) performed a task that entailed detecting and localizing targets within series of dichotic digit names. Analysis of sensitivity scores for each ear revealed an overall right-ear advantage (REA). However, a significant Sex x Ear interaction showed that the degree of asymmetry was greater among females than among males. This sex difference, which is opposite to that previously reported in some dichotic listening studies, contradicts the conclusion that language processing is more completely lateralized in males than in females.

Effects of sex and sex role attributions on the ear advantage in dichotic listening.

“…Weekes, 1994) have demonstrated lower hemispheric specialization in women. Although other studies (Hiscock & MacKay, 1985;Hiscock et al, 1990) dispute the prevalence of these sex differences, especially with regard to dichotic listening, enough converging evidence exists, including the data from the current study, to merit continued investigation (Harshman, 1991).…”

“…Most reports find men to be more specialized and/or less well connected than women (Weekes, 1994). Although Hiscock and Mackay (1985) and Hiscock, Hiscock, & Kalil (1990) reviewed the literature and concluded that there is no evidence for consistent and reliable sex differences in dichotic listening to nonsense C-Vs, these experiments usually neglected to consider together the effect of spectral sex, the effect of test experience, and separate ear scores.…”

Individual variation in hemispheric asymmetry: Multitask study of effects related to handedness and sex.

“…This can often be seen in a reduced mean right-ear advantage for the left-handed group compared with the right-handed group, in a smaller proportion of left-handers (relative to right-handers) who show a difference in favor of the right ear, or both (e.g., Bryden, 1982;Dagenbach, 1986;Hellige, 1993a;Hines & Satz, 1974;Krutsch & McKeever, 1990;McKeever, 1986). Although there have been occasional reports that the magnitude of the right-ear advantage differs for men and women, the predominant finding has been that there is no such effect related to subjects' sex (e.g., Hiscock et al, 1990).…”

“…With respect to the sex of the subject, both theoretical predictions and previous findings have been quite variable. For example, at various times it has been argued that hemispheric asymmetry is more pronounced for men than for women, that hemispheric asymmetry is less pronounced for men than for women, and that asymmetries do not differ for men and women (for examples and reviews, see Bradshaw, 1989; Bryden, 1982; Hellige, 1993a; Hiscock, Hiscock, & Inch, 1991, 1992; Hiscock, Hiscock, & Kalil, 1990). On balance, there is not much evidence in favor of consistent sex differences in either direction, especially when such things as handedness and processing strategy are controlled.…”

Manipulation of Attention in Children with Reading

“…In addition, visual pre-cuing has been found to aid subjects in processing and identifying items mainly within the right, as opposed to the left, ear [20]. Although attention capacity may be deficient, individuals with dyslexia are able to shift attention [6].…”