For generations this age-old dilemma has been and still is an ongoing debate between men and women. And despite all of the scientific research and evidence that has been presented, there has been no mutual agreement reached as yet. Well, I am here to inform you that women are better listeners than men. Also, please do note that my opinion is objective and has no bearing on the fact that I myself am a woman. So despite all of the research and evidence provided on gender differences in listening, it seems that there are still quite a few disagreements on this topic. Some even going so far as to say, there is no concrete or "proper" evidence suggesting that one gender is better at listening than the other. Also, that listening ability can be due to individual differences or circumstances. This might be true if you account for things such as hearing impairment, hearing loss, etc. Well according to Corine Jansen (2020), director & chair (Health) of Global Listening Board, research indicates that women tend to understand emotional parts of messages more effectively than men. More specifically, scientific evidence has been found that shows women process messages on both sides of the brain – more than what men do. While men on the other hand, tend to process (general things) more on the left side of the brain, and emotional information on the right side of the brain. Dr. Michael Phillips, a neuro-audiologist at the Indiana University School of Medicine verifies this in a study by confirming that brain imaging scans revealed that the left hemisphere of the brain for men was activated while listening. Whereas, in contrast both hemispheres of the brain were activated in women while listening. As a result, this data suggests that there is a physical difference in listening between men and women. Vasudevan Mukunth (2013) who writes for thehindu.com also confirms this by referring us to a study that was conducted from the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania. Apparently, they found that women’s brains are very well-connected across hemispheres in the region of the cerebrum. This together with some previous research led them to the conclusion that women are typically better at using their intuitive right hemisphere in the brain, as well as, logical faculties in the left hemisphere of the brain at the same time. While conversely, male brains have better connections within hemispheres, between the cerebellum, which involves perception, including the front of the brain, which involves action. What's more, on average, males were also found to have better connections between the cerebellum, and women between the cerebrum. Leading to the conclusion that this is in fact what makes women better listeners. Furthermore, Dr. Audrey Nelson (2016), a gender communication specialist who also writes for Psychology Today, introduces an interesting term that describes women’s listening skills, namely, the “split ear phenomena.” Apparently, women listen with both ears which is each aimed in a different direction, while at the same time also paying attention to different levels of their surrounding activities. For example, on one level a woman might be focusing on the words that is being said (men do this too) but on a second level she might be reading between the lines, and interpreting the non-verbal messages (vocal sounds, facial expressions, plus body movement) in social and emotional situations (men don’t or tend not to do this). From here then, it's clear to see that men tend to focus (more or mostly) on verbal messages, while women tend to collect more information overall. Which means that women listen and pay attention to the information being broadcast more than what men do, confirming that women are indeed better listeners than men. Sources: 1) Sex Differences in Listening https://www.globallisteningcentre.org/sex-differences-in-listening/ [accessed January 27, 2021]. 2) What makes women better listeners? https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/what-makes-women-better-listeners/article5422122.ece [accessed January 27, 2021]. 3) Are Men Really Lousy Listeners? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/he-speaks-she-speaks/201602/are-men-really-lousy-listeners [accessed January 27, 2021].

**TL;DR - Claiming that women are better listeners than men only feeds into gender stereotypes and contributes to issues around masculinity.** • The male and female sexes are complex identities and I don’t believe you can ascribe a trait, in this case being a good listener, to one sex being better than the other. • Each person is unique and, while there are biological differences between men and women, there are not necessarily general personality differences or roles each sex is inherent to. • Moreover, intersectionality demonstrates how every woman is different. In this sense, you can’t generalise all women as being “good listeners” as this trait could vary from woman to woman. • Being a good listener is rooted in socialisation factors like your personality, your environment, and social upbringing rather than being a biological characteristic.

I feel like nowadays it seems like this is true. This is because of the way we socialize men and women differently in the world. Women are taught to be good listeners from a young age while listening is a “less” important trait for men to have so they aren’t taught it as often.

My mom is a great listener. My girlfriend not so much sometimes. I don’t think either gender is better or worse. I do believe in the laws of effective speech.. know your audience and delivery.