Could the Difficulty Level of Response Task Reveal Gender Difference in Dichotic Listening to Digits?

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 Department of Audiology, Student Research Committee, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Audiology, School of Rehabilitation, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran Iran.

10.32598/SJRM.14.5.1843

Abstract

Background and Aims Despite more than four decades of research, no conclusive evidence has been established regarding the effect of gender on dichotic listening. This study sought to determine whether increasing the difficulty of the listening task could reveal gender-related differences in dichotic performance.
Methods This comparative observational study included 25 men and 25 women, aged 1835 years, all right-handed students with normal hearing. Three randomized lists of dichotic digits were presented under three task conditions: free recall, precued directed recall, and postcued directed recall. Performance for the right and left ears, as well as the magnitude of the ear advantage, was compared between male and female participants.
Results Analysis of ear advantage revealed that the mean ear advantage in the postcued directed recall task was significantly greater in females (8.9±6) than in males (5.4±4) (P<0.05). In contrast, no significant gender differences were observed in mean ear scores or ear advantage under the free recall or precued conditions.
Conclusion Although male and female participants performed similarly in the free recall condition, task difficulty appeared to influence outcomes. Under more demanding conditions, females reported more digits from the dominant ear and fewer from the non-dominant ear, resulting in a larger ear advantage compared with males. These findings may be partly explained by gender differences in general anxiety levels, which tend to be higher in females.

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The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine
Volume 14, Issue 5
November and December 2025
Pages 710-719

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History

  • Receive Date: 16 May 2025
  • Revise Date: 09 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 06 August 2025
  • First Publish Date: 06 August 2025

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