Sex differences

[jrohland]

I saw an interview many years ago featuring an author who had written a study on differences in the brains between the sexes. I can't recall the details of the program, author or study.

The crux of the study was that survival of the species mandated brain differences between the sexes. Those differences explain why the two sexes perceive the world in different ways. Further, the differences in perception help explain differences in behavior. This study came out at about the time the United States bourgeoisie wanted to do away with sex specific toys and change the way children play. This was referred to as "Nature verses Nurture". The study showed quite definitively that boys and girls would always play in different ways with different toys. In other words, nurture had very little to do with it.

Anyway, one of the topics the interviewer asked about was how the two sexes hear. I found this part of the interview most enlightening.

It seams that hearing differences are mostly in the brain and partly in the structure of the ear. Most important to us is that the females hearing is highly tuned to focus in on particular voices. This was important so they would know the voice of their own children even before the child could speak. A mother can tell the condition and urgency of their own children's cry amongst many other sounds and cries. A father can hear children crying but is oblivious to the meaning. A mother knows what the cry means.

I was once asked by my nephew what is the most efficient data communications network (I work in that field). Without missing a beat I said "the human female". Women talk to each other. They are highly adept and hearing very subtle clues in voices. This is partly why women gravitate to the teaching and nursing professions. In one, they communicate knowledge via the spoken word. In the other, they can tell the condition of a patient by even minor clues.

Men's hearing is tuned to hunt. They are very good at identifying specific sounds. They are excellent at sound location. They can hear and react almost instantly. These are extremely important capabilities if you want to stay alive in a dangerous world. Since men pass on knowledge and skills to boys mainly by showing them, speaking and listening to speech are not that important. Men really are oblivious to emotion in speech. These tools were not important in the cave man days. Men are able to communicate to other men with non-verbal language. Often those non-verbal hints are quite subtle.

How do these general differences help explain the mostly male fascination with audio gear? Firstly, fidelity is critical. To eat, you will need to know location and condition of a potential meal. To know if you should use precious energy running, you need to know if a sound represents a treat, an opportunity or is benign.

Most women are satisfied with the fidelity of the telephone. They don't need nor care about a broad, accurate frequency range.

Finally, as to the cost of this hobby. Men will spare almost no expense to achieve perfect fidelity in whatever their hobby. Women will only engage in a hobby if the costs are reasonable and the activity is social.

jrohland

 

[Rip Van Woofer]

It's always dicey to generalize from specific scientific theories and hypotheses but...interesting! I think women tend to hear past the delivery system, whether it's a crappy radio or a high-end stereo and cue in directly on the music itself - music being the art that appeals most directly to the emotions. (Musicians and many serious music lovers of both sexes seem to tend to do this, too but I'm not suggesting any connection there to gender differences). Really, with a lot of 'philes the music seems secondary (not with moi, of course!); that has of course been the butt of humor from time to time in the general culture.

We must be careful of course about false and invidious stereotypes about the "emotionality" of women from all this.

Men tend to be "thing" oriented, women more people-oriented (perhaps a holdover from our days as spear makers and wielders?) and audio is a very thing-oriented hobby with all those shiny metal boxes, knobs, and lights. And how many of us have figurative "no women and children allowed" signs on our precious gear? Only Real Men can master and control the sacred objects and be trusted with knowledge of their mysteries! And we generally retreat to the sacred precincts of Audio alone, or with one or two trusted fellow initiates -- usually male!

HT seems to be a bit different - more a family thing. I'm sure for those of you with kids that your system probably spends as much or more time playing The Lion King than Blade Runner!

 

[Mudcat]

HT seems to be a bit different - more a family thing. I'm sure for those of you with kids that your system probably spends as much or more time playing The Lion King than Blade Runner!

Actually, in my house it's "Barbi in Swan Lake"

 

[jrohland]

I've met two

I think women tend to hear past the delivery system, whether it's a crappy radio or a high-end stereo and cue in directly on the music itself - music being the art that appeals most directly to the emotions. (Musicians and many serious music lovers of both sexes seem to tend to do this, too but I'm not suggesting any connection there to gender differences). Really, with a lot of 'philes the music seems secondary (not with moi, of course!); that has of course been the butt of humor from time to time in the general culture.

My oldest and closest friends are all truly excelent musicians (http://www.aspexband.com). I was amazed that they could listen to great music, poorly recorded, on the cheesiest of stereos without any concern for the poor fidelity. It took me years to learn how to ignore the system and hear the music. Only one of those musician friends would know a good playback system from a bad one. He is, in addition to being a great musician, also a great producer/engineer.

I think I can "listen through" the playback mechinism but, I can still appreciate a truly great sound system.

Only twice have I met women who had a discriminating ear for HiFi. Once I met a women a friend was trying to hook-up with. The friend (foolishly ) asked me to help her setup her new stereo. It was clear she had a good ear and could not get the system to sound "like it did at the store". I explained about listening rooms at HiFi stores and helped her get it sounding as good as it could (which I recall was very good). Still, she was bent on returning it. Unfortunately, for me and the friend, her company relocated her and I never found out if she got a new system.

The second time I met a women with a good ear, she was dating a guitarist. We ended up leaving a club at closing time and went to a studio where the guitarist was working on a project. While he busied himself typing "I LOVE YOU" using the channel assignment buttons on the mixing console, she and I were talking about sound systems and hearing. To answer the important question; No! She was way out of my league .

I must say I have met very few men with a good ear for fidelity. Most are happy with a Bose system. I do, however, think most men I've met would know a better sound system from a lesser one. It's possible many women would as well. I just don't think most women care as much.

jrohland

 

[av_phile]

There really must be some physiological link between sex and this hobby. Someone or some institute can probably make some formal and definitive investigative work on this, if they haven't already that I am not aware of.

Or it could be psychological as well. I'm also wondering if sexual preference has any link to it: 50% of lesbians I know (there are only 4 of them) are in the hobby as well. But only 10% of gays I know (there are only 10 of them) are.

 

[Pat D]

High frequency hearing loss: men and women

There is some data about age and hearing loss on Roger Russell's site. Women appear to maintain their high frequency hearing better than men.

http://www.roger-russell.com/hearing/hearing.htm

Of course, we are all exceptions to the average figures!

Maybe there's some more complete data out there somewhere.

 

[Yamaman]

That's because they don't receive the same degree and volume constant high-pitched nagging from their husbands