Ear asymmetry in telephone-listening behavior

The notion that the right ear has an advantage over the left ear in verbal information processing was investigated. Telephone-listening behavior was surveyed in three different groups of subjects to discover whether there is a preference for listening with the right ear. Subjects included 97 persons selected at random whose jobs involved heavy use of the telephone, 141 persons also selected at random whose jobs did not involve heavy use of the telephone, and 99 university secretaries. It was anticipated (1) that a right-ear advantage would be present in all three groups, (2) that the right-ear advantage would be more prominent in persons who used the telephone a great deal, and (3) that the right-ear advantage would be most pronounced in secretaries since they frequently work in noisy offices where competition occurs between the auditory pathways. Findings showed no evidence of a right-ear preference either at the time the survey was conducted or in the respondents' report of their usual telephone-listening behavior. Instead, a statistically significant left-ear preference was discovered in all three groups. Always listening with the left ear was associated with heavy use of the telephone. The most frequently given reason for listening with the left ear was that it freed the right hand for writing and dialing. This preference would appear to be motivated by convenience for although either ear is available for listening, it is easier to hold the receiver to the left than the right ear while grasping it in the left hand. Findings cast doubt on the view that the right ear has an advantage over the left ear in verbal information processing.