Right ear is 'better for hearing'

If you want to get someone to do something, ask them in their right ear, say scientists. Italian researchers found people were better at processing information when requests were made on that side in three separate tests.

They believe this is because the left side of the brain, which is known to be better at processing requests, deals with information from the right ear.

In the first study, 286 clubbers were observed while they were talking with loud music in the background. In total, 72% of interactions occurred on the right side of the listener.



In the second study, researchers approached 160 clubbers and mumbled an inaudible, meaningless utterance and waited for the subjects to turn their head and offer either their left or their right ear. They then asked them for a cigarette. Overall, 58% offered their right ear for listening and 42% their left.

In the third study, the researchers intentionally addressed 176 clubbers in either their right or their left ear when asking for a cigarette. The researchers obtained significantly more cigarettes when they spoke to the clubbers' right ear compared with their left.

In conclusion, the researchers said: "Talk into the right ear you send your words into a slightly more amenable part of the brain. These results seem to be consistent with the hypothesised specialisation of right and left hemispheres."