Selective hearing is the ability of your brain to isolate sound in a noisy environment. You’ve probably engaged in it yourself at a party, which is why it’s also known as ‘The Cocktail Effect.’
How Does Selective Hearing Work?
When you engage in focused listening, your brain can isolate specific sounds, allowing you to zero in on, for instance, a specific speaker in a room with several people speaking at one time. The science behind this phenomenon was explored in a 2012 study, which supported a previous 2008 study.
Using brain activity monitoring systems, researchers measured the brain activity of individuals listening to two people speaking. Listeners were asked to listen to both speakers at the same time, and then to pick out individual words each individual speaker had said.
Brain activity patterns indicated listeners were only paying attention to speakers they were asked to focus on—and based on brain activity patterns, researchers were successfully able to predict which speaker the listeners were focusing on and listening to.
How Can Hearing Loss Affect Selective Listening?
A 2008 study looked at the concept of object continuity as it relates to sound. This is the idea that sounds function a lot like objects to our auditory system. Just like 20/20 vision allows a person to identify individual objects better, determine what they are and where they exist in space, people with normal hearing enjoy the same benefit.
Normal hearing more easily allows the brain to identify what is producing a sound and where that sound is originating from. Hearing loss reduces the total volume of incoming sound and can impact specific sound ranges, making it much more difficult for someone with hearing loss to engage in selective hearing.
When sounds blend or specific frequencies aren’t heard, the brain will have greater difficulty identifying what is producing a sound and where it’s coming from.
Have You Noticed a Difference in Your Hearing?
If you’ve noticed your ability to listen selectively has changed over time, you might benefit from a hearing test. A hearing test is an easy way to determine if you might benefit from treatment, which is the best way to preserve your current hearing abilities and prevent additional damage.
Scheduling a hearing test with Valley Audiology is the easiest way to determine if you’ve experienced a hearing loss that could impact your ability to listen selectively.