Men Annoy Partners With 'Selective Hearing' Seven Times A Week, Study Finds

Do you have a male partner? Does he ignore you on a daily basis?

If so, you might want to reconsider calling him a t**t quite so often, as a study has found that on average men 'won't hear' their partners seven times a week - though arguably this means your man is just one of many t***s.

20th Century Fox

In total, the 'selective hearing' of men means they won't hear their partner 388 times in a year. Women were not absolved by the research though, and were found to not listen to their partners 339 times in a year.

Scrivens Hearing Care polled 2,000 UK adults for the study, with 75 percent of respondents reporting that their partner has 'selective hearing'. But while we tend to talk about our partners and their tendency not to listen in a lighthearted way, senior hearing aid audiologist at Scrivens Kirran Saimbi has warned that it could in fact be a sign of a more serious problem.

She said: "Most of us will have experienced 'selective hearing' - either being the accused or the accuser. But joking aside, 'selective hearing' could be a sign of hearing loss.

"Left ignored, hearing loss can lead to isolation, depression and there is evidence of a link with dementia."

Indeed, more than half of people polled said they feared their partner's selective hearing might stem from an actual hearing problem, while around 40 percent said they 'know with certainty' that their other half struggles to hear.

SWNS

Somewhat predictably, Ms Saimbi said it is crucial to have regular hearing checks.

She said: "The changes in our hearing are often so subtle and happen over time, that it can be very hard for us to notice the impact it's having on our lives and those around us. That's why regular hearing checks are so important.

"The earlier we can seek help for hearing loss the better, as it can prevent common side-effects such as social withdrawal and depression.

"Whether or not we suspect our hearing isn't as good as it used to be, regular hearing checks are a good way of monitoring our ear health."

So to conclude: if your partner ignores you around once a day then you are suffering at about the average level for someone in a relationship in the UK. However, you probably shouldn't laugh it off and you might want to tell them to go for a hearing test... twice for good measure.

Topics: Interesting, Community

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey