
On the other hand, selective hearing can allow a person to tune in to their loved one’s voice in a noisy space. Conversely, parents can tune out their children’s voices and may miss something they need to communicate. Similarly, it allows children to tune out their parents’ voices, which can be frustrating for parents and, at times, even dangerous. It can decrease healthy communication, allowing one partner to tune out the other partner’s voice.

Selective hearing can harm or strengthen relationships, depending on its use. Impacts of Selective Hearing on Relationships It can also harm romantic and platonic relationships because it can cause someone to miss important information when focused on something else. Without selective hearing, going to any crowded or noisy place would be extremely stressful because all the sounds would be coming in simultaneously. Selective hearing can also be disadvantageous because it can cause issues with communication. It is beneficial because it helps people process and understand relevant, important information and reduce irrelevant information. Selective hearing can be good or bad, depending on the circumstances. Is Selective Hearing a Good or Bad Thing? When people pay attention to specific sounds, they are actually changing their brain waves depending on whether they are actively or passively listening. They found that attention changes brainwaves and processes, including P300, ASSR, FFR, Auditory Late Latency Response, Auditory Middle Latency Response, and Otoacoustic Emissions. Scientists have studied the ways that attention affects brain waves related to hearing. This helps people prioritize relevant information while muting distractions. Sound comes into the brain through the inner ear, where the brain’s gatekeeping system reduces the volume of unwanted sounds and boosts the volume of important sounds.
Selective listening tv#
A person not hearing their partner speaking to them while intently watching a TV show.Listening for boarding information at a busy airport.Stopping to listen to a safety announcement in a noisy public space.A couple having an intimate conversation in a crowded restaurant.A mom tuning out all of the other children shouting “Mom! Mom! Mom!” in a crowded play space.


Selective hearing, or auditory selective attention, refers to how our brain can focus on a singular incoming sound while filtering out all other surrounding sounds.
