Gender Differences in Listening

Men and women have been found to listen for different things when they engage in con­versation (DeLange, 1995). As we mentioned earlier, men typically listen for the bot­tom line or to find out what action needs to be taken to improve the situation, whereas women listen for details. This helps explain why men and women might respond differ­ently in conversation. Men may listen for ways to “fix” the problem, whereas women are listening to listen. It’s important to keep this in mind when you are communicating with your partner.