The Ballestero Blog

Preaching To The Right-Ear

The right-ear advantage has come to light in recent tests done in Europe. Dr. Luca Tommasi and Daniele Marzoli from the University “Gabriele d’Annunzio” in Chieti, Italy had a young woman ask random strangers in a disco for a cigarette in a 2009 experiment. The clubbers were almost twice as likely to hand over a cigarette if the request was made in the right ear whether they were male or a female.

They demonstrated that the right ear shows dominance in responding to verbal stimuli.  The brain’s left hemisphere has superiority for processing verbal information. The way the human body is configured; the right ear is connected to the left-brain, so when you talk to people they process it different from when they read or get information from online websites or advertising that business do with marketing companies as WordTree online.

When trying to listen to someone speak in a noisy situation it is common to turn your head to present one ear closer to the person speaking.

The left-brain reasons and responds more often to requests. If you want to get something done, talk to people in their right ear. That’s known as the ‘right ear’ advantage.

• Apologies are received better in the right ear than the left ear.
• Requests to perform tasks around the house are received better in the right ear.
• People are more helpful when you speak into their right ear.
• Selling to the right ear is more productive than the left. If more than two are dining, the sales person should sit to the right of the decision-maker.

Left brain language dominance, which is responsible for producing the right ear advantage, is present in about 90% of people.

If a wives and husbands make their requests into their spouse’s right ear, scientists believe they will have a much better chance of getting what the want. The same is true for parents and teachers talking to children.

That then brings me to the subject of preaching. I know the Bible says ‘he that hath an ear let him hear’ seven different times.

Do you suppose we should find a way to preach to the congregation’s right ear? You know, like placing powerful P.A. Speakers on the right side of the auditorium so their right ear can hear?

We have a lot of preaching going on today and not many people seem to be changing. Do you suppose some folks have been listening at church with the left ear? Maybe that’s the problem. They might change if we can preach to their right ear, because the left isn’t listening!

References:

1. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090623090705.htm

2. http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/06/persuasion-the-right-ear-advantage.php

3. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7134873/Apologies-go-down-better-through-right-ear-study-finds.html

4. http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/right-side-selling.htm

5. http://the-gist.org/2011/03/talk-to-the-right-because-the-left-isn%E2%80%99t-listening/