If You Want Your Husband to Rake the
Leaves…
…ask him in his right ear. Requests made into that ear, not the left, are more
likely to elicit a “yes.” In an Italian study, a female student asked 176 people for
a cigarette in a noisy nightclub. Those asked in the right side were twice as likely
(39 percent) to respond favorably as those asked on the left (19 percent). The
reason for the pattern? Researchers say it could be the asymmetrical way the
brain processes emotions: The left hemisphere (which gets stronger input from
the right ear) is specialized for positive feelings and approach behavior, while the
right side (more left-ear-linked) tends to be focused on negative feelings and
avoidance. So whether it’s for a chore or a back rub, try to get on his right side,
says Luca Tommasi, Ph.D., lead researcher.