1. A method for improving noise cancellation for a wearer of a hearing assistance device having an adaptive filter, the method comprising: calculating an annoyance measure based on a residual signal in an ear of the wearer, the wearer's hearing loss, and the wearer's preference; estimating a spectral weighting function based on a ratio of the annoyance measure and spectral energy; and incorporating the spectral weighting function into a cost function for an update of the adaptive filter.