What Your Voice Says About You
(and How Your Voice Impacts Others)
by www.SixWise.com
When it comes to speaking, it's not only your words that
have an impact. Your voice -- whether it's booming, raspy,
petite or demure -- also speaks volumes about your personality,
physical health, even your sexual activity.
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People were able to detect the "personality"
of computer-generated voices based on their pace and
pitch.
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"When the phone rings, even though you may not know
the person at the other end of the line, as soon as they speak
you usually know whether you are talking to a male or female,
and a child or adult. In other words, the sound of a person's
voice conveys information about the biological status of the
speaker," said Gordon Gallup, from the University of
Albany's department of psychology.
Aside from obvious factors like gender and age, your voice
can also convey your true emotions, even when you'd rather
it not (such as a subtle wavering when you intend to sound
strong, or a slight increase in pitch at the end of a sentence,
letting on you're not certain). Delving even deeper, your
voice impacts how others perceive you, perhaps more so even
than physical appearance.
Are You an Extrovert or an Introvert? Your Voice Says
it All
A study by researchers at Stanford University, published
in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, found that people
"hear" personality in voices -- even those they
know are computer-generated.
What's more, the 72 study participants were able to accurately
judge personality based solely on voice. They heard voices
that were either "extroverted" (louder and faster)
or "introverted" (softer and slower), and the participants
were able to accurately gauge the voices' personalities.
We Like Voices That Sound Like Our Own
In the same study, it was also found that people preferred
voices that were more like their own; those who described
themselves as introverts were more attracted to the introvert
voice, and vice versa for the extroverts.
Also, when the voice personality (which read book reviews
from a phony Internet book store) matched the listener's,
the listener was more attracted not only to the voice, but
also to the book reviews -- and was more likely to say they'd
buy the book being reviewed.
The findings show the significance that voice, including
computer-synthesized speech, can have in a sales environment.
"To maximize liking and trust, designers should set
parameters [for computer-synthesized speech], for example,
words per minute or frequency range, that create a personality
that is consistent with the user and the content being presented."
What Your Voice Reveals About Your Sex Life
A study by Gallup, of the University of Albany, and colleagues
found that people with attractive voices also tend to be more
sexually adventurous. Those whose voices rated at the top:
"In short, ratings of voice attractiveness are correlated
with promiscuity in both men and women," Gallup said.
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People whose voices were rated most attractive were
also more likely to have had more sexual partners and
an increased tendency to be unfaithful.
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Further, voice attractiveness also indicated clues about
the person's body. In men, those with attractive voices were
more likely to also have broad shoulders and narrow hips,
both characteristics that are linked to testosterone and growth.
Women with attractive voices were also more likely to have
a desirable body -- one with a narrow waist and broad hips.
Past research has also indicated a link between voice and
favorability, both of personality and physical characteristics.
The link is known as the "vocal attractiveness stereotype:"
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Those with attractive voices are usually perceived as
having more desirable personality characteristics.
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The higher the rating of voice attractiveness, the more
likely the rater is to think the person behind the voice
is similar to himself -- and the more likely the rater
is to want to affiliate with the speaker.
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A correlation has been found between voice attractiveness
and facial attractiveness in women.
Other Interesting Vocal Facts
A voice is a mysterious thing, and even you may not know
what your voice is saying about you:
Recommended Reading
How
Singing Improves Your Health (Even if Other People Shouldn't
Hear You Singing)
How
Your Body Language Conveys Confidence, Intelligence and Trust
... or a Lack There of
Sources
Evolution
and Human Behavior 25 (2004) 295-3
Science
Daily
BBC
News