The sound of any person’s voice can give out a lot of information about him. If we take into account the latest research in this direction, then a voice can tell much more about its owner or owner than, for example, a photograph. So, what can the interlocutor learn about you, hearing only your voice?
Credibility
A study conducted by Columbia Business School conducted an experiment. The participants were divided into several groups. Conditionally, some were bosses, others were «middle link», and others were subordinates. They didn’t know each other’s status. Then they were mixed into groups and sent to impromptu negotiations. Those who were given more power more often intoned phrases, changed the volume of their voice and were less monotonous.
Marriage stability
The researchers recorded couples during marriage therapy sessions for two years, and then used a computer to analyze voice characteristics. Looking at the marital status of couples 5 years later, the researchers found that computer analysis of the tone of voice predicted better whether the relationship was better or worse than analyzing the words that husbands and wives said. The volume and pitch of the sound were evaluated here. The lower these indicators were, the more stable the marriage turned out to be.
Falling in love
Researchers from Albright College have found that when talking to those with whom a person has a romantic relationship (especially at the very beginning), the voice usually seems sexier and more pleasant than when talking to a platonic friend. The differences were obvious enough that even independent «evaluators» could determine whether the caller was talking to a friend or lover.
Career success
A study conducted by Duke University and the University of California, San Diego, found that people with the lowest voice earn more and lead companies more often than their colleagues with a high voice. Another Duke study, the election game, found that participants were more likely to vote for candidates with a lower vote, regardless of the candidate’s gender.
Reliability
Researchers from the University of Glasgow recorded the voices of people reading a certain speech, and played only the word «hello» from these readings to other volunteers. They rated the votes based on personality traits such as reliability and dominance. Those whose voice rose at the end of the word were considered less trustworthy.
Fertility
According to a study by the University of California at Los Angeles, women’s voices sound higher before ovulation than with low fertility. Researchers believe that men find higher voices more attractive because female hormones and youth are associated with high fertility.
Height
Research presented at the Acoustic Society annual conference in North America showed that tall people usually have wider lower airways, including the lungs. Therefore, they have a lower voice than people whose height is less.
