Unusual effects of deep voices on love relationships revealed

Many of the world’s most famous celebrities, from Miley Cyrus to Morgan Freeman, are known for their deep voices, writes the Daily Mail. Well, a new study shows that people who speak in a deeper voice are more attractive in long-term relationships.

What’s more, according to a team from Pennsylvania State University, men with deep voices are considered more menacing and prestigious among other men.

“A low pitched voice exaggerates size,” said Professor David Poots, co-author of the study. “It makes an organism, whether human or non-human primate, appear large and intimidating.”

It is known that voice communication is one of the most important characteristics of a person. And while our accents and intonations vary greatly, Professor Poots says pitch is the most noticeable aspect of the voice.

“Understanding how voice pitch affects social perception can help us more broadly understand social relationships, how we achieve social status, how we judge others by social status, and how we choose partners,” the expert explained.

In their study, the researchers selected two recordings of a male and two female voices, all repeating the same sentence. The pitch of each clip was then edited until a total of 12 clips were created.

The clips were shown to more than 3,100 participants from 22 countries, who were asked to answer questions about whose voice sounded most attractive, flirtatious, menacing and prestigious.

The results showed that male and female participants from different cultures preferred deeper voices for long-term relationships, writes the Daily Mail.

“The findings suggest that deep voices evolved in men because our male ancestors often interacted with competitors who were strangers,” says Professor Poots. “Masculine traits such as deep voices and beards are highly visible socially “, but this new research shows that the expression of at least one of these traits varies predictably across societies, suggesting that others, such as beards, do too.”

In contrast, the researchers found that women with high-pitched voices were rated as more attractive for short-term relationships.

Overall, the researchers say the findings suggest that voice pitch is related to social perception across societies.

“It also shows that the extent to which we pay attention to pitch when making social attributions varies across societies and depends on relevant sociocultural variables,” Professor Poots added. “In a society where there is greater relationship mobility and you have less direct information about your competitors, people appear to be more attentive to easily identifiable cues such as voice pitch.”

“The findings suggest that deep voices evolved in men because our male ancestors often interacted with competitors who were strangers,” Professor Poots said. “Masculine traits such as deep voices and beards are highly visible socially.” “, but this new research shows that the expression of at least one of these traits varies predictably across societies, suggesting that others, such as beards, do too.”

In contrast, the researchers found that women with high-pitched voices were rated as more attractive for short-term relationships.

Overall, the researchers say the findings suggest that voice pitch has a bearing on social perception across societies, the Daily Mail writes.

“It also shows that the extent to which we pay attention to pitch when making social attributions varies across societies and depends on relevant sociocultural variables,” Professor Poots added. “In a society where there is greater relationship mobility and you have less direct information about your competitors, people appear to be more attentive to easily identifiable cues such as voice pitch.”