What's in a Voice?
When it comes to love and courtship, getting-to-know-you chat and spoken sweet nothings may pack a whole lot of something beyond the words being said. In fact, the qualities of men"s and women"s voices appear to transmit biological information about attraction level, health and fertility to a potential partner.
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All things being equal . . . For both sexes, the focus of what we may be listening for in another’s voice is body symmetry, or a well-proportioned body. The more attractive a voice is, the more likely the body attached to it is more symmetrical and will be perceived as more physically attractive. Symmetry is important because it may suggest to key to physical survival and fertility information to a potential partner: good hormonal balance, a good immunity and overall health. It’s important to note that body symmetry is not the same thing as body size or body mass index (BMI). There are three types of symmetry that matter most in voice-perceived attractiveness of a member of the opposite sex:
- For men: Shoulder-to-Hip ratio (SHP)—The presence of wider shoulders coupled with narrower hips seem to predict perceived attractiveness and higher levels of sexual promiscuity in men. In a study conducted at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque, behavioral ecologist Randy Thornhill found that males with the most symmetry in their bodies had two to three times the number of sexual partners in a lifetime as did those who have the least symmetrical bodies.
- For women: Waist-to-Hip ratio (WHP)—A stature in which a woman’s shoulders and hips are relatively even in size and appear with a narrower waistline, similar to the traditional "hourglass figure," is perceived as more attractive than a less symmetrical figure. However, one interesting finding is that voice attractiveness of a woman irregardless of her WHP is a better indicator of sexual promiscuity.
- For both men and women—Left-to-right side ratio. While everyone has a difference in size between the left and right halves of their bodies, the less difference between the right and left in terms of size, including facial features, the more attractive a person is likely to be rated.
The differences between men and women Men as a rule find higher pitched voices in women to be more attractive than lower voices. Moreover, men can predict the symmetry, and hence attractiveness, of a woman’s face from listening to her voice alone. Estrogen, which is linked to feminine looking faces, is thought to be the cause of both higher voices in women and more attractive facial features. While men cannot predict a woman’s BMI from listening to her voice alone, they can estimate her WHP symmetry.
Women, on the other hand can predict a man’s heaviness and approximate BMI by listening to his voice, but despite his weight, the lower pitched and more attractive his voice is rated, the more symmetrical his body and more sexual partners he is likely to have. More symmetrical males may also have higher self-esteem as a result of being deemed more attractive throughout their lives, so their voices can project confidence and security, two attributes that are also attractive to women. All in all, attraction and chemistry arises from a combination of the senses, but the sound of a person’s voice appears to play a major part in rating a potential partner’s attractiveness. If you shut your eyes and listen closely to the voice of someone you’re attracted to and like what you hear, chances are you'll probably open your eyes and like what you see, too. References:
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annother
September 10,2010 at 07:05 pmI'm an alto and am frequently complemented on my "telephone" voice. I think that each of us has a range of tones that resonate with us and turn us on just a little bit.
This is, by the way, an old thread so the early posters are probably long gone.
jen93940
September 10,2010 at 07:02 pmI think that hearing a person's voice is important more so than having a sexy Barry White kinda bass, but it's hearing the inflection in their speech, hearing them laugh, the immediate reaction time as opposed to in an e-mail where you can sit and ponder over it.
Granted, there are men whose voices I swoon over - (still haven't run into my English/Aussie) dream man yet, but the reality for me is that if he can make me laugh, and we have great conversation...it can be AMAZING
brandysinger
September 10,2010 at 06:22 pmAs a singer, I'm interested in voices and the vocal instrument and how it works. Never thought about how one type of voice would be appealing to a female - and as a female singer, I've learned that speaking in a higher tone "warms" up my voice and prepares me to sing better than talking low in my chest range (which makes me sound a little like Peggy Lee). As a grandmother in my late 60s, I've been asked out by young male telemarkers who talk to me on the phone and think I'm 25! What a hoot! So there is validity to that argument that men are attracted to the higher voice in women, which primarily means youth, IMHO. Older women typically speak in lower, more modulated tones. I do sing bass in my chorus and can actually sing all voice parts, but we need basses and I've got the range, so that's where I sing. I am overweight and pudgy and an "old gal" though, voice notwithstanding!
spykedjoker
August 28,2008 at 09:33 pmHas anyone else noticed that the entire first page of responses are from users with one post all with names prefaced by a series of numbers? How more obvious could it be that these are posts made by eH to encourage more on-topic serious conversation?
And it is always nice to hear that women like a deep voice and wide shoulders.
Uncle Apple
August 28,2008 at 08:53 pmOh, I totatlly disagreee. I happen to like women who have low voices, depending how low. I find that women who have high voices, tend to talk too fast.
lonelyiniowa
April 15,2008 at 05:41 amThanks everyone for your comments, it has helped me feel more confident.
technokat
April 9,2008 at 03:12 pmtechnokat
April 9,2008 at 03:10 pmlonelyiniowa
April 9,2008 at 06:48 amHello Everyone,
I am a 37 year old male and I have a higher pitched voice. So much so that when talking on the phone or ordering at the drive up most poeple confuse me with a women. Its very hurtful and makes it hard for me to socialize when out with poeple. I can only say that with my voice it has taught me not to try to judge other people by just their voice.
My ex father-in-law has a deep voice and he was one of a handful of poeple not to judge me and when he overheard me talking about it to my ex he told me that I shouldn't be ashamed or afraid of my voice because it makes me unique and if poeple can't look or hear past that then they aren't worth my time. That made me feel good and helped me in more ways then one. So I will not judge anyone by their voice or let that stand in the way of finding a diamond in the ruff!!
Thanks
lonelyiniowa.
NancyG
April 8,2008 at 02:35 pmSnape, and the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Hans Gruber, and ...
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