Consciously or not, when we are attracted to someone, we signal this in a number of ways. From the change of posture, look, expression, even to your voice. According to new research, people are alert to attracting one another by lowering their voice.
The decrease in the tone of voice applies equally to both men and women. "We found that both sexes use a lower-level voice when they show a higher level of attraction than someone from the opposite sex," said Dr. Susan Hughes, author of the study.
For the purpose of the survey, 48 people were asked to leave a predefined voice message while viewing a person's picture. When they see a photo of a more attractive person, people use a lower voice to read the message.
Men are naturally expected to lower their tone to signal the attraction that they have done.
Women, on the contrary, are expected to make a tone to make them more feminine and more attractive, as are the generally accepted stereotypes. But in fact, the opposite is true. Women also use a thicker timbre for their voice when they are attracted to someone. "When a woman naturally lowers her voice, she wants to sound more seductive, and it serves as a signal for her romantic interest," explains Dr. Hughes.
The study also finds that the change in tone of the voice is large enough so that people can clearly sense it.
"These findings can shed some light on the role of voice in selecting and attracting partners."