1. The Role of Pitch and Age in Perceptions of Speaker Confidence
Joshua J. Guyer, Amanda C. Maracle, & Leandre R. Fabrigar
Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada,
1. Abstract
4. Method
6. Discussion
We examined how the interplay between vocal pitch, gender, and argument strength influenced perceptions of speaker confidence and suggest one reason why this may be the case. The design was a 3 (vocal pitch: lowered pitch vs. baseline pitch vs. raised pitch) x 2 (gender: male vs. female) x 2 (argument strength: strong vs. weak) between participants factorial. Vocal pitch was manipulated using digital audio software (PRAAT©) to ensure no properties of voice other than pitch were altered. Participants listened to an audio recording that discussed proposed legislation in favor of implementing a new tax on junk food. Next, participants were asked to provide ratings of the speaker along a variety of dimensions. Lastly, participants were provided with an open-ended question in which they were asked to assign an age to the speaker based only on the vocal qualities heard in the audio recording. The results indicated significantly higher ratings of speaker confidence for lowered and baseline vocal pitch relative to raised vocal pitch. A moderated mediation analyses revealed that the relationship between speaker pitch and confidence is fully mediated by age such that as speaker pitch increases, ratings of age decline, as do ratings of confidence. However, this mediation effect is moderated by gender such that as speaker pitch increases, ratings of age decrease more for females than for males.
Participants.
Across genders, the data indicated significantly higher ratings of speaker confidence at baseline and lowered vocal pitch as compared with raised vocal pitch. One potential explanation has to do with the receiver’s perception of the speaker’s age. For example, consider that as one progresses from adolescence to adulthood, many physiological changes take place in the body. Although many physiological changes are specific to each gender, including an increase in facial hair and testosterone levels among males and the development of breasts and onset of the ovulation cycle among females, one physiological change in particular is universal to both sexes. Specifically, during the maturation process, both genders experience a deepening of the vocal tones emitted during speech. More precisely, the rate at which the glottis vibrates tends to decrease during the maturation process, thus resulting in a lowering of the fundamental frequencies produced during speech. A deepening of the voice typically indicates an individual has undergone the maturation process, thus signifying the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Thus, we would expect an inverse relationship between vocal pitch and age. Considering the wealth of research demonstrating that individuals typically assign greater credibility, experience, intelligence, authority, and expertise to adults relative to adolescents, it may be the case that vocal confidence as reflected by pitch is another dispositional quality associated with age. That is, vocal confidence may be a dispositional quality more readily assigned to adults than to adolescents. If the maturation account is correct, what it would suggest is that regardless of actual age, raised vocal pitch should garner lower ratings of speaker confidence relative to lowered or baseline levels of vocal pitch. Moreover, because both genders undergo this physiological change during the maturation process, it follows that similar patterns of speaker confidence should be expected across gender as a function of vocal pitch. As can be seen in Figure 2, the results suggest our hypothesis is correct. Further, the maturation explanation would suggest that once an individual has undergone puberty and completed the transition from adolescence to adulthood, no differences should exist between ratings of age for baseline and lowered levels of vocal pitch. However, because raised vocal pitch reflects pre-pubertal status, age should be rated significantly lower in the case of raised vocal pitch relative to baseline and lowered vocal pitch. Turning to Figure 3, the data indicate this is exactly what we found. Further support for the maturation explanation is found through the path diagram depicted by Figure 4. What we find is that across both genders, as vocal pitch increases, perceptions of speaker age as well as speaker confidence decrease. Moreover, the interaction between vocal pitch and gender suggests that as vocal pitch increases, perceptions of speaker age decrease more for females than males. This may simply reflect a higher baseline in females relative to males, which should only augment perceptions of youth following a relative increase in vocal pitch.
250 undergraduate psychology students participated in return for course credit
2 (Speaker gender: male vs. female) x 3 (Speaker pitch: lowered vs. baseline vs. raised) x 2(Argument quality: strong vs. weak) between participants factorial.
Each participant was seated at a computer terminal and told that they would be listening to an audio recording over a set of headphones followed by series of questions based on the recording. Participants were then randomly assigned to listen to an audio recording in which the speaker was either male or female, the pitch was either lowered, raised, or at the speaker’s natural baseline level, and the content of the recorded passage contained either strong or weak arguments. After listening to the audio recording, participants were asked to provide ratings of the speaker along a variety of dimensions, including pitch and speaker confidence. The presentation order of these questions were randomized. Lastly, participants were provided with an open-ended question in which they were asked to assign an age to the speaker based only on the vocal qualities heard in the audio recording.
With the exception of the open-ended response designed to assess perceptions of the speaker’s age, all questions presented used 7-point rating scales.
The topic of the passage proposed taxing junk food and consisted of either strong or weak arguments.
Design.
Procedure.
Measures.
5. Results
2. Introduction
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Within the domain of interpersonal perception, research has often focused on physical characteristics of the speaker while neglecting to pay attention to less tangible aspects such as voice. Considering the pervasiveness of oral communication, one would think that a great deal would be known about how the qualities of a speaker’s voice affect interpersonal perception. Yet curiously, very little attention has been devoted to this area. In recent years, however, a growing body of research has focused its efforts on investigating the extent to which various features of voice influence perceptions of speaker confidence. One characteristic of voice that intuitively may play a role in this process is vocal pitch. Consider that one aspect involved in the transition from adolescence to adulthood is a lowering of the fundamental frequency, or in other words, deepening of the voice. Another important feature involves a gradual increase in one’s overall knowledge and experience of the world. When compared with individuals relatively lacking in knowledge and experience, those individuals relatively high on these attributes may be perceived as generally more confident. Thus, this transition is marked both by a deepening of the voice and a gradual increase in knowledge and experience. Bearing this in mind, it makes sense that perceivers should judge as more confident those individuals having a lowered relative to raised vocal pitch. Likewise, ratings of age should be higher for individuals having a lowered relative to raised vocal pitch. Because similar morphological changes in the vocal tract occur during puberty across genders, we would expect similar results for both males and females. The goal of the current study was to experimentally test this hypothesis. * * * * * * * * *
Means having an * are significantly different at p < .05.
Figure 3.
Figure 4. * *
7. Future Directions
Future research will examine the generalizability of these results to other male and female speakers as well as across different topics.
As a hallmark of vocal confidence, the possible influence of vocal pitch on the persuasion process will also be investigated.
3. Present Study
Figure 4. Solid lines indicate significant paths. Dotted lines indicate non-significant paths.
Goals: Investigate the relationship between vocal pitch and speaker
confidence across gender.
Determine whether vocal pitch influences perceptions of speaker age and the relationship between these variables and perceptions of speaker confidence.
Actual age of male and female speakers: 31 and 28, respectively.
Contact Information: Joshua J. Guyer –