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Aung T, Hill AK, Hlay JK, Hess C, Hess M, Johnson J, Doll L, Carlson SM, Magdinec C, G-Santoyo I, Walker RS, Bailey D, Arnocky S, Kamble S, Vardy T, Kyritsis T, Atkinson Q, Jones B, Burns J, Koster J, Palomo-Vélez G, Tybur JM, Muñoz-Reyes J, Choy BKC, Li NP, Klar V, Batres C, Bascheck P, Schild C, Penke L, Pazhoohi F, Kemirembe K, Valentova JV, Varella MAC, da Silva CSA, Borras-Guevara M, Hodges-Simeon C, Ernst M, Garr C, Chen BB, Puts D. Effects of Voice Pitch on Social Perceptions Vary With Relational Mobility and Homicide Rate. Psychol Sci 2024; 35:250-262. [PMID: 38289294 DOI: 10.1177/09567976231222288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Fundamental frequency ( fo) is the most perceptually salient vocal acoustic parameter, yet little is known about how its perceptual influence varies across societies. We examined how fo affects key social perceptions and how socioecological variables modulate these effects in 2,647 adult listeners sampled from 44 locations across 22 nations. Low male fo increased men's perceptions of formidability and prestige, especially in societies with higher homicide rates and greater relational mobility in which male intrasexual competition may be more intense and rapid identification of high-status competitors may be exigent. High female fo increased women's perceptions of flirtatiousness where relational mobility was lower and threats to mating relationships may be greater. These results indicate that the influence of fo on social perceptions depends on socioecological variables, including those related to competition for status and mates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toe Aung
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
| | | | - Jessica K Hlay
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Catherine Hess
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Michael Hess
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Janie Johnson
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Leslie Doll
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Sara M Carlson
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
| | | | - Isaac G-Santoyo
- Faculty of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico
| | | | - Drew Bailey
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine
| | | | | | - Tom Vardy
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland
| | | | | | | | - Jessica Burns
- Department of Anthropology, University of Cincinnati
| | - Jeremy Koster
- Department of Anthropology, University of Cincinnati
| | | | - Joshua M Tybur
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
| | - José Muñoz-Reyes
- Center for Advanced Studies, Playa Ancha University of Educational Sciences
| | - Bryan K C Choy
- School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University
| | - Norman P Li
- School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University
| | - Verena Klar
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg August University Göttingen
| | | | - Patricia Bascheck
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg August University Göttingen
| | - Christoph Schild
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg August University Göttingen
- Department of Psychology, University of Siegen
| | - Lars Penke
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg August University Göttingen
- Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Farid Pazhoohi
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Moritz Ernst
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg August University Göttingen
| | - Collin Garr
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
| | | | - David Puts
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University
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2
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Keller PE, Lee J, König R, Novembre G. Sex-related communicative functions of voice spectral energy in human chorusing. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230326. [PMID: 37935372 PMCID: PMC10645082 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Music is a human communicative art whose evolutionary origins may lie in capacities that support cooperation and/or competition. A mixed account favouring simultaneous cooperation and competition draws on analogous interactive displays produced by collectively signalling non-human animals (e.g. crickets and frogs). In these displays, rhythmically coordinated calls serve as a beacon whereby groups of males 'cooperatively' attract potential female mates, while the likelihood of each male competitively attracting an actual mate depends on the precedence of his signal. Human behaviour consistent with the mixed account was previously observed in a renowned boys choir, where the basses-the oldest boys with the deepest voices-boosted their acoustic prominence by increasing energy in a high-frequency band of the vocal spectrum when girls were in an otherwise male audience. The current study tested female and male sensitivity and preferences for this subtle vocal modulation in online listening tasks. Results indicate that while female and male listeners are similarly sensitive to enhanced high-spectral energy elicited by the presence of girls in the audience, only female listeners exhibit a reliable preference for it. Findings suggest that human chorusing is a flexible form of social communicative behaviour that allows simultaneous group cohesion and sexually motivated competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter E. Keller
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Penrith South, Australia
| | - Jennifer Lee
- Queensland Aphasia Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Giacomo Novembre
- Neuroscience of Perception and Action Lab, Italian Institute of Technology, Rome, Italy
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Aung T, Hill AK, Pfefferle D, McLester E, Fuller J, Lawrence JM, Garcia-Nisa I, Kendal RL, Petersdorf M, Higham JP, Galat G, Lameira AR, Apicella CL, Barelli C, Glenn ME, Ramos-Fernandez G, Puts DA. Group size and mating system predict sex differences in vocal fundamental frequency in anthropoid primates. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4069. [PMID: 37429846 PMCID: PMC10333282 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39535-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Vocalizations differ substantially between the sexes in many primates, and low-frequency male vocalizations may be favored by sexual selection because they intimidate rivals and/or attract mates. Sexual dimorphism in fundamental frequency may be more pronounced in species with more intense male mating competition and in those with large group size, where social knowledge is limited and efficient judgment of potential mates and competitors is crucial. These non-mutually exclusive explanations have not been tested simultaneously across primate species. In a sample of vocalizations (n = 1914 recordings) across 37 anthropoid species, we investigated whether fundamental frequency dimorphism evolved in association with increased intensity of mating competition (H1), large group size (H2), multilevel social organization (H3), a trade-off against the intensity of sperm competition (H4), and/or poor acoustic habitats (H5), controlling for phylogeny and body size dimorphism. We show that fundamental frequency dimorphism increased in evolutionary transitions towards larger group size and polygyny. Findings suggest that low-frequency male vocalizations in primates may have been driven by selection to win mating opportunities by avoiding costly fights and may be more important in larger groups, where limited social knowledge affords advantages to rapid assessment of status and threat potential via conspicuous secondary sexual characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toe Aung
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Psychology and Counseling Department, Immaculata University, Immaculata, PA, USA
| | - Alexander K Hill
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany & Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center & University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Edward McLester
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - James Fuller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jenna M Lawrence
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gérard Galat
- IRD (French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development), Montpellier, France
| | | | - Coren L Apicella
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Claudia Barelli
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Mary E Glenn
- Department of Anthropology, California State Polytechnic University Humboldt, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - Gabriel Ramos-Fernandez
- Institute for Research on Applied Mathematics and Systems and C3-Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - David A Puts
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Articulatory effects on perceptions of men's status and attractiveness. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2647. [PMID: 36788286 PMCID: PMC9929068 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29173-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on heterosexual mating has demonstrated that acoustic parameters (e.g., pitch) of men's voices influence their attractiveness to women and appearance of status and formidability to other men. However, little is known about how men's tendency to clearly articulate their speech influences these important social perceptions. In the current study, we used a repeated-measures design to investigate how men's articulatory clarity or conformity influenced women's (N = 45) evaluations of men's attractiveness for both short- and long-term relationships, and men's (N = 46) evaluations of physical formidability and prestige. Results largely supported our hypotheses: men who enunciated phonemes more distinctly were more attractive to women for long-term relationships than short-term relationships and were perceived by other men to have higher prestige than physical dominance. These findings suggest that aspects of articulatory behavior that influence perceptions of prestige and long-term mating attractiveness may indicate an early social history characterized by high socioeconomic status, likely owing to crystallization of articulatory patterns during the critical period of language development. These articulatory patterns may also be honest signals of condition or disposition owing to the nature of complex, multicomponent traits, which deserve further empirical attention.
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Voice Changes Across the Menstrual Cycle in Response to Masculinized and Feminized Man and Woman. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-022-00190-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Leongómez JD, Havlíček J, Roberts SC. Musicality in human vocal communication: an evolutionary perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200391. [PMID: 34775823 PMCID: PMC8591388 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies show that specific vocal modulations, akin to those of infant-directed speech (IDS) and perhaps music, play a role in communicating intentions and mental states during human social interaction. Based on this, we propose a model for the evolution of musicality-the capacity to process musical information-in relation to human vocal communication. We suggest that a complex social environment, with strong social bonds, promoted the appearance of musicality-related abilities. These social bonds were not limited to those between offspring and mothers or other carers, although these may have been especially influential in view of altriciality of human infants. The model can be further tested in other species by comparing levels of sociality and complexity of vocal communication. By integrating several theories, our model presents a radically different view of musicality, not limited to specifically musical scenarios, but one in which this capacity originally evolved to aid parent-infant communication and bonding, and even today plays a role not only in music but also in IDS, as well as in some adult-directed speech contexts. This article is part of the theme issue 'Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part II)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan David Leongómez
- Human Behaviour Lab, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S. Craig Roberts
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
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Leongómez JD, Pisanski K, Reby D, Sauter D, Lavan N, Perlman M, Varella Valentova J. Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200386. [PMID: 34719255 PMCID: PMC8558768 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on within-individual modulation of vocal cues is surprisingly scarce outside of human speech. Yet, voice modulation serves diverse functions in human and nonhuman nonverbal communication, from dynamically signalling motivation and emotion, to exaggerating physical traits such as body size and masculinity, to enabling song and musicality. The diversity of anatomical, neural, cognitive and behavioural adaptations necessary for the production and perception of voice modulation make it a critical target for research on the origins and functions of acoustic communication. This diversity also implicates voice modulation in numerous disciplines and technological applications. In this two-part theme issue comprising 21 articles from leading and emerging international researchers, we highlight the multidisciplinary nature of the voice sciences. Every article addresses at least two, if not several, critical topics: (i) development and mechanisms driving vocal control and modulation; (ii) cultural and other environmental factors affecting voice modulation; (iii) evolutionary origins and adaptive functions of vocal control including cross-species comparisons; (iv) social functions and real-world consequences of voice modulation; and (v) state-of-the-art in multidisciplinary methodologies and technologies in voice modulation research. With this collection of works, we aim to facilitate cross-talk across disciplines to further stimulate the burgeoning field of voice modulation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan David Leongómez
- Human Behaviour Laboratory (LACH), Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota, DC 110121, Colombia
| | - Katarzyna Pisanski
- Sensory Neuro-Ethology Laboratory (ENES), Neuroscience Research Centre of Lyon (CRNL), Jean Monnet University Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
- CNRS – Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Laboratoire Dynamique du Langage, Université Lyon 2, Lyon, France
| | - David Reby
- Sensory Neuro-Ethology Laboratory (ENES), Neuroscience Research Centre of Lyon (CRNL), Jean Monnet University Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Disa Sauter
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nadine Lavan
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
| | - Marcus Perlman
- Department of English Language and Linguistics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jaroslava Varella Valentova
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-030, Brazil
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Leongómez JD, Sánchez OR, Vásquez-Amézquita M, Roberts SC. Contextualising courtship: Exploring male body odour effects on vocal modulation. Behav Processes 2021; 193:104531. [PMID: 34655713 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Voice characteristics are important to communicate socially relevant information. Recent research has shown that individuals alter their voices depending on the context of social interactions and perceived characteristics of the audience, and this affects how they are perceived. Numerous studies have also shown that the presence of bodily odours can elicit psychological changes in people. Here, we tested whether the presence of male axillary odour would influence vocal modulations in courtship contexts. We analysed differences in vocal parameters and attractiveness ratings across 950 recordings from 80 participants as they responded to opposite-sex target stimuli. Using these, we tested whether men's and women's vocal parameters and perceived stimuli attractiveness differed in the presence or absence of the odour. We expected women to speak with increased voice F0, and men to lower their pitch, when exposed to male body odour, especially if it were of high quality. However, neither the presence of male odour, its quality, nor the addition of androstadienone produced any consistent changes in vocal parameters. Nevertheless, rated stimulus attractiveness was predicted by F0 and especially F0 variability, suggesting that this is a key parameter in signalling attraction during human courtship, and supporting the idea that vocal modulations are context-sensitive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan David Leongómez
- Human Behaviour Lab, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota 110121, Colombia; Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - Oscar R Sánchez
- Human Behaviour Lab, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota 110121, Colombia.
| | - Milena Vásquez-Amézquita
- Experimental Psychology Lab, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota 110121, Colombia.
| | - S Craig Roberts
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
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