Online Dating Blog

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We all have different voices – some screechy, some mellow; some high, some low. To some extent, our voices play a key part in attracting and being attracted. Seductive, charming, confident voices; Australian accents, Scottish accents, Irish accents – we all have our preferences. Yet little would we suspect that the simple matter of vocal pitch could have an immense influence on our emotions.

Recent research has actually proven that men are attracted to higher-pitched women, and women, in turn, are drawn to lower-pitched men. A study by Aberdeen University has actually shown that the higher the voice of the woman, the more attracted she is to a deep-registered man. The researchers tested 113 heterosexual female undergraduates, measuring their voice pitch by asking them to recite vowel sounds, a sentence and a passage of text. They then had to decide which voice they preferred as four recordings of differently pitched men saying either “I really like you” or “I really don’t like you” were played to them.

The general results showed a decided preference for the lower-toned men. But with the higher-pitched women who heard “I really like you”, there was almost a universal partiality towards the more masculine register. However, the “I really don’t like you” results saw a less marked difference in the choice of higher- and lower-toned women. So, women with higher voices – whether in Manchester dating or in Madrid dating – will prefer nice men with a deep tone of voice!

In addition to this, a study from the University of California confirmed that a woman’s voice pitch changes depending on her menstrual cycle. It seems that it is her unconscious goal at this time to enhance her attractiveness by making herself appear more feminine. 69 women were tested at various stages of ovulation. On average, they were seen to increase their pitch by a whole semi-tone from the least to the greatest level of fertility. This means that during this time, as the previous study has shown, they will be more attracted to the deeper-registered man.

It is largely unknown what this quality indicates in a person. High-toned women could appear healthier to a man due to their higher levels of oestrogen and consequent assurance of a working reproductive system. For men, however, it is slightly more unclear. For a deep voice doesn’t necessarily indicate size – perhaps it is the simple assurance and confidence this kind of register can command. As Dr Alan McElligott of Queen Mary, University of London concludes, “the exact link between quality of the men and pitch of the voice is not known.”

So, all dating UK trends depend to some extent on vocal pitch. Apparently, we are no different from the countless animals that show outward signs of fertility or seduce each other with their low and high calls.

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