Voice pitch alters mate-choice-relevant perception in hunter–gatherers

Abstract

In humans, voice pitch is thought to be a cue of underlying quality and an important criterion for mate choice, but data from non-Western cultures have not been provided. Here we test attributions to and preferences for voices with raised and lowered pitch in hunter-gatherers. Using a forced-choice playback experiment, we found that both men and women viewed lower pitched voices in the opposite sex as being better at acquiring resources (e.g. hunting and gathering). While men preferred higher pitched women's voices as marriage partners, women showed no overall preference for voice pitch in men. However, women who were currently breastfeeding had stronger preferences for higher pitched male voices whereas women not currently breastfeeding preferred lower pitched voices. As testosterone is considered a costly signal associated with dominance, heritable immunity to infection and low paternal investment, women's preferences potentially reflect a trade-off between securing good genes and paternal investment. Men's preferences for higher pitched female voices are probably due to an evolved preference for markers of fecundity, reflected in voice pitch.

A modulatory effect of male voice pitch on long-term memory in women: evidence of adaptation for mate choice?

“…Thus, any fitness-related benefits from mating with a relatively masculine male may trade off against the costs of their behavioural tendencies within a long-term relationship (Fink & Penton-Voak, 2002;Gangestad & Simpson, 2000). Consistent with this idea, women's preferences for male masculinity are modulated by a wide variety of factors, including menstrual cycle phase and hormone levels (e.g., Feinberg et al, 2006;Puts, 2005), hormonal contraceptive use , whether or not one is breastfeeding (Apicella & Feinberg, 2009), and indices of a women's own attractiveness (Vukovic et al, 2010;Vukovic et al, 2008).…”

Oestrous red deer hinds prefer male roars with higher fundamental frequencies

“…Recent human studies have shown that the F0 of male speech influences male dominance attributions and may be important as a cue to the speaker's testosterone levels (Dabbs & Mallinger 1999;Evans et al 2008;Puts 2007). Moreover, human females find males with lower F0 more masculine and more attractive (Collins 2000;Feinberg et al 2005;Puts 2005), and in hunter-gatherer societies males with low F0 have higher reproductive success (Apicella et al 2006) and may be preferred as mating partners (Apicella & Feinberg 2009). …”

Women's voice pitch is negatively correlated with health risk factors

“…Recent research has emphasized the importance of voice pitch for women's vocal attractiveness (e.g., APICELLA and FEINBERG 2009;COLLINS and MISSING 2003;FEINBERG et al 2005FEINBERG et al , 2008JONES et al 2008). For example, COLLINS andMISSING (2003) andFEINBERG et al (2008) reported positive correlations between voice pitch measurements taken from recordings of women's voices and attractiveness ratings of these voice recordings.…”

“…Vocal fundamental frequency, which is perceived as voice pitch, reflects the rate of vocal-fold vibration (TITZE 1994) and is negatively correlated with testosterone levels in men (TITZE 1994) and positively correlated with estrogen levels in women (ABITBOL et al 1999;FEINBERG et al 2006). Since cues of hormone levels are thought to be particularly important for attractiveness in humans (e.g., MILLER and TODD 1998), much of the research on human vocal attractiveness has investigated the relationship between voice pitch and attractiveness (APICELLA and FEINBERG 2009;COLLINS and MISSING 2003;FEINBERG et al 2005FEINBERG et al , 2008JONES et al 2008).…”