Most of us are tuned in to the physical cues of flirting such as the hair toss, a penetrating stare, or a flirty touch on the arm. But researchers involved in a European study, published in the journal "Evolution and Human Behavior," found that there is also a change in a person's voice when they are flirting.
Researchers found that, "Both sexes used a lower-pitched voice and showed a higher level of physiological arousal when speaking to the more attractive, opposite-sex target.
She said people with positive feelings towards each other began to display a phenomenon called phonetic convergence. "The voices of the two people who are speaking to each other, if they are attracted to each other or if they experience positive emotions towards each other, they start becoming more similar," she said.
You might not have to wait for a guy to confess his feelings to get verbal confirmation that he's into you. According to a new study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior, guys vary their vocal pitch, shifting between both high and low tones of voice, when talking to a woman they find attractive.
Sounding the same
Another phenomenon that may also cause changes in the way we speak when talking to a love interest is something called “phonetic convergence”. People who talk to each other tend to start sounding more similar, completely unaware they are doing so.
A flirty voice is playful and light, sometimes sarcastic and witty. It gives you that tingle down your spine, and it makes the listener feel special, maybe even shy. It's the kind of voice you might hear on a TV network promo or commercial spot.
"When a woman naturally lowers her voice, it may be perceived as her attempt to sound more seductive or attractive, and therefore serves as a signal of her romantic interest," she adds. Their research also measured people's awareness of the changes in others' voices.
When the researchers listened back to the conversations, they found that men and women tended to adopt a slightly lower voice during the dates with a partner they fancied.
They discovered that when men were sexually attracted to the women, the "paralingual" features of their voice (like pitch and modulation) gave it away. So what does that actually sound like? Their voices got deeper and their tones became more sing-songy, sort of like the way you'd speak to a baby.
A romantic voice is one that's characterized by the expression of love. A voice-over depicting romance should give listeners that warm fuzzy feeling that's associated with intimacy.
Women are more attracted to men with deep voices – and this attraction is strongest among prettier, more feminine women. In fact, women prefer a masculine voice more strongly and more unanimously to a masculine face.
Studies show that women tend to prefer men with deep voices, which are linked to higher testosterone levels and general reproductive prowess. Men, meanwhile, are drawn to women with high-pitched voices, which are associated with high estrogen levels, perhaps serving as a cue to a woman's health and fertility.
Puberphonia (also known as mutational falsetto, functional falsetto, incomplete mutation, adolescent falsetto, or pubescent falsetto) is a functional voice disorder that is characterized by the habitual use of a high-pitched voice after puberty, hence why many refer to the disorder as resulting in a 'falsetto' voice.
The authors of the study, which was published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, concluded that this unconscious changing of tone "represents desire for affiliation and intimacy" and is a "way to communicate affection and relational connection." So don't feel awkward by your deep flirting voice.
Husky voices signal "sexual interest" and can help women stand out from the crowd, say researchers. Perhaps less surprisingly, the study found men also drop their pitch when they meet women they are attracted to.
When a guy wants to feel physically dominant over another male, he lowers his voice—much like an animal may puff up his fur during a fight to look bigger and more threatening, he says. Whether you realize it or not, that's probably the pitch you take when speaking to your friends or other males.
Look for signs in his body language like eye contact and leaning in towards you while talking. He'll also initiate more physical touch between you. Study his behavior, including the time between text responses and how jealous he seems when other guys are mentioned.
He'll stand close to you. He might place his hands on you casually, like touching your arm or your shoulder when laughing at a joke. “A guy who holds your hand or puts his arm around you is showing interest. We don't tend to touch people we don't like, so touch can be an indication of attraction.”
Listen to her voice and tone.
If a woman likes you, she will generally sound happy and excited when she sees and talk to you. You may also notice changes in her voice. Women often talk in a higher pitched tone if they're interested in someone. Listen to see if her voice seems slightly higher when she's talking to you.
Men are more attracted to women with higher-pitched and breathy voices, as these seem to indicate smaller body size, a study published in Plos One suggests. Further research indicates that women who sound attractive usually are.