"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.
It's not about what your date is saying, but the pitch of their voice. If they lower their pitch, it could be a subtle, subconscious sign they find you attractive, the study, in The Royal Society Proceedings B journal, suggests. Experts say it is probably an evolutionary tool to attract a mate.
It could mean a range of things depending on the context and the girl's body language. It might simply mean she's excited to talk to you, or that she's interested in what you have to say. On the other hand, it could mean she's uncomfortable, nervous, or unsure about something.
: having a gentle, quiet voice or manner.
Turns out that's what most guys do. And so do most women. 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.
"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.
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.
As a result, women find men with lower-pitched voices more attractive. It's the opposite for men, who are more attracted to women with higher-pitched voices, which is perceived as a marker for femininity. Attractiveness in the voice is important for the impressions we give our potential partners.
Consciously we will adapt our voice to different situations, many people will adopt a warmer, softer voice with the aim to become more attractive to a partner, or we adapt our voice to fit in, to negotiate, to plead or to reprimand.
Results showed that men instinctively change their pitch. Men first speak in a sing-song type of voice and then adjust it to a lower tone when they are talking to someone they find attractive.
Verbal flirting goes deeper than a sweet pickup line like, "Do you drive a Prius? Because up until now you've been pre-us." Kidding, don't say that to people, but altering the tone of voice when you're romantially interested in someone is completely normal, scientists say.
A person will change the way they speak to more closely mimic the other person. "Changes in the pitch of our voice or in the rate of our speech, so how fast we're speaking, are happening according to how we feel about the conversation but without our conscious control," she said.
Results show that when men listened to the voice of a woman at her most fertile, they rated her as more attractive, experienced an increase in heart rate and also experienced increased galvanic skin responses (GSR).
A seductive voice comes from someone attempting to seduce the listener. An intent behind it informs the content of what is said. In contrast, an attractive voice is one that people find attractive regardless of the intent or context.
However, some men may soften their voice as a way of showing vulnerability and emotional intimacy with their partner. Softening his voice can indicate that he is being sincere and wants to connect with you on a deeper level. He'll also want to get closer and start touching you on the arm or back.
“Women like lower-pitched voices because of human evolutionary history. Men who have lower-pitched voices have higher testosterone, they're more likely to be healthy, dominant, attain high social status. These are all things women find really attractive,” O'Connor told Global News.
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.
Researchers at Aberdeen University have confirmed that women are attracted to guys with deep voices – as long as they say nice things. But it seems a woman's preferred pitch in a man's voice depends on the pitch of her own voice.