engleski

The ability of female and male listeners to identify male speakers' body weights and heights from voice samples alone

The study investigates the accuracy of the listeners' estimations of physical characteristics such as body weight and body height from voice signals alone. A series of listening tasks was carried out in which 20 adult male and 20 adult female listeners judged body weight and height from 20 adult male speakers' voice samples. Additionally, listeners' perception of the speakers' voice pitch was compared to actual voice pitch measured as fundamental frequency (F0) in Hz. Surprisingly, the results of correlation analysis for speakers' physical measures and F0 revealed significant positive correlation for body height and F0. This finding was partially interpreted on the basis of U-shaped F0 curve model. Furthermore, Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients calculations indicated that the listeners' estimation of body weight and height was not correct. In point of fact, it was shown that listeners, both female and male, held vocal stereotype about physical characteristics of the male speakers where lower pitch of the voice was taken as an indicator of larger body weight and height, and vice versa.

voice; physical characteristics; perceptual assessment; voice pitch; vocal stereotype

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