A majority of women are more attracted to men with lower voices, but will those men stick around?
A new study found that while men with deep voices were often perceived as sexier, these men were viewed as more likely to be unfaithful, a McMaster University news release reported.
"The sound of someone's voice can affect how we think of them," Jillian O'Connor, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour and lead author of the study, said.
"Until now, it's been unclear why women would like the voices of men who might cheat. But we found that the more women thought these men would cheat, the more they were attracted to them for a brief relationship when they are less worried about fidelity," she said.
The researchers observed 87 women, who were asked to listen to men's voices. The voices were electronically altered to sound higher or lower.
The women were asked which voice they felt would be more likely to cheat on their significant other, and which one they believed would make a better partner in a long-term or short-term relationship.
"From an evolutionary perspective, these perceptions of future sexual infidelity may be adaptive," David Feinberg, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, said.
"The consequences of infidelity are very high whether it is emotional or financial and this research suggests that humans have evolved as a protection mechanism to avoid long-term partners who may cheat," he said.
A U.S. study also found that women were more likely to lower their tone when speaking to a romantic partner, while men often spoke in a higher voice when addressing their lover, the Daily Mail reported. This phenomenon was particularly apparent on the phone.
The researchers suggested people could tell if their partner was being unfaithful by changes in their vocal vibrations.
