Listen Carefully!

Researchers have found that when choosing a partner, women believe the lower the man’s voice, the more likely he’s going to cheat. Men think the opposite: that a woman with a higher voice is more likely to be unfaithful. Participants in a recent study were asked to listen to two versions of recorded clips from a male voice and a female voice, which were electronically manipulated to be both higher and lower in pitch. They were then asked which one, from each pair, was more likely to cheat sexually on their romantic partner.

Psychologist Jillian O’Connor says, "In terms of sexual strategy, we found that men and women will use voice pitch as a warning sign of future betrayal. So the more attractive the voice–a higher pitch for women and lower pitch for men–the more likely the chances he or she will cheat. This suggests that through the evolutionary process, we have learned ways to avoid partners who may be unfaithful as a protection mechanism." Psychologist David Feinberg says, "The reason voice pitch influences perceptions of cheating is likely due to the relationship between pitch, hormones and infidelity. Men with higher testosterone levels have lower pitched voices, and women with higher estrogen levels have higher pitched voices. High levels of these hormones are associated with adulterous behavior and our findings indicate individuals are somewhat aware of the link and may use this in their search for a romantic partner."

Here’s what WE think is cheating: When someone listens to our great radio shows and reads our wonderful news of the edge, but doesn’t support us. So whether you’re deep-voiced or high-voiced, we hope you’ll subscribe today–and come see us in Nashville in June!