voice pitch and gender

[gusl]

MR's post on male-female variation in voice pitch references a thesis from Pitt on sexual signaling. Cross-culturally, the Dutch seem to have the least male-female variation, unsurprisingly.

My own observation is that being relaxed lowers voice pitch (in both genders). Having recently woken up does the same, maybe partly through the former. Also, since physical intimacy is related to relaxation, both genders tend to lower their voices at these times, not just males. But it would make sense that it's more pronounced in males.

It's still unexplained why females would ever pitch their voice higher. Is it a signal of femaleness? youth?

Comments

[brianfey.livejournal.com]

To frighten and control others. :)

[marymcglo.livejournal.com]

People sometimes pitch their voices higher as a way to seem friendly or nonthreatening. Such as how one would talk to a child or puppy.

I think women often do as an effort to seem more feminine or submissive. With my close female friends I can usually tell who they're talking to by the way they pitch their voice in cell phone conversations. Often if it's their boyfriend or love interest their pitch is slightly higher. Entirely unconscious, I'm sure, because judging by the MR comments deeper voices are considered sexier.