Men With Deep Voices Attract More Women, Study Finds

Men with deep voices have a leg up on those who don't, a new Canadian study suggests, at least when it comes to finding a mate.

Researchers found that men with low-pitched voices were more likely to attract women, even though they're seen as being more risky when it comes to monogamy.

"The sound of someone's voice can affect how we think of them," study lead author Jillian O'Connor, a postdoctoral fellow in McMaster University's department of psychology, neuroscience and behavior, said in a university news release.

"Until now, it's been unclear why women would like the voices of men who might cheat," she noted. "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."

The study authors came to their conclusions after surveying 87 women who listened to men's voices that were electronically changed to sound higher or lower. The researchers asked the women to identify the voices that sounded like they belonged to men who'd be more likely to cheat and who'd be a better match for a long-term relationship instead of a shorter one.

"From an evolutionary perspective, these perceptions of future sexual infidelity may be adaptive," David Feinberg, an assistant professor in McMaster's department of psychology, neuroscience and behavior, explained in the news release.

"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," Feinberg suggested.

The findings were released online in advance of publication and in an upcoming print issue of Personality and Individual Differences.

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