How voices can change when squeaking to the boss

PEOPLE talk more squeakily to bosses and those they see as having higher status – unless they are social ‘big beasts’ themselves, say researchers.

Psychologists at Stirling University found most people change the pitch of their voice depending on who they are talking to, and how dominant they feel themselves.

The academics put participants through a simulated job interview task and discovered that individuals’ vocal characteristics – particularly pitch – change in response to people of different social status.

Regardless of self-perceived social status, people tend to talk to high-status individuals using a higher pitch.

But participants who believe themselves to be dominant, using manipulation, coercion and intimidation to acquire social stature, are less likely to vary their pitch and spoke in a lower tone when talking to someone of a high social status.

Dr Viktoria Mileva said: ‘A deep, masculine voice sounds dominant, especially in men, while the opposite is true of a higherpitched voice. So, if someone perceives their interviewer to be more dominant than them, they raise their pitch.

‘This may be a signal of submissiveness, to show the listener that you are not a threat, and to avoid possible confrontations. These changes in our speech may be conscious or unconscious but voice characteristics appear to be an important way to communicate social status. We found both men and women alter their pitch in response to people they think are dominant.’

The study also found those who believe people look up to them and value their opinions do not change how loud they speak, regardless of who the listener is.