Sinus Headache [video]

I could describe it... but I think it's better if you just watch the video...

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What Makes a Voice Sound Attractive?

Ever hear a voice that sounded sexy or attractive? Ever build a mental image of what a stranger on the phone may look like purely based on the sound of the voice???

Well, according to researchers, an attractive voice reflects an attractive perceived body size.

A group of human subjects listened to the same sentence that was manipulated by altering pitch, acoustic resonance, and voice quality based on body size projections reported for animal calls and emotional human vocal expressions.

For example, a rough, low-frequency animal call suggests the vocalizer is large and aggressive whereas a more clear, higher frequency animal call suggests a small, non-threatening animal.

Not surprisingly, male listeners preferred a female voice that suggested a small body size (relatively high pitch, wide acoustic resonance range, and breathy voice). Think Marilyn Monroe...

Female listeners preferred a male voice that suggested a large body size (low pitch and narrow acoustic resonance range) akin to actor James Earl Jones. However, female listeners interestingly also preferred some breathiness in the male voice which may signal a perceived decrease in the aggressiveness associated with a large body size.

Another reason why patients undergo voice therapy, even if there's nothing medically wrong...

It is not unusual for a male lawyer to undergo voice therapy to try and achieve a lower and more aggressive vocal quality as it does correlate with success. (Read more about this link between voice pitch and success).

Similarly, women in positions of authority in the political and corporate world do the same. Margaret Thatcher underwent voice therapy for this very reason [link].

However, women with a low raspy voice often pursue treatment to try and achieve a more feminine voice (high-pitched and breathy).

Indeed, when voice therapy fails, there are even surgical procedures to try and alter a person's voice.

Source:
Voices Considered Attractive Send Body Cues. Scientific American. 4/30/13

Reference:
Human Vocal Attractiveness as Signaled by Body Size Projection. PLoS ONE 8(4): e62397. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0062397

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Men with Deeper Voices are More Successful

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A Duke University study has found that men with deeper voices not only are more successful, but also make significantly more money. How much more money? $187,000 per year more than men with higher-pitched voices.

How much deeper does the voice need to be to make a difference? Apparently 22.1 hertz which is approximately 1/6 the difference between the pitch of James Earl Jones (low-pitch) and Mike Tyson (high-pitch).

Other research (see below) have found that a deeper voice also makes a candidate more likely to win, are more desirable to women, mate more frequently, and father more children.

How can a man with a relatively higher-pitched voice achieve a natural-sounding deeper voice? The first and perhaps best way to accomplish this is through voice therapy. Think of it like singing where a person learns to achieve a greater vocal range through intensive instruction... but in this case, focusing on the lower range.

Of course, there are surgical interventions that may also be helpful should voice therapy be unsuccessful including:

1) Vocal cord bulking through injection
2) Cricothyroid muscle dennervation through botox or lysis
3) Thyroid cartilage framework surgery (Isshiki Thyroplasty Type 3)

I should point out that surgical intervention is NOT recommended as a first step and usually does not achieve the profound improvement that most men desire... in other words, there is no simple, quick, and easy way to deepen the voice.

References:
Voice pitch and the labor market success of male chief executive officers. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2013.03.001, How to Cite or Link Using DOI

"Sounds like a winner: Voice pitch influences perception of leadership capacity," Proc Biol Sci. 2012 Jul 7;279(1738):2698-704. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0311. Epub 2012 Mar 14.

Preferences for very low and very high voice pitch in humans. PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e32719. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032719. Epub 2012 Mar 5.

Sources: 
Voters 'like low-pitched voices'. BBC 11/14/11

Your Voice Could Be Costing You Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dollars, Study Shows. Forbes 4/18/13

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