The Effects of Vocal Characteristics on Perceived Gender and Sexual Orientation
The simple tone and pitch of a person's voice can lead to perceptions of either masculine
or feminine stereotyping. Masculine voices are perceived as lower with less voice fluctuation, while
feminine voices are higher pitched with a greater range of voice fluctuation. If an individual has a
gender neutral name, the listener can infer from the speakers voice whether it is a male or female
(Ko, Judd, & Blair (2006). When a person's gender in inconsistent with the typical voice pitch of
their gender, it may influence judgments of the person's sexual orientation. Munson, McDonald,
DeBoe, and White (2006) found differences in the frequencies of vowels between homosexual and
heterosexual males, and participants; judgments of men's sexual orientation were influenced by
differences in two different vowel frequencies. Research performed by Drew, McKenzie, and Vasey
(2008) studied pitch, frequency, and vowels of speech between heterosexual and homosexual men
and women; interestingly, significant differences were found in the frequencies in vowels produced
by homosexuals and heterosexuals. These differences in vowels were of higher pitch and were more
emphasized for homosexuals, whereas heterosexuals produced vowels at a lower frequency and were
less emphasized in speech.
http://psych.hanover.edu/research/Thesis12/papers/Hamner&McGee%20-%20Winter%202012%20IS.pdf
