Relationship between voice and personality

In recent years, several studies have been developed that relate voice and personality. And it seems that the voice contains different personalities sometimes. The psychoanalyst Malden Dolar maintains that Through the voice, the self that we want to appear, the self that we hide and even a self that we do not know are expressed..

It must be recognized that the voice enjoys a certain degree of independence. One is not always aware of what is transmitted through it. The voice hides emotions and personality traits. It does this through pitch, speed, resonance and other factors that we will see below.

But there is also a reverse process. From the “listener” side, the voice is a very useful tool when it comes to prejudging and get an immediate, and unconscious, idea of ​​the person in front of you.

It is 390 milliseconds of voice that a human being needs to get an idea of ​​the personality of his interlocutor., and he does it without even realizing it. These were the results obtained by Phil McAleer and his colleagues at the University of Glasgow. This fact seems to be due to evolutionary factors that human beings developed to know immediately whether or not they can trust someone.

The tone and speed of the voice

In general, the tone of voice is lower when the situation is sad or melancholic. We also do it to speak more slowly. On the contrary, we raise our voice when we are happy, but also when we are nervous. In these situations there is a tendency to speak faster.

But regardless of the situations, the tone of voice hides some of the most important personality traits. Deep voices usually belong to more energetic, self-confident, even authoritarian people. While high-pitched voices show us people who are more dependent, insecure and with less energy.

It has also been found that verbal fluency is related to mental speed. If it is too fast, it can hide a need to hide data, which generates anxiety and tension. If, on the other hand, it is too slow, it conveys a lack of interest. When someone deliberately tries to hide her true personality, the speed is unnatural and occurs at a rate that is too regular.

Resonance and articulation of the voice

These are two other traits that provide a lot of information about people’s personality and emotional state. A laryngopharyngeal resonance can tell us about tensions, problems with emotions, even aggression. However, a nasal resonance comes from more emotional people. Oral resonance is associated with narcissistic personalities.

The articulation of the voice has to do with the relationship that is maintained with others. When it is vague or imprecise, it can project an image of falsehood and/or respond to poor mental organization. If it is very exaggerated, it may respond to narcissistic personality patterns. We also know that, in the absence of an organic problem, when there is an interest in being understood and the ideas are clear, the articulation is well defined.

Vocal extension and intensity

Vocal extension is the number of different notes that a person is capable of emitting. It is mainly related to character and can also be a showcase of emotions. A restricted vocal extension denotes rigidity of character, excessive control of emotions and little sense of humor. If the vocal extension is wide, it transmits joy and empathy, but if it is wide and uncontrolled, it tells us about a lack of emotional control.

The intensity of the voice is what would show us the management of limits, both personal and those of others.. Low intensity usually accompanies a lack of assertiveness; Likewise it can be a sign of shame or guilt. That the intensity is high may correspond to the lack of control over high-energy emotions, such as joy or anger.

Voice and personality

We have seen how the different characteristics of the voice can give us information about a person’s personality and emotional situation. The voice is a human barometer of air. Every time we speak we activate muscles that belong to the central and peripheral nervous systems, systems that include the affective-emotional level.

It is said that the face is the mirror of the soul; However, as we have seen in this article, the voice can also be a mirror, and no less valuable. In this sense, the work of therapists, such as psychologist Alfred Tomatis, is interesting, who maintain that improving the voice produces a positive effect on personality. That is to say, Working on your voice to improve it could be a way for deeper changes in personal characteristics. that limit or are considered a problem.

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