Judging personality from voice: A cross-cultural approach to an old issue in interpersonal perception1

Abstract

The s(x:ial psychologist mterested m the role of the human voice in Interpersonal perc^tion pr(x;esses will jBnd the stacks of pubhc hbranes a richly rewarding source of resource material. Specifically, he will find a fikxxi of popular books on how to improve one's voice in order to wm friends and infiuence people. Interestingly enough, sucdi efforts for voice improvement are seen as not only having a iavorahle effect on otiier people's impression of the speaker's personahty but are also (aredited with a (hrect positive inHuraice on the latter (Major, ig2o, p. 70, Nels(Mi & Atkinson, 1955, pp. 156-157).