Gender Differences in Vocal Accommodation:

Abstract

This study examined how perceptual sensitivity contributes to gender differences in vocal accommodation. Male and female shadowers repeated isolated words presented over headphones by male and female speakers, and male and female listeners evaluated whether accommodation occurred. Female shadowers accommodated more than males, and more to males than to female speakers, although some speakers elicited greater accommodation than others. Gender differences in accommodation emerged even when immediate social motives were minimized, suggesting that accommodation may be due, in part, to differences in perceptual sensitivity to vocal characteristics.