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Perceptions of Competence, Strength, and Age Influence Voters to Select Leaders with Lower-Pitched Voices

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  • Casey A Klofstad
  • Rindy C Anderson
  • Stephen Nowicki

Abstract

Voters prefer leaders with lower-pitched voices because they are perceived as stronger, having greater physical prowess, more competent, and having greater integrity. An alternative hypothesis that has yet to be tested is that lower-pitched voices are perceived as older and thus wiser and more experienced. Here the relationships between candidate voice pitch, candidate age, and electoral success are examined with two experiments. Study 1 tests whether voters discriminate on candidate age. The results show that male and female candidates in their 40s and 50s, the time in the lifecycle when voice pitch is at its lowest, are preferred over candidates in their 30s, 60s, and 70s. Study 2 shows that the preference for leaders with lower-pitched voices correlates with the perception that speakers with lower voices are stronger, more competent, and older, but the influence of perception of age on vote choice is the weakest of the three.

Suggested Citation

  • Casey A Klofstad & Rindy C Anderson & Stephen Nowicki, 2015. "Perceptions of Competence, Strength, and Age Influence Voters to Select Leaders with Lower-Pitched Voices," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(8), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0133779
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133779
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Atkinson, Matthew D. & Enos, Ryan D. & Hill, Seth J., 2009. "Candidate Faces and Election Outcomes: Is the Face–Vote Correlation Caused by Candidate Selection?," Quarterly Journal of Political Science, now publishers, vol. 4(3), pages 229-249, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Luis Camilo Ortigueira-Sánchez & Ana Lucía Cárdenas-Egúsquiza, 2022. "Political leadership, a quasi-experimental study of Peruvian voters’ emotional reaction and visual attention to political humor," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 19(1), pages 101-126, March.
    2. Ziyao Huang & Yutao Yang & Chengcheng Liao & Peiyuan Du, 2022. "How to say? Voice analytics of debt collection strategies," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(4), pages 1091-1104, June.
    3. Allison, Thomas H. & Warnick, Benjamin J. & Davis, Blakley C. & Cardon, Melissa S., 2022. "Can you hear me now? Engendering passion and preparedness perceptions with vocal expressions in crowdfunding pitches," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(3).

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