Barry White’s seductive deep tones score over David Beckham’s squeaky speech when it comes to sexual conquest, a study has shown.
Scientists found men with masculine, low-pitched voices are better at attracting women, at least those looking for flings.
The baritone bad boys were also seen as more likely to cheat and not marriage material. The study, published online in Personality and Individual Differences, provides insights into the evolution of the human voice and mate selection.
For the study, 87 women listened to voices manipulated to sound higher or lower, and then chose who they thought was more likely to cheat.
Participants were also asked to pick the voice they found more attractive for long or short relationships.
“From an evolutionary perspective, these perceptions of future sexual infidelity may be adaptive,” said Dr David Feinberg.
“The consequences of infidelity are very high, whether it is emotional or financial, and this research suggests that humans have evolved as a protection mechanism to avoid long-term partners who may cheat.”
