A new study from the University of Florida has found that women who speak with 'vocal fry' are perceived as less intelligent and attractive, while men using the same speech pattern do not face the same negative judgement. Vocal fry, a raspy, low voice that elongates syllables, is commonly associated with celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton.
Published in Elsevier’s Journal of Voice, the research involved 29 participants listening to 36 recorded samples of male and female voices, both with and without vocal fry. Participants rated each sample on likeability, predicted salary, intelligence, and attractiveness using a five-point scale.
The results showed that female speakers with vocal fry were rated as less intelligent than male speakers with vocal fry and speakers without vocal fry, regardless of gender. They were also seen as less attractive than women without vocal fry, though not significantly different from male speakers. 'Listeners may hold female speakers without vocal fry as the prototype of an attractive voice,' the researchers noted.
For men, vocal fry did not affect perceived attractiveness or intelligence. The researchers suggested that because vocal fry lowers pitch, it is less jarring in male voices, which are naturally lower. No link was found between vocal fry and perceived salary or likeability.
