Study Finds Deep Voice Contributes To Increased Success, But Experts Warn Against Using Fake Voice
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Many of us have been in a situation where we change our voice depending on who we are talking to. You might think a lower pitch sounds more impressive, but is it OK to fake your voice?
Take a listen in the video above to now-disgraced Silicon Valley entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes.
"Whenever there is a glass ceiling, there is an iron woman right behind it," Holmes said.
It's not what she's saying, but how she says it. Criminal fraud allegations aside, another claim made against Holmes is that she ditched her natural voice for a fake, deeper one, to gain credibility in the workplace.
"I feel like if I'm in a job interview or somewhere professional, I will try and lower it a little," one woman said.
According to research out of Duke University, a deep voice contributes to increased success and earnings for CEOs, and that voters prefer baritone politicians.
"My girlfriend always mentions that when we go through like a drive-thru, my voice tends to get deeper," one man said.
"With voice, there is a physiological component, as well as a psychological component," Philadelphia voice teacher Cory O'Neil Walker said.
Walker says both men and women can experience the impulse to conform their voice to outdated standards. He now teaches his students to find their own natural voice and to use it with confidence, despite possible societal or workplace pressures.
"It is just a very small part of a very large conversation," he said.
Consumer Alert: Experts Reveal Riskiest Places To Use Debit Card
Without altering your tone, he adds that enunciation can help with being an effective communicator.
"The closer to the front of your mouth, the clearer it is," Walker said. "Tip of the tongue on the teeth, it's very economical as well."
Again, experts say clarity in your voice is good, changing it is not. Walker adds that distorting the octave for too long can end up damaging the vocal chords.
