New Research Suggests The Siren Call Is Real, As A Woman’s High-Pitched Voice Can Encourage Men To Take More Risks
In Greek mythology, sirens were female creatures able to lure sailors with their enchanting voices. Now, a new study suggests this phenomenon isn’t strictly founded in folklore.
According to recent research published in Personality and Individual Differences, men are more likely to be drawn into risky situations when it’s for women who have higher-pitched voices.
However, this was only true if the women showed an interest in such behavior. That’s because additional tests showed men adopted a more cautious approach when women seemed uninterested in risk-taking.
Elaborate mating rituals and feats of strength to win a woman over may seem like things only wild animals or past heroes engaged in. However, these acts are still displayed in their own way in modern times.
Think of the complex marriage proposals you see on Instagram or the fact that hopeful singles willingly subject themselves to dating competitions like “The Bachelorette.”
These may seem silly compared to historical romance tales, but a similar theory underlies them both – men who take chances on love are generally seen as more valuable partners.
Still, just how far men are willing to go may also depend on certain factors, including female attractiveness.
One past study on this topic even found that men preferred women who had a higher, more bubbly voice instead of those who had a lower, more sultry tone.
This latest research has gone even further, involving young adult Chinese males who participated in hypothetical scenarios in virtual reality.
yurakrasil – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
During these situations, the males were asked to take instructions from a woman’s voice, which was either low or high-pitched.
For the first test, participants engaged in a driving simulation where a female voice provided navigation, and they had to choose between either slowing down or speeding through a yellow traffic light.
Then, the second test raised the stakes – as two groups of straight men listened to a marketing pitch delivered by a woman with either a high-pitched or low-pitched voice. Once the spiel was over, they rated the woman’s voice for attractiveness.
Afterward, the participants were also given two different memos discussing women’s preferences. One of the memos claimed that women preferred men who were “brave, strong, healthy, sports-loving, and masculine;” meanwhile, the other stated that women favored men who were “patient, family-oriented, kind, attentive, and mature.”
Each of these memos was designed for different purposes: one to encourage risky behavior, while the other discouraged it.
The men read the memos and were then thrust into virtual reality one last time. At that point, they were told to walk a three-meter plant that was suspended off of a digital high-rise building.
Just how quickly the men were able to accomplish this task was interpreted as their level of risky behavior.
The results revealed that men were more inclined to take bigger risks when they were influenced by a woman’s high-pitched voice. Yet, in the second experiment, when the men were informed that women liked males who played it safe, the high-pitched voice no longer had any impact on encouraging riskier behavior.
“The study demonstrates that individuals’ psychology and behavior are influenced not only by evolutionary factors but also significantly by the socio-cultural context of their development,” the researchers concluded.
“Male risk-taking behavior exhibits situational sensitivity and results from both natural and cultural adaptions.”
To read the study’s complete findings, visit the link here.
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