Judging Personality from Voice

Each member of an ordinary congregate audience receives a clear impression of the personality of the speaker. Complex visual perceptions of his physical build, posture, clothes, and movements, in addition to auditory perceptions derived from his speech and voice, make this impression seem accurate and complete. Over the radio the rich and informative visual pattern is absent; only the voice and speech remain. The resulting judgment is somewhat fragmentary and uncertain. This situation has already received popular recognition in jokes concerning the disillusionment of those who learn to their sorrow that the radio voice with which they fell in love does not reveal accurately either the appearance or the nature of its possessor. In spite of such hazards, however, probably most people who listen to radio speakers feel assured that some of their judgments are dependable. Often the impression is nothing more than a feeling of favor or aversion, but sometimes it represents a surprisingly definite judgment concerning the speaker's physical, intellectual, and moral qualities. One broadcasting official asserts: "The human voice, when the man is not making conscious use of it by way of impersonation, does in spite of himself reflect his mood, temper and personality. It expresses the character of the man. President Roosevelt's voice reveals sincerity, good-will and kindliness, determination, conviction, strength, courage and abounding happiness." Such statements, even when made with authority, require proof. It is plainly a problem for the psychologist to determine how accurate, on the average, such judgments are. In spite of its obviousness and accessibility, the problem of judging personality by the radio voice has as yet received very little at-