Men Just don't Sound Sexy: Blame Mate Selection

Which sex holds the title for most suave sound?

According to study author Susan Hughes, an associate professor of psychology at Albright College, we've got to give this one to the ladies. Research shows that they may have mastered the breathy, provocative voice better than their male counterparts.

Based on a sample of 20 men and 20 women who were asked to put on a sexy voice with 40 participants listening in, most seem to agree. Women were much better at achieving seductive speech.

"In fact, although not significantly, it got a bit worse when men tried to sound sexy," Hughes said, via a press release.

The study authors seemed a bit perplexed as to why men struggled to get women in the mood with their speech. Yet findings showed that as men tend to be more superficial, putting a higher amount of importance in an attractive partner, women might have evolved to pick up on some of their games--like the sexy voice--in order to beat out other competitors.

The study also showed that both sexes could alter their voice to sound more intelligent. However, men tended to be better at changing their voice to sound more confident, but only when being judged by women.

Lastly, the study showed that overall, men could just lower their voices to better attract women, which made them potentially sound bigger.

They could also just try being nice, too. Right?

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior.