Asked by: Alexander Boswell, Budleigh Salterton
Most of us are happy with our voice until we hear it recorded. One reason is that our recorded voice sounds higher pitched than we’re used to. This is because we usually hear our voice, in part, as it’s conducted through the bones in our head, which makes it sound deeper.
Another reason is that when we hear a recording of our voice, we scrutinise ourselves as we would others, and we’re surprised and discomfited by just how much (we think) we’re giving away in terms of our personality.
Read more:
- Why do British people seem to lose their accents when they sing?
- What gives people a lovely singing voice?
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Authors
Dr Christian Jarrett is a cognitive neuroscientist, science writer and author. He is the Deputy Editor of Psyche, the sister magazine to Aeon that illuminates the human condition through psychology, philosophy and the arts. Jarrett also created the British Psychological Society's Research Digest blog and was the first ever staff journalist on the Society's magazine, The Psychologist. He is author of Great Myths of The Brain and Be Who You Want: Unlocking the Science of Personality Change.
