Working with LoveDetect, I’ve become fascinated with what we can learn about people from their voices. Science Daily has a neat article about how we can identify how a person is smiling, just by listening to a person’s voice.
Smiling affects how we speak, to the point that listeners can identify the type of smile based on sound alone, according to a study by scientists at the University of Portsmouth.
The research, which also suggested that some people have “smilier” voices than others, adds to the growing body of evidence that smiling and other expressions pack a strong informational punch and may even impact us on a subliminal level.
“When we listen to people speaking we may be picking up on all sorts of cues, even unconsciously, which help us to interpret the speaker,” said lead author of the report, Amy Drahota.
Researchers videotaped the volunteers and then categorized their smile types. It’s believed that some 50 different types of smiles exist, ranging from triumphant ones to those that convey bitterness.
The audio for the interviews was then played back to another group of test subjects. Even without seeing the speakers, the listeners were able to hear the different types of smile the speaker made as he or she went through the wacky interview.
It’s believed that some 50 different types of smiles exist.
