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Vocal Pitch: Formidability

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior

Synonyms

Agonistic competition; Dominance; Fundamental frequency; Mean fo; Pitch; Resource-holding potential; Threat

Definition

Vocal pitch, measured by fundamental frequency, is associated with perceptions and objective measures of fighting ability.

Introduction

Sexual selection shapes the acoustic properties of vertebrate vocalizations, resulting in sexual dimorphism (Charlton & Reby, 2016). Vocal pitch, determined by vocal fold vibration rate, differs between males and females in many primates, including humans (Puts et al., 2016). Low vocal pitch (fundamental frequency or fo) is selected through male contest competition, as it enhances the perception of body size, conveying formidability (i.e., the capability to cause harm in physical combat) (Aung et al., 2021a; Puts et al., 2016; Delgado, 2006; Rendall et al., 2007). This entry provides an overview of cumulative evidence linking vocal pitch to formidability and considers proximate and ultimate factors that connect the two.

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Correspondence to Toe Aung .

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Aung, T., Palma, M., Rivera, S. (2023). Vocal Pitch: Formidability. In: Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08956-5_2443-1

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