The Seductive Voice: A Sociophonetic Analysis of Vocal Strategies in French-Speaking Belgium
(2025) SEX IN ROMANCE: PERSPECTIVES TO GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN ROMANCE LANGUAGES — Location: University of Helsinki,Finland (25.August.2025)
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- Abstract
- This study explores how voice is used as a seduction strategy among French-speaking Belgians. Inspired by Arnold (2018), it draws on his experimental design, using simulated voicemail recordings to compare vocal behavior in friendship and courtship contexts. Adapting a mixed-methods approach, the research combines acoustic analysis (pitch, melody, speech rate) with qualitative methods (semi- structured interviews and questionnaires). Data were collected through speech simulations involving flirtation, refusal, and compliment scenarios. Preliminary qualitative insights from thirty self-identified heterosexual participants (men and women) suggest that a seductive voice is typically perceived as lower-pitched, slower, and more controlled — qualities associated with confidence, authority, and attractiveness. Participants also reported awareness of gendered vocal norms, often linking deeper voices with masculinity and virility, and higher-pitched, softer voices with femininity, gentleness, and charm. This dual perception underscores the complex interplay between vocal attributes, perceived desirability, and sociocultural gender expectations (Eckert & McConnell-Ginet, 2013). Quantitative acoustic analyses, currently underway, aim to identify and characterize the vocal strategies actively employed by individuals to convey seductiveness, exploring how specific acoustic features correlate with intentional communicative practices. Overall, this study contributes to understanding how voice is strategically manipulated in interpersonal attraction contexts, offering deeper insights into language practices, gender performance and the role of voice in constructing social identities (Butler, 1999; Foulkes & Docherty, 2006).
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Lee, Y.-T. (2025). The Seductive Voice: A Sociophonetic Analysis of Vocal Strategies in French-Speaking Belgium. SEX IN ROMANCE: PERSPECTIVES TO GENDER AND SEXUALITY IN ROMANCE LANGUAGES, University of Helsinki,Finland. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/270000