Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The vocal attractiveness stereotype: Replication and elaboration

  • Published:
Journal of Nonverbal Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We examined personality impressions on five NEO subscales (Costa & McCrae, 1985) as a function of senders' vocal and physical attractiveness. There were four major findings: (a) both vocal and physical attractiveness produced more favorable ratings, and these effects were more pronounced in a single channel (voice only or face only, respectively) than in a multiple channel (voice plus face); (b) the influence of attractiveness, both vocal and physical, was moderated by subscale—the effect of vocal attractiveness was most pronounced for Neuroticism and nonexistent for Agreeableness; the effect of physical attractiveness was most pronounced for Extraversion and nonexistent for Conscientiousness; (c) a vocal attractiveness × physical attractiveness interaction indicated that effects of the two stereotypes were particularly strong for senders who were attractive on both channels; (d) the effects of attractiveness, both vocal and physical, diminished when judges were familiar with the target persons.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Costa, P.T., Jr., & McCrae, R.R. (1980). Still stable after all these years: Personality as a key to some issues in adulthood and old age. In P.B. Baltes & O.G. Brim, Jr. (Eds.),Life span development and behavior (Vol. 3, pp. 65–102). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa, P.T., Jr., & McCrae, R.R. (1985).The NEO Personality Inventory Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa, P.T., Jr., & McCrae, R.R. (1988). From catalog to classification: Murray's needs and the five-factor model.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55, 258–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R.R. (1982). Consensual validation of personality traits: Evidence from self-reports and ratings.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 43, 293–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R.R., & Costa, P.T., Jr. (1983). Joint factors in self-reports and ratings: Neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience.Personality and Individual Differences, 4, 245–255.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R.R., & Costa, P.T., Jr. (1985a). Openness to experience. In R. Hogan & W.H. Jones (Eds.),Perspectives in personality: Theory, measurement, and interpersonal dynamics (Vol. 1). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R.R., & Costa, P.T., Jr. (1985b). Updating Norman's “adequate taxonomy”: Intelligence and personality dimensions in natural language and in questionnaires.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 710–721.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R.R., & Costa, P.T., Jr. (1987). Validation of the five-factor model of personality across instruments and observers.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 81–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norman, W.T. (1963). Toward an adequate taxonomy of personality attributes: Replicated factor structure in peer nomination personality ratings.Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 66, 574–583.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, R., & Rosnow, R.L. (1984).Essentials of behavioral research: Methods and data analysis. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, R., & Rubin, D.B. (1982). A single, general purpose display of magnitude of experimental effect.Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 166–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tupes, E.C., & Christal, R.E. (1961). Recurrent personality factors based on trait ratings.USAF ASD Technical Report (No. 61–97).

  • Walker, H.M., & Lev, J. (1953).Statistical inference. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajonc, R.B. (1968). Attitudinal effects of mere exposure.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Monograph Supplement, 9, 1–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, M., & Driver, R. (1989). What sounds beautiful is good: The vocal attractiveness stereotype.Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 13, 67–82.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, 14627, Rochester, New York

    Miron Zuckerman

Authors
  1. Miron Zuckerman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Holley Hodgins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kunitate Miyake
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This research was supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health Grant RO1 MH 40498.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zuckerman, M., Hodgins, H. & Miyake, K. The vocal attractiveness stereotype: Replication and elaboration. J Nonverbal Behav 14, 97–112 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01670437

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01670437

Keywords

Search

Navigation