Art Of Seduction: His 'Sexy Voice' Doesn't Work — But Yours Does

It's not easy being a dude. While women seem to have the upper hand in making themselves sexier and more appealing, guys just don't have that ability. Ladies, have you ever watched a guy dance around in "sexy" silk boxers and thought, "Wow. That's some hot stuff right there?" Probably not.

The same goes for men's voices. When we want to, women can drop their voice and with a bit of a breathlessness and a dash of hoarseness, we think we can lure any man into our clutches. Dudes, on the other hand, not so much. 

A recent study published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior took 20 men and 20 women and put it to the test. All participants were asked to give samples of their normal voices and then manipulate them into what they deemed sexy. The results were a big fat "yay" for the ladies, and "nay" for men. As Susan Hughes, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Albright College, who was in charge of the study noted, "In fact, although not significantly, it got a bit worse when men tried to sound sexy." Aww! Such sadness! 

But wait! Men, before you flip the table and demand a recount, as with most things there is a scientific reason for it. According to the study, women are well aware that guys are way more concerned with attractiveness than we are, so with that inherent knowledge rattling in our brains, we alter our voice to "sound sexier to enhance" our "value to potential mates and to stave off competition from rival females."

However, women are not really doing it correctly, because also according to the study, men prefer voices that are higher pitched. So while we're all trying to sound like Scarlett Johansson, guys are actually thinking, "What the wha?" Basically, it's a big ol'mess.

Trying to procure a mate aside, the research also found that both men and women were guilty of changing their voices so as to sound smarter, but men could also put forth a voice of confidence. A confident voice, according to Dr. Hughes, is an indication of "financial and personal success, which women value in a potential partner." Dear 1957, welcome to the party! We're so happy you could join!

What it comes down to is that there is much to be detected in one's voice. In some cases, it can even either make or break the potential for love. No matter how hard we try to unite the sexes, declaring us equal, because we are, sadly, once you bring mate selection into play, it's as though we've regressed thousands of years. What's even sadder is the fact that some of us, no matter how hard we try, will never sound like ScarJo. Now that's a tragedy and a half.

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