In his fourth year as a faculty member in Immaculata University’s Psychology department, Toe Aung, Ph.D., is still guided by a simple but persistent question: Why?
It is a question that has shaped not only his teaching, but also a growing body of research exploring how something as subtle as voice pitch can influence perceptions of power, leadership and human behavior.
Aung teaches a wide range of courses, including Foundations of Psychology, Statistics, Cross-cultural Psychology and Evolutionary Psychology. He also teaches dual-enrollment courses, including those at Pope John Paul High School. Across each setting, he emphasizes curiosity and critical thinking, the same mindset that fuels his research.
“I’ve always been interested in the ‘why’ type of questions,” Aung said. “Why do we engage in certain behaviors? Why do we pay attention to particular voice features?”
That curiosity led him from a psycho-biology degree at Albright College to a Ph.D. in anthropology at Penn State, where he began examining how vocal characteristics shape perception, not just in the United States, but across cultures.
As an immigrant from Myanmar, Aung said his interest in cross-cultural research is shaped in part by his own experiences navigating different cultures and perspectives. That perspective has informed his work exploring whether people around the world interpret voice in similar ways, offering insight into potential universal patterns in human psychology.
Aung’s research focuses on voice pitch, particularly how it relates to perceptions of dominance, attractiveness and leadership. While biological factors such as testosterone influence vocal development, especially during puberty in men, Aung’s work goes beyond physiology to examine how those traits are interpreted socially.
In one instance, Aung and his collaborators recorded voices and used software to subtly manipulate pitch, allowing them to isolate its effect on perception. In other studies, participants read standardized passages while researchers measured vocal characteristics alongside hormone levels, including testosterone and cortisol. Their findings suggest that a combination of high testosterone and low cortisol can be associated with deeper vocal tendencies in males.
But the meaning of those voices is shaped by perception. In cross-cultural research spanning 22 countries and thousands of participants, Aung and his collaborators found consistent patterns: deeper male voices in some cultures are perceived as more dominant, respectable and prestigious, while higher-pitched female voices are considered more attractive and feminine.
Those perceptions are not universal, however. Aung’s work shows that societal factors, including “relational mobility,” or how easily individuals can form and leave social relationships, also help explain variations across cultures. In societies with higher relational mobility, such as the United States, people are more likely to associate deeper male voices with dominance and prestige.
His research also reveals differences between men and women in how voice is perceived. “Men seem to care more about deeper male voices than women do,” Aung said, noting that men are more likely to interpret deeper voices as signals of physical dominance.
Beyond the laboratory, these perceptions can have real-world implications. Aung points to research suggesting that CEOs with deeper voices tend to lead larger companies and receive higher compensation, though he emphasizes that such findings show an association rather than a cause-and-effect relationship. Other studies indicate that voice pitch may influence voter preferences or perceptions of leadership, depending on context.
Context, Aung said, is critical. In high-stakes or conflict-driven situations, deeper voices may signal authority and strength. In more collaborative or peaceful settings, however, that same trait can be perceived as intimidating or less approachable.
“One competency may be a trade-off,” he explained.
The research also highlights how individuals can adapt. Some public figures, including political leaders, undergo vocal training to project authority. While vocal pitch can be intentionally modified, Aung notes that natural voice characteristics are more difficult to change.
As an immigrant from Myanmar, Aung said his interest in cross-cultural research is shaped in part by his own experiences navigating different cultures and perspectives. That perspective has informed his work exploring whether people around the world interpret voice in similar ways, offering insight into potential universal patterns in human psychology.
Aung’s work extends beyond human populations. In cross-species research, he examined vocal differences in non-human primates, finding that variation in pitch between males and females is linked to mating systems, with greater differences in more polygamous species.
Despite these findings, many questions remain. One ongoing area of inquiry examines why vocal pitch has such a strong influence on perception, even when it is only weakly correlated with factors like body size or adult testosterone levels. Aung is currently exploring how cortisol and other variables may better explain these relationships, as well as investigating genetic factors, though early results have not found a clear link between “better genes” and deeper voices.
Another emerging area of research focuses on women’s voices, where findings are more complex. While higher pitch is often associated with attractiveness, some studies show that women lower their voices when attempting to sound more appealing. Aung is also collaborating on research examining how factors such as makeup application may influence vocal pitch, articulation and perception, though he notes that these findings are still in progress and may be influenced by variety factors in the study, such as repeated reading of the same passage before the makeup is applied and after.
For Aung, the most exciting part of research is not just the answers, but the new questions that follow.
“If we find particular patterns, the next step is asking why again,” he said. “Are there alternative interpretations?”
That curiosity extends to the evolving role of technology. Aung sees growing implications for voice research in artificial intelligence, from virtual assistants to hiring processes that analyze vocal characteristics. Adjustments in pitch, he said, can shape user engagement, perceptions of credibility and even decision-making.
He also sees these dynamics reflected in everyday life, from reality television shows where participants rely solely on vocal cues, to interpersonal decisions shaped by subtle aspects of communication.
In the classroom, Aung encourages students to adopt the same inquisitive mindset. He emphasizes the importance of questioning assumptions, evaluating evidence and considering alternative explanations, skills that extend far beyond psychology.
“It’s important to ask why,” he said. “Not just in research, but in life.”
Photo by Olivia Fisher
