Have you ever been talking to a friend on the phone and, just by the way his voice sounds,
you can tell he is angry.
You can see nothing, you can only process his voice—but that’s enough.
You are using the nonverbal code of VOCALICS, sometimes referred to as PARALANGUAGE.
This is the nonverbal code that we will delve into on this video: the use of the voice in
communication.
First, a caveat: This is a deeper look, not a comprehensive discussion of this area of
study in nonverbal communication that you can find with a few well-placed clicks on
your keyboard.
Okay, let’s get started.
Because we use our voice when we speak words, many people erroneously classify the voice
as verbal communication.
But, in addition to words, the voice uses other nonverbal sounds to communicate, such
as pitch, tone, and so on.
It’s important to realize that vocalics relates to all aspects of the voice other
than words.
That’s why it is sometimes called “paralanguage,” referring to the vocalized but nonverbal parts
of a message—including those non-word pesky fillers such as the “uhs” and “ers”
we use that often communicate that we are unsure of ourselves, nervous, or inexperienced—again,
a message that gets communicated without the benefit of language.
Ignore the words and you can concentrate on the voice, leading you to be concerned that
someone is upset, sympathize with their nervousness, or recognize that they are bubbling with good
news.
We also tend to speak slower when we are tired or tipsy and higher when we’re excited or
agitated.
Consider how someone’s accent contributes to our perceptions.
You’ve probably noticed that virtually all newscasters have the same accent: the General
American dialect.
And, for most North Americans, a British accent is sexier than an American accent—27% to
9%, according to study results published in a 2015 Psychology Today article.
That same article also noted that a British accent contributes positively to a person’s
perceived credibility.
So it pays to have a British accent…
Vocalics also addresses pitch—how high or low your voice is.
Notice that your pitch is higher at the end of a question.
A 2013 study conducted by Duke University and the University of California concluded
that those with deeper pitched voices are more likely to be successful in business.
Well, that’s two strikes against me so far: I don’t have a British accent and I don’t
have a particularly deep-pitched voice.
Ahh… but I think I do have the benefit of the General American dialect.
Inflection relates more closely to vocal variety.
It might make more sense to define it by what it’s not: It’s not monotonous.
Rate is how fast you speak; we tend to think people who speak fast are intelligent.
Of course, you can talk so fast that people can’t understand you.
We also pay attention to stress or emphasis—something that is definitely missing in written communication.
Take the statement, “I never said you were late.”
Depending on which word you emphasize, the statement takes on an entirely different meaning:
“I never said you were late,” versus “I NEVER said you were late,” versus “I never
SAID you were late,” and so on.
The tone of your voice could communicate humor, mirth, formality, respect, enthusiasm—definitely
related to the oft-stated observation, “it’s not what he said but how he said it.”
Other aspects of vocalics include pausing, volume, pronunciation and enunciation, and
vocal quality—we can tell when someone has a cold, for example, when there is a nasal
quality in the voice.
Vocal quality is so important that ABC News reported scores of “aging Baby Boomers”
were getting voice lifts—the newest “cosmetic” surgery which makes their voices sound more
youthful.
And don’t forget our fillers, or vocal insertions, that are not words, such as “ah,” “uh,”
“er,” and so on.
We also have our own vocal signature—you can differentiate my voice from your friend’s—each
of us has our own distinct vocal signature.
Right now, two of the most recognizable voices in the entertainment world are James Earl
Jones, well known for his Darth Vader voice in the Star Wars movie series (movie clip:
“Luke, I am your father”) and voice work as Mufasa in Disney’s animated movie, The
Lion King (movie clip: “Simba”).
And Morgan Freeman, who’s recognizable voice, as you can hear in the YouTube clip of, “The
Greatest Story of our Generation” (“In the beginning, there was Earth”) is so iconic
that it’s spawned memes where his picture is used with random words, followed by the
line, “And you just read this in my voice.”
If you’re like me, you hate to hear the sound of your recorded voice—I cringe every
time I hear a student listening to one of my video lectures.
That’s because, in addition to hearing what everyone else hears, you also hear sounds
coming from the vibrations passing through your skull—you sound different and that’s
disconcerting to you.
But regardless of what you sound like, you use your voice to communicate a variety of
different emotions and meanings.
So don’t take your voice for granted.
It’s a tool that can be used to make yourself understood, whether you want to or not.