An Unexpected Way To Sound Smarter In A Job Interview

Sure, your voice might sound a little weird to you, but it could also be the best asset you've got: New research suggests we may actually be perceived as more intelligent when our voices are heard — at least in some situations. In the study, which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, participants were asked to write and record pitches about why they're the perfect candidates for a job. Over a series of four experiments, hundreds of evaluators read, watched, or listened to those pitches and used them to rate how qualified the participants were.  Results showed that the evaluators rated the participants as being more thoughtful, competent, and intelligent when they heard their audio over just reading their words. With audio, evaluators also said they'd be more likely to hire those participants. Having video didn't really add anything — the audio mattered most. This builds on a wealth of previous research showing that we get a lot of information about other people from their voices: For instance, we perceive someone's level of confidence through his or her voice. And, although no one is that great at detecting lies in general, we can be taught to use verbal cues to catch them. Which is why just analyzing body language to detect lying isn't anywhere near as helpful as having a conversation with someone. So, maybe take a second to appreciate your voice — it's doing a lot for you.