Do different voice qualities have the ability to evoke an emotional response within the listener?

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to establish whether different voice qualities evoke an emotional response within the listener. To assist the research, a study was conducted under controlled conditions using eight participants. They were asked to take part in a modified version of Donald Winnicott’s squiggle game. This involved allowing the hand to draw freely whilst listening to an original composition for solo voice. The voice qualities demonstrated in the composition were those defined by researcher, voice scientist and teacher, Jo Estill. Participants were informed that a squiggle in an upward direction would indicate an increase in intensity of emotional response. The results revealed that the voice qualities featured in the composition evoked some form of emotional response within the listener. However, an inability to control all variables meant that it was not possible to decipher whether these responses were elicited as a result of voice quality alone.