Voter bass

What do we look for in a leader? Political vision? Sound policies? Compassion? Well, no. A deep voice appears to be the answer, says Casey Klofstad of Miami University. His research indicates that a mellifluous bass tone is the perfect credential for a true leader. The deeper the voice the better the politician, voters seem to think. And you thought it was Darth Vader's ruthless cruelty that took him to the top.

The research by Klofstad and his colleagues included two experiments which digitally manipulated voice recordings. They produced higher- and lower-pitched versions of the originals. One asked the participants to select the version they would hypothetically cast their vote for and the other who they perceived were “more trustworthy, more competent, and stronger.”

As with previous research, the study demonstrated that voters prefer candidates with a deeper voice. In 2011, Cara Tigue conducted a study which digitally manipulated ex-US presidents' voices and showed that candidates were more likely to vote for those with deeper voices. But Klofstad’s research presents us with a new perspective as it included female voices, saying that this is important “because while women have been traditionally underrepresented in leadership roles, they are playing an increasingly important role in the democratic governing process.”

Crucially Klofstad found that "both men and women selected male and female leaders with lower voices.” Margaret Thatcher was famously advised to lower her tone and it seems this was sound advice. This would not only have resonated in the male-dominated world of politics but would have helped her gain both male and female voters.

As Klofstad adds: “The selection of leaders is the main mechanism that the members of a society have for affecting how they will be governed, however within the context of modern democracies, most citizens are not politically engaged. Consequently, the selection of leaders is often made based on impressionistic judgements.”

While I do not believe people are likely to pick a candidate entirely based on the pitch of their voice, "impressionistic judgements" undeniably count for something, especially among people who are not politically engaged. The study shows that people associate personable qualities with tone of voice. Combine this with the snap judgements people make every day over appearance and its easy to see why politicians believe that dress sense and hair style are important.

Follow Anna McKie on Twitter @annamckie