Space fighters on stage - How the F1 and F2 vowel-space dimensions contribute to perceived speaker charisma

Authors: Oliver Niebuhr

Abstract:

Two perception experiments are carried out, showing that vowel pronunciation matters for perceived speaker charisma. Larger acoustic vowel spaces make speakers sound more charismatic. However, the F1 and F2 dimensions of the vowel space contribute differently to this perceptual effect. The F1 range is related emotional aspects of charisma, such as sounding passionate and captivating, whereas the F2 range is related to cognitive aspects of charisma, such as sounding trustworthy and decided. Implications for computer-based tools of speaker training are discussed.