Conference turris::womannotes-v1

Here are some free form thoughts on this very interesting topic...

related words: speech, language, conversation, oratory, dialogue, diction

I am fascinated by languages, slang and colloquial expressions, profanity,
graffiti, poetry, etc. I can hear women better because I have a slight
hearing loss in the low vocal range. I find most women's voices to be
very soothing (reminiscent of mom). News reporters, male and female, tend
to have excellent diction, but I find that their tone is very artificial.
I perceive this artificial tone as very aggressive in women and annoying
in men (unpleasant in either case). I like both male and female vocalists.
I tend to like the mellow sound (Crystal Gail, Lionell Ritchie) as opposed
to the harsh sound (Janis Joplin, Springstein). In Puerto Rico, the only
people I could understand were the tv newspeople, because their diction
was textbook Spanish, even though I took Spanish from 3rd grade all the
way thru college. As far as role playing goes, I think that women can
use speech and body language to be very persuasive, sexy, "cute". I like
Cindy Lauper's speech. She is so "cute" with that N.Y. accent and the
little girl voice. She is also a genuinely nice person. I wonder what
she really looks like? On the other hand, when I hear that whinning voice
of Sally Struthers begging for more more money, I immediately change the
channel. Compassion does not require whinning. Men tend to speak more
curtly, direct to the point, aggressively, etc. (but not always). Public
speakers are another breed. Politicians have to be effective. They have
speech writers who are experts. I like debates because that's when you
really start to get into their heads.

Dave

    I watched part of the NOVA program last night about the planes
    and pilots who fly TOP GUN.  In some instances, a computerized
    voice will relay the information on some of the many dials and 
    displays.  (it's hard to read the displays at 9 Gs).  
    
    Anyhow, the computerized voice is a "woman's" voice because
    in testing the pilots under different G's and under different
    stressful conditions, and I quote "a woman's voice is more
    commanding".  I guess the pilots tend to react to a woman's
    voice faster than they would to a man's and while flying these
    planes, every second counts.

    RE: .2	Yes, I too watched the show and that singular fact
    		fascinated me. I sure would like to have more
    		background info. on that particular point. 

    RE:.2,.3
    
    I admit to being incredibly surprised at this. Especially since
    military men have been trained from day-1 (99-100%) by *males*
    ordering them around. Seems the instinct to react would've been
    ingrained by then....
    
    Ver-r-r-r-y Inn-n-n-ter-r-res-s-sting....
    
    --DE
    

    Dawn , two years of military service probably doesn't equal 
    eighteen years of mom and schools where the preponderance of
    teachers are female.
    
    On the other hand, individualistic types might have a negative
    reaction to a male voice *ordering* them. Whereas a female
    voice is less threatening.  ?
    
    Dana

    There are several ways to look at this fact:
    
    1.  Males pay more attention to a female voice
    	a. for sexual reasons.
    	b. for social reasons.  (His mother's voice. :-)
    2.  A woman's voice is higher pitched and carries better under the
    [implied] conditions.
    3.  A woman's voice carries no threat and will be listened to with
    less anxiety.
    4.  A woman's voice *is* more commanding.
    
    and I'm only sure of Number 2.
    
    							Ann B.

    Dana...only elementary school teachers are mostly women.
    
    Still, the voice that's required *instant* action (Yes, sir!)
    in military training has been *male*. 
    
    In addition, my experience with  adolescent boys and adult
    men is that they tend to follow directions from men, not from
    women. (If both are present, and giving directions) 
    
    --DE
    

    Reading something on speaking, I found an interesting hypothesis
    (she presented it as fact, but I still reserve judgement): that
    people express themselves in _sensory_ modes.
    
    "How does that look to you", "Am I blue"
    
    "How does that sound"
    
    "That makes my gut twist"
    
    "I smell a rat"
    
    [and I can't think of a phrase illustrating taste, off-hand]
    
    Elgin (and others, I assume) asserts that every person has a
    _preferred_ mode of speech and that it largely reflects which sense
    a person uses primarily in experiencing the world.  She goes on
    to add that the most words are available to communicate things on
    the basis of sight, though sound is not far behind.  Those who rely
    on touch/feel have many fewer words at their command, and those
    poor souls who think in terms of taste or smell have almost no words
    at all with which to communicate.
    
    She maintains that in times of stress, most of us can _only_ use
    our preferred mode, and have great difficulty understanding someone
    using a different mode.
    
    For example, I rely mostly on feel/touch.  The ultimate argument
    for me is for someone to tell me how my words make them _feel_,
    if their stomach writhes, if it gets their hackles up.  Saying
    something "doesn't sound" or "look right" means very little to me
    unless I can stop and think very, very carefully about their words,
    especially if is something that has me all "het up".
    
    While I don't know how these sensory modes follow gender lines,
    it might be interesting to keep in mind when reading other people's
    replies: maybe the reason the person "sounds wrong/crazy" is because
    they are trying to explain why something doesn't _look_ right to
    them.
    
    Lee

    	
    	RE: .8
    
    	 Lee,
    
    	  How about:  "that <whatever> leaves a bad taste in
    			my mouth"
    
    
    
    	Use to hear this all the time growing up........
    

    
     RE .2     I believe you have your facts a bit mixed up. Ann B.
               has the right reason why the voice is female. Its not
               because of command authority, its because it carries 
               better and is more soothing in a stressful situation
               that a man's voice.
    
               A perfect example of that was when that Major was talking
               about when his wingman tried to warn him of the MiG on
               his tail and he never heard him. When they got back to
               the base, he replayed the cockpit tapes and then heard
               the warning on the tape. 

                                           Bob B

    I saw the program, but didn't hear an express rationale for
    selecting a female voice other than the fact that it commanded
    attention better.
    
    I don't believe it's related to the armed forces environment,
    though; the same thing applies to cars. The computerized voice
    in my Nissan is female. When my wife saw the program on PBS,
    her reaction was "now Nissan is building jet fighters".

I vaguely recall reading a couple of studies on this issue.  Two
reasons were given:

-- The female voice is unlike other voices the pilots hears (from
   ground controllers and other pilots).  Thus, it pokes through
   the noise.

-- "Sounds like mom" (specifically "mom" and not "girl friend") and
   triggers innate attention mechanisms.

Martin.

    When under extreme physical stress (9G isn't a picnic), you may need to
    draw on subconscious strength. Maybe hearing mom saying something
    triggers this reaction. I am reminded of the movie Terminator (Rah
    Arnold!) In which the heroine, beginning to adjust to a harsh new
    reality, screams at her wounded lover
    
    "ON YOUR FEET, SOLDIER! ON -- YOUR -- FEET!"
    
    That scene has always struck a chord in me. Now I wonder.
    
    dov

    	I worked for 3 years in a speech processing research group. In
    conditions of high background noise a female voice is much more likely
    to be intelligible than a male voice. That is regardless of who is
    listening.
    
    	During the 39-45 war many air traffic controllers were women, and
    it was not just that men were in scarce supply. Women are
    physiologically more suited to the job.