Abstract
Previous research has shown that targets whose physical and vocal attractiveness do not match (one channel being high and the other being low in attractiveness) elicit more negative impressions. The present study replicated this result and showed that the mediator and, hence, the reason for this effect is not simply a perception that the face and voice are discrepant but rather some disappointment with the less attractive channel. The finding that perceivers are overly disappointed with the less attractive channel is consistent with a large literature indicating that effects of negative events such as unattractive face or voice are stronger than effects of positive events.
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Notes
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Recall that disappointment with the less attractive channel was constructed from two separate variables: disappointment with the face and disappointment with the voice. Conceptually, neither of these two variables can fully explain the Physical × Vocal attractiveness interaction and neither can fully mediate the effects of this interaction on favorability scores. Indeed, regression analyses showed that although disappointment with the voice was significantly predicted from the Physical × Vocal interaction (p < .05), disappointment with the face was not (p > .20). In the mediation analysis, disappointment with the face was significantly related to favorability (p < .01) but disappointment with the voice was not (p > .16). Thus, it is disappointment with the less attractive channel that accounts better for the full effects of the face-voice discrepancy on interpersonal impressions.
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Zuckerman, M., Sinicropi, V. When Physical and Vocal Attractiveness Differ: Effects on Favorability of Interpersonal Impressions. J Nonverbal Behav 35, 75–86 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-011-0106-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-011-0106-5