PERCEPTION OF GENDER EXPRESSION IN VOICE: IMPACT OF LISTENERS' EXPOSURE TO NEUTRAL VOICES

• Grant number: 24/21321-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Speech Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Ana Carolina Constantini
• Grantee: Camilly Nogueira dos Reis
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Introduction: Gender perception in voice can be shaped by the sociocultural context, which plays a significant role in distinguishing what is considered feminine or masculine. Objective: To verify whether there is a change in gender perception of voice after listeners are exposed to gender-neutral voice samples and external reinforcements. Methods: The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Unicamp under protocol no. 6.876.128, as part of an ongoing doctoral research project. It will be conducted in three main stages: selection of voice samples, training, and a questionnaire on gender perception in voice, followed by data analysis. All participants will complete a gender perception questionnaire containing 12 voice samples from speakers of different genders on the first day, after 7 days, and after 14 days of participating in the research. For the training, participants will be divided into two groups (A and C). Group A will undergo a gamified training for 14 consecutive days, with feedback on their perception of gender presentation in voice, using 10 spoken voice samples from speakers with voices that fall within the neutral frequency range. Group C will serve as a control group and will not undergo the training, answering only the gender perception questionnaire on the first, seventh, and fourteenth days. The voice samples used in the questionnaire will be different from those used in the training. The results will undergo descriptive and inferential statistical analysis (p<0.05). Expected Results: It is expected to demonstrate that gender perception in voice is neither singular nor static, but rather shaped by social reinforcements. Thus, it is anticipated that Group A will have their gender perception of voice altered according to the training feedback, while Group C will not change their gender perception.