If you need another reason not to put on an accent, there is evidence it pays to be completely average. People with average looks and average voices are thought to have more heterozygous major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs). This is a sequence of DNA that codes for cell-surface proteins that help our immune systems detect which cells in our bodies belong to us and which are outsiders. Being able to do this means we can quickly identify pathogens and destroy them. Therefore, average individuals are better placed to pass on useful genes for a healthy immune system.
It could also be that average-voiced individuals are easier to understand, in part because we are exposed to the average more frequently than people at the extremes. “We really don’t like what we don’t know,” adds Barkat-Defradas.
Much of this research, you might note, has been conducted on heterosexual people, in part because evolutionary biologists want to find explanations for modern human behaviours in the selective pressures our ancestors were exposed to. Our female ancestors would have looked for masculine qualities, the theory goes, as stronger men can take better care of their families, while men sought young women who have more child-bearing years ahead of them.
When I put this to Pisanski, she agreed that there was a bias towards studying men’s voices. What research has been done on homosexual people has largely looked at male preferences – and found broadly that gay men have similar tastes to straight women. Meanwhile little research has been conducted on LGBT+ women.
These theories are based on purely biological explanations of desirability. But is that still relevant today? Only if your biggest motivation is to mate with someone who will give your children good genes.
For the rest of us, maybe we find satisfaction with a good conversationalist.
* William Park is a senior journalist for BBC Future and tweets at @williamhpark
This article is part of Laws of Attraction, a series co-produced by BBC Future and BBC Reel that explores the roles our senses play in how much we like each other. The articles and films were written by William Park. The films were animated by Michal Bialozej and produced by Dan John.
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