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Study finds tone of voice can help predict marital fate
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Young, sexy singles looking for love and hook-ups online is an utterly ubiquitous experience, but older folks looking for companionship can turn to apps and web, too.
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No doubt, good communication is key to a long-lasting marriage. But a USC study finds it’s not only what we say to our beloved, but how we say it that can determine whether bliss or misery follow us down the aisle.
The researchers recorded hundreds of conversations that more than 100 couples, struggling with serious marital issues, had during counseling sessions.
Next, they ran the recordings through a computer algorithm they developed that measured tone of voice – all the way down to pitch, intensity and that "warble" we sometimes get during moments of intense emotion.
Using that analysis and measuring its effect on each partner, the researchers predicted whether a particular couple's relationship would get better or worse.
After tracking their subjects for five years, the researchers found that the tone of voice predictions were correct about 80 percent of the time. In fact, tone of voice did better than therapists in determining whether people would stay together.
The idea isn’t to replace couples, but rather to give them another tool in their work with couples.
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