Is the politician you're talking to speaking in a deep, impressive voice? He probably thinks you're rich or important. That's just one conclusion of a new study from researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, which found that politicians modulate their voices depending on the social status of their audience.
When conversing casually, politicians will speak as if they are addressing family, but in front of large groups, their voices often take on a sing-song quality. And among people of high stature, whom they consider peers, politicos will opt for that lower tone.
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