Why you should listen closely to how politicians modulate their voices

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.

Dr. Rosario Signorello, who worked on the project, said similar habits have been observed in some animals, and he plans to study chimpanzees to see if the pattern holds.

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Previous research has drawn another comparison between politicians and the animal kingdom: They are prone to use body language to convey personal size and power, like when Jeb Bush stood on tiptoes to look tallest during a GOP debate — or when his brother did the "gorilla walk," holding his arms in an ape-like manner.