That unforgettable voice. Sean Connery in the James Bond classic Diamonds Are Forever with Jill St John, as Tiffany Case. Photo / Supplied, File
That unforgettable voice. Sean Connery in the James Bond classic Diamonds Are Forever with Jill St John, as Tiffany Case. Photo / Supplied, File
The alluring baritones of Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig infamously left women falling at their feet in every James Bond film.
But 007's love interests may have predicted his unfaithful behaviour from the moment he told them his name, after new research suggests men with deep voices are more likely to cheat.
The study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, found men with lower-toned voices were more likely to engage in infidelity and were less likely to be committed to a relationship than those with higher-pitched voices.
For women, however, there was no noticeable difference in attitudes to cheating whether they had high- or low-pitched voices.
"In our present study, we found that voice characteristics can be a reliable clue to infidelity and relationship commitment; this conclusion can provide some guidance for them to seek a partner and avoid being hurt," the researchers said.
The researchers, from Southwest University, Chongqing, China, conducted the experiment involving more than 250 male and female volunteers recruited through the university.
The volunteers were asked to read out a list of words, which were recorded and then analysed for the various kinds of frequency and pitch that are influenced by a number of factors, including the shape of the mouth, their larynx and levels of testosterone.
Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall. Photo / Supplied, File
Then the volunteers - all young, heterosexual adults in good health and who are non-smokers - took a psychological test with questions on their attitudes to fidelity and relationships, such as how they felt about cheating on a partner.
Previous studies found women are often attracted to men with low, rich voices because they are associated with high testosterone levels which, in evolutionary terms, suggests they will be a good mate for producing healthy children.
But these latest findings revealed the higher hormone levels are also likely to make him less committed to a relationship and to hold more liberal attitudes to cheating on a partner.
The researchers found men with deeper voices were less committed to their romantic relationships and more likely to be unfaithful, suggesting that testosterone is the key factor, according to the researchers. "Testosterone and the characteristics dependent on testosterone can be reliable indicators of quality-dependent conditions or behaviours," they reported.
"Men with higher testosterone levels, and hence, lower voices, may have more infidelity behaviours or less commitment to their romantic relationship."
Having an attractive deep voice could be part of the problem, they added, as it makes them more attractive to women which increases their opportunity for sexual encounters outside of their own romantic relationship, or their chances of "obtaining more or higher quality partners".
Men with the deepest voices were "more likely to engage in infidelity, and reported lower relationship commitment" compared to those with higher pitch and frequency in their voices, the authors found.
Women also perceive men with deeper voices to be more likely to be unfaithful, they added.
The study was conducted with young adults from the university who self-reported their feelings towards infidelity and relationship commitment.
But the researchers added that further studies of older men and women are needed to see if the findings are consistent across other age ranges and in longer-term relationships.
