PLoS One. 2016 Oct 13;11(10):e0164324. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164324. eCollection 2016.
Abstract
Previous
studies suggest a significant role of language in the court room, yet
none has identified a definitive correlation between vocal
characteristics and court outcomes. This paper demonstrates that
voice-based snap judgments based solely on the introductory sentence of
lawyers arguing in front of the Supreme Court of the United States
predict outcomes in the Court. In this study, participants rated the
opening statement of male advocates arguing before the Supreme Court
between 1998 and 2012 in terms of masculinity,
attractiveness, confidence, intelligence, trustworthiness, and
aggressiveness. We found significant correlation between vocal
characteristics and court outcomes and the correlation is specific to
perceived masculinity even when judgment of masculinity
is based only on less than three seconds of exposure to a lawyer's
speech sample. Specifically, male advocates are more likely to win when
they are perceived as less masculine. No other personality dimension
predicts court outcomes. While this study does not aim to establish any
causal connections, our findings suggest that vocal characteristics may
be relevant in even as solemn a setting as the Supreme Court of the
United States.
