Previous experiments have shown that voice pitch (the perception of fundamental frequency and/or corresponding harmonics) is positively associated with women’s voice attractiveness, however all of this research is on women’s speaking voices. Singing is important for the mating success of non-human animals, is cross-culturally universal in humans, and is highly sexualized in many cultures. Thus, singing could contribute to mating success and attraction in humans. First, we investigated whether previous findings, that high voice pitch when speaking predicts women’s voice attractiveness, extend to when women sing. We also examined whether pitch- and rhythm accuracy contribute to women’s singing voice attractiveness. Voice pitch was positively related to women’s singing voice attractiveness as judged by men more than when judged by women, and speaking voice attractiveness was positively related to singing voice attractiveness. Thus, men and women may be reacting to the same indicator of women’s underlying quality (i.e. voice pitch) in both women’s speaking and singing voices, differently. Men may be attracted to high pitch, whereas women may show a weaker relationship, as they tend to be more romantically jealous of women with high pitched voices. Pitch- and rhythm accuracy did not predict women’s singing voice attractiveness. This result can be interpreted in different ways. It could mean that women’s voice pitch may be more important in determining men’s perceptions of their singing voice attractiveness than is their singing ability, or our measures were ill suited to the task. Collectively, these results are the first to show that singing voices are more attractive than speaking voices, people with attractive speaking voices tend to have attractive singing voices, and that singing and speaking voices relate to the same underlying qualities. Thus, singing may be an indicator of mate value and could have played a role in the evolution of sex differences in the voice if our ancestors had similar preferences. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

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xiii, 221 p. : ill., music, forms. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call number: MUSIC MT35 .M87 2006 / The main purpose of the study was to examine the effects of learning songs by ear in multiple keys on skills in playing by ear and sight-reading. Secondary purposes of the study were to explore the effects of instruction on student attitudes, and to consider differential effects due to music aptitude. Students were brass and woodwind musicians ( N =28) in grades 7--8, placed in one of two instructional groups according to music aptitude, instrument, and music background. Time for instruction was three 20-minute lessons per week for four weeks. Students in the experimental group learned songs by ear in the keys of Bb, Db, and G concert, while students in the contact-control group practiced technical exercises in those same keys. Before and after instruction, students performed a well-known melody by ear in the keys of Bb, Db, and G concert, as well as a short etude in each of the three keys. Two adjudicators listened to recorded performances and evaluated pitch accuracy. To assess the effects of instruction on performance, repeated-measures ANOVAs considered the variables of group, time, and key. The experimental group improved significantly in playing by ear in the keys of Db and G concert, p < .001, but not in Bb. The contact-control group did not improve significantly in playing by ear in any of the keys. Both groups improved significantly in sight-reading in all three keys, p < .001. Analyses of qualitative and quantitative data from a researcher-authored attitude survey indicated that students in the experimental group perceived significant improvement in the new keys of Db and G, while students in the contact-control group did not perceive improvement. There were no statistically significant effects of music aptitude on performance achievement or attitude. Whether this was because the sample sizes were too small for the detection of effects, or whether there were no significant effects, is not known. The results of the study suggest that learning songs by ear may benefit student musicians. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Harry E. Price, Chair; Dr. Michael D. Bullis; Dr. Phyllis M. Paul; Dr. Steve Vacchi