Gender Presentation and Voice Satisfaction: Self-Perception of Voice Versus External Perception.

Abstract

Objective: To verify the self-assessment of gender in voice, the concept of an ideal voice, and voice satisfaction among people of different genders; and to compare these factors with the Auditory-Perceptual Assessment (APA) of gender in voice conducted by cisgender, transgender, and non-binary judges, as well as speech-language pathologists (SLPs) specializing in voice.

Methods: A cross-sectional study. In total, 47 individuals of different genders conducted a self-assessment of their voice's gender presentation (using a 100-point visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from very masculine to very feminine) based on two items: "My voice is" and "My ideal voice should sound." The same scale was used to measure voice satisfaction, ranging from "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied." Subsequently, samples of connected speech (counting numbers) and expressive reading of a poem from these individuals were recorded and subjected to APA using the same VAS to evaluate gender presentation in voice. The APA was conducted by 101 cisgender judges (CJ), 70 transgender and non-binary judges (TNB), and 65 voice-specialized SLP. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed (Friedman test, Durbin-Conover post hoc test, and Spearman correlation), considering P < 0.05 to compare the difference between the mean scores of the judges and the speakers' self-assessment and the correlation of APA with voice satisfaction.

Results: For the first item, "My voice is," there was a significant difference between the speakers' self-assessment and evaluations by all three groups of judges: CJ vs self-assessment (P = 0.013), SLP vs self-assessment (P = 0.016), and TNB vs self-assessment (P =< 0.001). Regarding the item "My ideal voice should sound," a significant difference was observed only between TNB vs Ideal voice (P = 0.032); CJ and SLP vs Self-assessment did not show statistically significant differences (P = 0.262 and P = 0.298, respectively). In terms of voice satisfaction, cisgender men showed a strong negative and significant correlation with self-perception (R = -0.761, P = 0.006).

Conclusion: The perceptions of cisgender, transgender, non-binary judges, and voice-specialized SLPs differed significantly from the speakers' self-perception regarding gender in voice. In the conception of an ideal voice, the perceptions of cisgender and SLP judges aligned with the speakers' expectations, possibly reflecting cultural influences that reinforce traditional gender norms. The correlation of voice satisfaction indicates that more satisfied cisgender men perceive their own voice as more masculine.