Associations of Speaking-Voice Parameters With Personality and Behavior in School-Aged Children

Objectives. Previous studies suggest a link between voice disorders and personality traits. However, nearly nothing is known about the relationship between personality and voice parameters in healthy children. The present study investigated associations between children's personality and the intensity and frequency of their speaking voice. Study Design. This is a cross-sectional analysis. Methods. The study participants included 871 German children aged from 7 to 14 who had not yet experienced voice change in puberty. Within the framework of the LIFE Child study, all participants were asked to perform a speaking-voice task at four different intensity levels (quietest, conversational, presentation, and shouting voice). Associations of fundamental frequency and voice intensity with children's personality and behavioral strengths and difficulties (assessed using parent-reported questionnaires) were estimated using multiple linear regression analyses. Results. With respect to children's personality, the analyses revealed significant positive associations between speaking-voice intensity and extraversion (eg, for the conversational voice, beta = 0.16, P < 0.001) as well as significant negative associations between voice intensity and emotional stability (eg, for the shouting voice, beta = 0.15, P = 0.004) and conscientiousness (for the shouting voice, beta = 0.10, P = 0.033). Regarding behavioral strengths and difficulties, we observed significant positive associations between voice intensity and peer-relationship problems (eg, for the conversational voice, beta = 0.14, P = 0.001) and prosocial behavior (for the conversational voice, beta = 0.11, P = 0.015). In contrast, no significant association was found between speaking fundamental frequency and personality or behavioral difficulties/strengths. Conclusions. In children, associations exist between a child's speaking-voice intensity and his or her personality, especially extraversion and emotional stability, and behavioral characteristics.