The theme: the enormous subconscious power in tone of voice. When we hear someone speak, we take in more than words or syntax. We form impressions about the speaker: their status, their mood and their intention. Many of these processes are subconscious and virtually instantaneous. How does that happen?

In my talk, I also provide a snapshot on what speakers reveal through voice cues: and how voices can be used intentionally to communicate emotions, attitudes, and motivations. Crucially, we’ll zoom into the emotional effects that voices have on listeners, affecting both behaviour and wellbeing.  This is relevant for all social interactions; and is particularly important for outcomes in contexts such as teaching or therapy.

Silke Paulmann is Head of the Psychology Department at the University of Essex. Following her studies on English Linguistics, American Literature, and Media at the University of Paderborn, she completed her PhD work on emotional voices and the brain at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany. She conducted her post-doctoral work at the School for Communication Sciences and Disorders (McGill University, Montreal, Canada). Since 2009, she researches and teaches at Essex. 

Professor Paulmann brings a multidisciplinary approach to her work by combining methodologies from different fields including psycholinguistics, cognitive and social psychology and neuroscience. She has been awarded funding from renowned organizations such as the Leverhulme Trust, the German Academic Exchange Service, and the Flemish Research Foundation. Her research is widely recognized, with regular publications in prestigious academic journals. Her research on emotional, motivational and attitudinal voices has been applied in different contexts, including teaching, parenting, and health care settings. She frequently works with partners from outside academia to ensure that her research findings have real-world impact. 

This session will be hosted by Jane Oakshott-Rastall, MBE, Voice and Performance Coach and BVA President (2024-25)