Efficacy in deceptive vocal exaggeration of human body size

Abstract How can deceptive communication signals exist in an evolutionarily stable signalling system? To resolve this age-old honest paradox, researchers must first establish whether deception benefits deceivers. However, while vocal exaggeration is widespread the animal kingdom and assumably adaptive, its effectiveness biasing listeners has not been established. Here, we show that human detect produced by vocalisers who volitionally shift their voice frequencies to exaggerate or attenuate perceived size. Listeners also judge relative heights of cheaters, whose retain reliable acoustic cues interindividual height. Importantly, although biases listeners’ absolute height judgments, recalibrate assessments for they correctly concurrently identify as deceptive, particularly men judging men. Thus, size fool listeners, benefiting deceiver, detection reduce bias mitigate costs underscoring unremitting arms-race between signallers receivers communication.