Tracing vocal emotion expression through the speech chain: Do listeners perceive what speakers feel?

This study examines whether vocal cues can be used to reliably infer speaker happiness. Two-hundred speakers were asked to perform a simple referential communication task and to rate their current emotional state. A range of vocal cues was traced through the speech chain using path analysis. The results indicate that reported happiness of the speakers and perceived happiness of the listeners were not related. The only vocal cue that mediated between reported and perceived happiness was F1, and, for the female speakers, pitch range. The findings suggest that listeners tend to over-interpret vocal cues as most of them are not likely to be related to speakers’ internal states.