Vocal inflections

Vocal Qualities and Associations
* Pitch:
* High Pitch: Often associated with stress, nervousness, and anxiety. This can indicate a person is lying or is uncomfortable with the topic.
* Low Pitch: Can suggest calmness, confidence, or an attempt to be more authoritative. It can also be used to intentionally project strength.
* Speech Rate:
* Fast Rate: May indicate excitement, nervousness, or an attempt to rush through a story to avoid scrutiny.
* Slow Rate: Can signal a person is carefully selecting their words, often when fabricating a lie. It can also indicate thoughtfulness or a deliberate attempt to project composure.
* Volume:
* Loud: Can be a sign of anger, dominance, or a conscious effort to overcompensate and appear confident when bluffing.
* Soft/Whisper: May suggest secrecy, fear, or a desire to avoid drawing attention. It can also be a tell for a weak hand in poker.
* Stuttering and Stumbling: These interruptions in fluency are strong indicators of cognitive load, which is often increased when a person is lying.
* Clearing Throat: A common sign of stress or discomfort. People often do this to “reset” their voice before answering a difficult question.
Temporal Responses and Associations
* Long Pause/Hesitation: Taking an extended pause before answering a simple question can indicate that a person is fabricating a response. The delay shows they are using mental energy to construct a lie rather than simply recalling the truth.
* Instant Response: An immediate answer, especially in a poker game, often suggests the person has already decided their action. It can signal a drawing hand, as they’ve already committed to seeing the next card regardless of your bet.
* Betting Speed:
* Instant Bet: May show a strong, confident hand.
* Slow, Deliberate Bet: Can be a sign of a bluff. The player is attempting to project a thoughtful decision to mask their weak hand.
* Repetitive or Recanted Statements: When a person has to correct or repeat themselves, it can show they’re losing track of their fabricated story.
Combined Vocal and Temporal Responses in Context
* Poker:
* The “Weak-Strong” Combo: A player sighs, speaks in a slow, low voice, and then makes a large, deliberate bet. This combination is often a tell for a monster hand. They are acting weak to entice you to call.
* The “Strong-Weak” Combo: A player suddenly becomes loud, chatty, and makes an aggressive, instant bet. This can often signal a bluff, as they are trying to project confidence to scare you off.
* The “Anxious” Combo: A player’s voice pitch rises, they stumble over their words, and they take a long pause before making a small bet. This can signal a marginal or drawing hand, as they are uncertain about their decision.
* Interrogations:
* The “Deceptive” Combo: The suspect’s voice pitch goes up, they hesitate for a few seconds, and then give an overly detailed, fluent story. The initial pause and pitch change are the involuntary tells, while the fabricated story is the conscious effort to deceive.
* The “Truthful” Combo: The suspect answers a direct question instantly, with a calm, even voice. Their answer is concise and lacks unnecessary detail. This shows a low cognitive load, as they are simply stating the truth.
* The “Defensive” Combo: A suspect’s tone becomes aggressive, their volume increases, and they make accusations or challenge the interrogator. This often happens when a truthful person is frustrated by what they perceive as an unfair accusation, but it can also be a desperate attempt by a liar to turn the tables and avoid a direct line of questioning.