In an intriguing study exploring the nature of human sexual vocalizations, researcher Andrey Anikin analyzed 34 hours of audio recordings from 2,239 authentic sexual encounters, predominantly featuring female vocalizers. The study, which aimed to understand the acoustic features and arousal patterns associated with these sounds, found that sexual vocalizations follow an inverted-U curve, peaking in intensity at orgasm. Both men and women’s vocalizations became longer, louder, more high-pitched, and less verbal as arousal increased, suggesting a blend of voluntary and involuntary responses. Interestingly, while men were not less vocal, women began to vocalize earlier in the sexual encounter. The study also noted that overly excessive vocalizing was perceived as inauthentic by listeners. This research sheds light on the complex nature of sexual vocalizations, suggesting they are expressions of pleasure rather than specific signals of copulation, and highlights the similarities in vocal expression of arousal across genders.
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