Authors: Camilo Quezada, Juan-Pablo Robledo del Canto, D. Román, Carlos Cornejo.
Abstract: This study examined the relationship between empathy and phonetic convergence. The working hypothesis was that empathy between two individuals translates into a synchronous process that affects pitch values. To test this, 27 dyadic interactions were recorded and assigned to one of two experimental conditions (Empathic and Non-Empathic). The temporal evolution of pitch was tracked in selected questions used to guide the conversations. In each interaction, pitch was analyzed for both participants to determine whether phonetic convergence occurred. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted, and the results were consistent with the manipulation designed to differentiate the two experimental conditions. Overall, the findings support the existence of a relationship between certain phonetic features of speech and dispositional dimensions that, while typically overlooked by classical models of cognition, are pervasive in everyday interaction. The data also suggest that the effect of empathy is stronger in mixed-gender dyads than in same-gender dyads.