‘Caveman instincts’ may favor deep-voiced politicians. Duke Today, August 7, 2015. When politicians debate an opponent, it’s not just what they say that matters — it’s also how they say it. A new study by researchers at the University of Miami and Duke shows that voters naturally prefer candidates with deeper voices, which they associate with strength and competence more than age. The researchers say our love lower-pitched voices may harken back to “caveman instincts” associating leadership with physical prowess more than wisdom and experience. Picked up by Newsweek, Popular Science, Science Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Scientific American, the Herald-Sun, Discovery News, CBS and The Independent.