Interdisciplianry Studies
Rindy Anderson and Casey Klofstad, are a husband and wife team that study animal communication, voter behavior and civic engagement. Together they have published numerous scientific studies on human voice qualities, leadership and voter preferences.
Rindy Anderson holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Miami, and completed post-doctoral training at Duke University. Her laboratory at FAU studies animal behavior with a focus on social behavior, communication and cognition, and she has published 29 peer-reviewed journal articles on these topics.
Casey Klofstad holds a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University. His research focuses on how society and biology influence human decision-making. He has published numerous books and articles on topics as varied as social networks, immigrant political participation, human mate choice, the behavior of elected officials, and the influence of vocal and visual signal on human perception.
Sounds Like a Winner! What Animal Voices Teach Us About Human Communication and Politics
In the animal world, it is well-known that
vocalizations contain various types of information,
such as physical strength, health or motivation to
defend a resource. For example, the loudness of a
threat call might signal the caller’s physical strength
and, thus, ability to win a fight. Other animals attend
to the information contained in these vocal signals
and use it to adjust their own behavior. While human
language is unique and more complex than the
communication systems of other animals, we, too, are
influenced by non-verbal aspects of speech. That is,
we are affected by both the words that we say and the
qualities of our voices when we say them. Relevant to
the current election season, our research shows that
candidates’ vocal traits influence how we select our
leaders. Our seminar will highlight several studies on
vocal communication systems in animals, as well as
the role that voice qualities such as voice “pitch” play
in elections. Through these studies, we are gaining a
better understanding of the fundamental traits that
underlie vocal communication systems, including our
own, and how subtle biological influences can affect
complex human behavior.
Register Early! There is a $5 charge for registering on the day of a one-time lecture or event.
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| Course # F1R4 — One Time Event
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| Place: | Room 151 (Annex), Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus |
| Dates: | Thursday, November 3 2016 |
| Time: | 5 - 6:30 PM |
| Fee: | $25 / member; $35 / non-member |
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