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The Science of Voice Perception

The modern science of voice perception is a discipline that has its roots in scientific development that started in the middle of the nineteenth century. New technological developments and new scientific methods that evolved in the twentieth century finally led to an explosion of scientific research on voice perception in the last three to four decades. Today, the science of voice perception is a flourishing field to which contributions are growing every year, including the expansion and integration of the research field into many scientific disciplines. The studies on voice perception have now reached a level of diversity and extension that makes it difficult for the unfamiliar scientist, scholar, or student to quickly and comprehensively orientate him or herself in the research field. The Oxford Handbook of Voice Perception has exactly this purpose of supporting orientation for unfamiliar readers within this growing research field, and to also give a broad overview on the field for familiar readers. This introductory chapter establishes the structure of the handbook and gives a general introduction to the science of voice perception by outlining the interdisciplinary nature of the field, including a cross-species perspective and general definition of what a ‘voice’ is as produced by many vertebrate species.