UCLA Researcher Dr. Albert Mehrabian reports that our voice relays 38% of a message. This is good news when communicating with a person with a hearing loss.
Talking to Animals
When I was younger, and I had dogs. I always got a big kick out of saying awful things to them in a sweet voice and watching them respond positively. They were reacting not to my words but my voice and tonality.
Voice Conveys Feelings
Have you noticed how one’s voice can reveal what a person is feeling deep down inside? Therapists are trained to listen to the voice, not necessarily the words. Note how your own voice conveys enthusiasm or boredom; pleasure or pain; sincerity or sarcasm; and happiness or sadness.
Help for the Hard of Hearing
Because voice and tonality convey more than words, modulating the sound of your voice can help when talking to a person with a hearing loss. You might even exaggerate the tone of your voice a bit to facilitate comprehension of your words.<
