There are people who speak several tones above everyone else in various situations throughout the day, and it's common to interpret this behavior as lack of manners, irritation, or an attempt to dominate the conversation. However, according to psychology, the explanation can be quite different. Speaking loudly doesn't necessarily mean a person is angry or aggressive, as voice volume is just one of several clues used to transmit emotions and should be interpreted together with tone, words, gestures, and the context of the conversation.
According to the Spanish portal Okdiario, cited by the article, factors such as personality, emotions, family environment, and habits acquired throughout life can help explain this way of communicating. Whoever grew up in a large family or in a naturally noisy environment may have learned to increase volume simply to be heard, and over time this behavior becomes natural. Some people may not even be aware that they are speaking more loudly, considering that they are using a perfectly normal tone.
The voice changes according to what one is feeling, and when emotional activation increases, changes also occur in rhythm, intensity, and tone. Joy, enthusiasm, surprise, or nervousness can naturally make a person increase volume. A study with 871 school-age children found a positive association between voice intensity and extraversion, although this type of relationship doesn't allow conclusions about someone's personality just by the way they speak.
Context is fundamental to understanding the difference between raising one's voice expressively and using one's voice to intimidate. If the increase in volume is accompanied by threats, insults, or humiliation, the context changes completely. Psychology shows that before concluding that someone who speaks very loudly is angry or being rude, it's worth observing the entire situation, as the explanation may lie in emotions, personality, acquired habits, or simply the way that person learned to communicate.
