This is Scientific Americans 60 Second Science. I'm Erica Barris. Got a minute?

Watch your tone because it turns out it really isn't what you say. It's how you say it, at least when it comes to

couples and couples counseling. That's according to a study in proceedings of

inter-speech. Researchers developed a computer algorithm to gauge relationships between spouses based on their vocal patterns.

Working with hundreds of recorded conversations from marriage therapy sessions collected over two years,

the algorithm was able to predict whether a relationship

was going to get better or worse with an accuracy of just under 80%.

How they did it?

The recordings were divided by acoustic features that used speech processing techniques to track pitch and voice warble and intensity.

These clips from the researcher's training video illustrate psychological states that characterize distressed relationships.

This one, for example, shows negative effect and reactivity, behaviors that relationship experts believe are troublesome.

I want you to just come home at a more reasonable time, rather than walking in the door at 11.

I just don't think you understand how much I have to do, like what my work entails.

What is there to understand?

The counseling sessions were also tested against behavior. But what is there to understand?

The counseling sessions were also tested against behavioral analyses with codes for positives

such as acceptance and the negatives such as blame.

Using only that more standardized research method wasn't as

predictable as listening to the vocal expressions. Now these examples are

negative as the researchers focused on distressed relationship dynamics.

One could imagine the algorithms may also work the same way when looking at positive vocal patterns.

Because even married couples sometimes say nice things to each other.

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