Recent analysis shows young men are increasingly adopting speech patterns associated with young women.

Recent analysis shows young men are increasingly adopting speech patterns associated with young women.

The particular talking behavior that’s been observed is the habit called ‘uptalk’, where the speaker’s pitch is raised at the end of a sentence, making statements sound like questions.

It’s also often referred to as ‘valleygirl speak’ and is most prevalent in Australia and Southern California.

The study involved the recording and observation of 23 undergraduate students.

Participants came from varied environments and differed in socio-economic status, ethnicity, and gender.

Researchers concluded that ‘uptalk’ is become more common among all young people, regardless of their background or sex.

Even though it’s becoming a norm in southern California, it’s not widely practiced in other parts of the US, which can present some communication problems.

One is that people from the Midwest, for example, hear it and immediately associate the pitch incline with ditziness or uncertainty.

Another is that the pattern is often used to convey empathy and general politeness, finer points that are likely missed by the non-initiated.

Other than knowing that ‘uptalk’ was around in the 80s, as evinced by Frank Zappa’s song “Valley Girl”, researchers aren’t sure where or when it started.