Blake Yates
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Research Mentor(s): Julie Boland
Co-Presenter: Achatz, Elizabeth
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychology / LSA
Presentation Date: April 20
Presentation Type: Oral5
Session: Session 2 – 11am – 11:50am
Room: Breakout Room 4
Authors: , Blake Yates, Julie Boland, Elizabeth Achatz
Presenter: 2
Abstract
COVID-19 has been a monumental change in the way we interact with our worlds. Across the globe, people are being encouraged to mask up, vaccinate, and isolate. As a result, Zoom meetings (and alternative video calling software) have become an incredibly common way of communicating. In our lab, we have asked the question of whether or not the inevitable audio lag that occurs over the internet will make conversation less efficient. Building on two previous studies completed by this lab (regarding transition time), we theorize that audio lag may have an adverse effect on people’s abilities to synch up during the conversation, and therefore potentially harm each participant’s understanding. To test this hypothesis, we had 20 pairs of participants hold two conversations for class credit: one over Zoom and one in person. Therefore, each pairing acted as their own control. Their given goal was to draw on a map all of the landmarks which their partner had, but they did not. Then, the conversations were coded for transition times by two transcribers who were blind to the hypothesis and not involved in the experimentation phase. The results do indeed seem to show that communication via Zoom results in longer pauses between speakers and requires more repetition. This is important to keep in mind as we move forward into new variants of COVID-19. The world has taken a massive shift toward online meetings, and it is likely to stay this way for a long while. Communication is harder to comprehend and participate in this new format, so teachers, bosses, and other important communicators should be careful to ensure understanding.
Interdisciplinary, Social Sciences
