A new study conducted by Yale University provided some unexpected findings. It discovered that the quality of microphones used in video conferences has a big effect on how people perceive a speaker’s intelligence, credibility, and desirability. A team of UCSF scientists led by Robert Walter-Terrill, a UCSF Ph.D. candidate in psychology, completed this novel research. Most importantly, it underscores the importance of audio quality in all professional environments. That last finding, released in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is perhaps the most important one. People need to start treating microphone quality as an essential part of their digital communications toolbox.
Their work included six rigorously controlled experiments in which the participants had to listen to recordings of short speech sounds. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. One of these groups experienced all recordings in high-quality audio, while the other group experienced recordings in high-distortion audio converted to simulate the ‘tinny’, metallic sound of low-quality microphones. These results reveal that audio distortions have the potential to produce damaging implications. This is an important point for all job seekers and working professionals who are coming into the age of video calls.
Insights from Yale University
That study was led by Yale University, with strong participation from University of British Columbia researchers. PhD student Robert Walter-Terrill led the investigation, with close support from senior author Brian Scholl, a professor of psychology at Yale. Co-author Joan Danielle K. Ongchoco, now an assistant professor at UBC, was instrumental in this work.
The idea for this research was seeded in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent faculty meeting that Brian Scholl attended over Zoom proved to be the catalyst for his concept. In reflecting on the experience, Scholl indicated how important audio quality is for making speakers more relatable and reducing the disconnect.
"Now that videoconferencing has become so ubiquitous, we wondered how the sounds of people's voices might be influencing others' impressions, beyond the actual words they speak," said Scholl.
This curiosity led to a series of experiments aimed at understanding the broader implications of sound quality in digital communications.
Experimental Findings
With every experiment the researchers had tested, the results heavily supported that bad audio takes a toll on listeners’ impressions. The report concluded that those tinny or hollow sounds usually result from low-quality microphones. This kind of sound can negatively impact people’s impressions of a speaker’s competence and trustworthiness.
"Every experiment we conducted showed that a familiar tinny or hollow sound associated with a poor-quality microphone negatively affects people's impressions of a speaker—independent of the message conveyed," stated Scholl.
As with any type of video communications, clear, high-quality audio is key. This is particularly true in workplace and institutional contexts, as these findings underscore.
Implications for Professional Settings
The study's findings have significant implications for those who frequently engage in video conferencing, such as job seekers and professionals. The research suggests that individuals should prioritize testing their microphone quality before important meetings or interviews to ensure they make positive impressions.
"During videoconferencing, of course, you know how you look, since you can see yourself too," added Walter-Terrill.
He said that we need to remember that audio quality is important. It extends beyond formatting and visual impact or even just affecting how the content is delivered.
The research additionally points out the broader social harms of video calling with low-quality microphones. Video conferencing has become a ubiquitous tool for professional interactions. That’s why it’s even more important to understand how technical factors, like microphone quality, can affect interactions.