Seeing Is Believing: Communication Performance under Isotropic Teleconferencing Conditions
Abstract
The visual component of conversational media such as video-conferencing systems communicates important non-verbal information such as facial expressions, gestures, posture and gaze. Unlike the other cues, selective gaze depends critically on the configuration of cameras and monitors. Under isotropic video conferencing conditions people see each other in spatially consistent directions (shared video space). Isotropy is hypothesized to improve the interactional process of conversation and the outcome of discussion tasks compared to non-isotropic conditions. We have studied the interactional process and task outcome of a variety of discussion tasks under isotropic and (standard) non-isotropic video-conferencing conditions relative to face-to-face conditions. The communication of unshared information was tested in a murder-solving task called 'The Case of the Fallen Businessman'. Dominance and persuasive force were revealed using a prioritization game of survival items called 'Lost at the moon', featuring a dominant actor. Further, we quantified emotional behavior and the trade-off between individual and group benefits in a 'prisoner's dilemma'-like management game. The results support our hypotheses and have revealed that persuasive force (the ability to change another person's opinion) is significantly stronger under isotropic conditions (including face-to-face) than under non-isotropic conditions. In contrast, dominance (the ability to influence group solutions by dominant behavior) is similar for all conditions. Further, participants communicate almost twice as much unshared information and value group benefit far more under mediated conditions than under the face-to-face condition.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 23, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA332488
Entities
People
- E. R. Spoelma
- J. M. Schraagen
- P. A. Punte
- P. J. Werkhoven