IM Roadmap

I found an article today on the use of functional MRIs (fMRI) to determine if patients in a persistent vegetative state were actually conscious or not.  The experiments show that a small, but meaningful number were.  Aside from the profound medical and ethical questions it raises, it also highlights the amazing power of fMRI technology.

Which reminded me of any idea I had a few years ago for a psychology experiment I’d like to figure out how to conduct, perhaps using fMRI.  Previous research has shown the drivers are more distracted when holding a conversation on a cell phone.  I’ll have to dig up the articles, but I believe it’s been scientifically proven in simulators several times.  Cell phones have been shown to be more distracting than silence, than the car radio, and even more distracting than holding a conversation with a passenger.   In some cases it’s proven to cause impairment equal to or worse than drunkenness.  Well-intentioned but misguided legislation has been put on the books in many states and municipalities to require the use of hands-free devices, etc.  But more recent research shows it’s not having any effect.

So, why?  Why are hands-free devices not working?  And why are drivers more distracted when talking on the cell phone, especially compared to conversations with a passenger.  My hypothesis:  While in the conversation, the driver’s mind is subconsciously or unconsciously trying to simulate the non-verbal communications signals of the other person. Various estimates suggest that nonverbal communications (ie, body language) comprise 55%-85% of total person-to-person communications (alternatively, “…non-verbal cues had 4.3 times the effect of verbal cues.”).  So, if the brain is expecting to see the other person shrug or not, but not seeing it, it tries to recreate it on the fly.  Basically, your brain is trying to guess the other person’s body language.  It does this to help you hold up your end of the conversation.

Simulation isn’t happening (or isn’t happening as much) in conversations with passengers because you can glance over to them, or see them out of the corner of your eye.  Simulation isn’t happening (or not as much) when listening to the radio because you don’t need to say anything back – there’s no social consequence to you if you mis-guess their body language.

I’ve wanted to write this down for a while, so glad I finally did.  This is actually relevant to collaboration technologies, as you can imagine technologies which can infer, transmit or perhaps even enhance non-verbal and par- lingual language cues in a collaboration context.  After all – why do so many people prefer video conferencing over telephone, email or real-time chat?  Because they think they are having a richer conversation.   They are getting the 55+% of the message that isn’t expressed in words.

Cheers,
Eric

Technorati Tags: driving distracted, fMRI, nonverbal communications, Video Conferencing