Subject: Re: Annoyance of cell phone use in public spaces From: Christian Kaernbach <chris(at)PSYCHOLOGIE.UNI-LEIPZIG.DE> Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2001 09:37:16 +0200Odd Torleiv, Was this to say that Lowel did not contribute anything new? I think he did. Curiosity has not been mentioned up to now. I suppose there is something in it. One would have to check whether cell phone use in a foreign language is less annoying (I have a feeling it is). -Christian "O.T.Furnes" <oddtf(at)IMT.UIO.NO> wrote: > OMard, Lowel P wrote: > > There is another reason why overhearing people using mobile > > phones are more annoying than hearing face to face conversations, > > that nobody seems to have mentioned. When overhearing a mobile > > phone conversation we can only hear one side, whereas > > eavesdropping on a face to face conversation generally gives > > us access to both. Being naturally nosey creatures it > > is of course frustrating to only hear half the conversation. > > ...Lowel. > > 7. august Michael Norris wrote: > Guesses: > (1:psychoacoustic) if there is only one voice alternating with > silence you have to keep readapting and reorienting to the voice, > - as with a noise alternating with silence it sounds louder > and you are more aware of its position relative to yourself. > (2:learned) with a 2-sided conversation we are used to the > pattern of intonation and expect an alternation of voices, so > hearing one side is unusual, therefore grabs more attention > (3:social) speech nearby after silence often signals that > someone is trying to open a conversation with you, so you have > to keep actively ignoring the social cue.