Coronavirus: Face mace masks DO make it harder to talk to people, survey reveals
The trouble with face masks: Protective coverings DO make it harder to talk to people and can lead to feelings of stress and isolation, survey reveals
- Research from the University of Manchester quizzed 460 people in June and July
- They were asked about how they felt wearing a mask affected conversation
- Impact is more severe on people who are hard of hearing as the mask removes the ability to read lips, pick up on facial expressions and muffles sound
Wearing a face mask is effective at stopping the spread of coronavirus, but has a negative impact on our ability to communicate, according to a new survey.
Research from the University of Manchester found wearing a covering makes lip-reading impossible; obscures a lot of non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions; and muffles sound.
A total of 460 people were quizzed and 46 per cent said wearing a mask did alter communication, with a further 25 per cent saying it may have done.
The impact of wearing a mask on communication is worse for people with hearing problems, the study warns, and can lead to anxiety, stress and embarrassment.
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Research from the University of Manchester found wearing a covering makes lip-reading impossible; removes non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions; and muffles sound (stock)
Researchers published the study in the International Journal of Audiology and it reports data from an online survey done in June and July.
At this time, the UK Government had not mandated the wearing of face masks in shops but face masks were becoming increasingly common.
Almost two-thirds (62 per cent) say they had been in a situation of wearing a mask while trying to communicate.
Of these, 60 per cent said they were forced to communicate differently than they would have done in a mask-free world before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The result of this hindered ability to talk freely has had a wider reaching impact than frustrating shoppers, the authors state.
A total of 460 people were quizzed and 46 per cent said wearing a mask did alter communication, with a further 25 per cent saying it may have done. The impact of wearing a mask on communication is worse for deaf people, the study warns (stock)
Principle Investigator Dr Gabrielle Saunders, a Senior Research Fellow at The University of Manchester, said: ‘Though it is deeply important for the public to continue to wear face coverings, for our respondents, they had a profound impact on not only how we communicate, but on how connected we feel with someone, and how willing we are to engage in conversation.
‘The face coverings increased anxiety and stress, and made communication fatiguing, frustrating and embarrassing – both as a speaker wearing a face covering, and when listening to someone else who is wearing one.’
The issues affected everybody, but individuals with hearing loss are hit harder by the need to cover their face.
Transparent face coverings are a potential solution, the researchers say, but current models pose their own issues, with them often blocking sound more and also steaming up.
Over time, the researchers hope some of the problems, such as feeling socially awkward and embarrassed, will diminish as face coverings become commonplace.
Dr Saunders added: ‘Already many individuals said they used gestures, facial expressions and their eyes to enhance communication when they were wearing a face covering.
‘This perhaps suggests with guidance and instruction, non-verbal cues might help us to improve the way we communicate while wearing a mask.
‘But there is no doubt these findings represent a call to action to acousticians and industrial designers to develop communication-friendly face coverings, to healthcare providers to ensure they address the communication needs of their patients, and to the public to use good communication tactics.’
