The Impact of Poor Audio Quality on Perception

The quality of one’s microphone during a conference call can significantly influence how others perceive them. While this may seem intuitive, a recent study from Yale University has confirmed that individuals with subpar audio setups are more likely to face negative judgments, affecting their chances of securing a job, landing a date, or being viewed as credible.

According to a blog post about the study, the idea for the research originated with lead author Brian Scholl, a professor of psychology at Yale’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Wu Tsai Institute. During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Scholl participated in numerous conference calls, where he observed the disparity in audio quality among participants. This experience led him to investigate the bias associated with poor audio setups.

One particular incident sparked Scholl’s interest in the topic. During a meeting, he was on a call with two colleagues, one with an excellent sound setup and the other using a low-quality laptop mic. Scholl found himself agreeing with the points made by the colleague with the better mic and dismissing the ideas presented by the colleague with the poor audio quality. This prompted him to study the underlying bias.

The study, titled “Superficial auditory (dis)fluency biases higher-level social judgment,” was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers conducted six experiments, where participants listened to a short speech and made judgments about the speaker based on what they had heard. The speeches were presented through two different types of microphones: one with clear and resonant audio, and the other with tinny and poor audio quality.

The scientists controlled for various factors, including the speaker’s gender and accent, which were varied across the experiments. In one experiment, listeners were asked to make a hiring decision after hearing the speakers pitch themselves for a job. In another, participants listened to a dating profile. The blog post noted that “in one focused on credibility, participants listened to a computerized female voice with a British accent deny culpability for a traffic accident.”

The results of the study were consistent: speakers with poor audio quality were less likely to be hired, dated, or believed. These perceptions were found to be independent of the speaker’s gender and accent. As the paper stated, “As judgments from text are influenced by factors such as font fluency, judgments from speech are not only based on its content but also biased by the superficial vehicle through which it is delivered.” The authors noted that this phenomenon may become increasingly relevant as video conferencing continues to become more widespread.

Lead author Brian Scholl commented on the findings, stating, “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.” Scholl expressed concern about the implications of this bias, particularly given that the sound of one’s voice is influenced not only by their vocal anatomy but also by the technology they use.

Scholl also highlighted the challenges of identifying and addressing this issue. While it is easy to be aware of one’s appearance on a video call, many people are not attentive to how they sound when speaking through a microphone. As Scholl noted, “On a call with dozens of people, you may be the only one who doesn’t know how you sound to everyone else: you may hear yourself as rich and resonant, while everyone else hears a tinny voice.” This lack of awareness can have significant consequences, making it essential to prioritize audio quality in online interactions.