Zoom calls have become an essential part of work teams After the epidemic, but it is also intended for job interviews or important meetings.
And the type of background that is chosen during those calls It can affect cognition Of others about the type of person on the other side of the screen, according to New study. Researchers at Durham University in the UK wondered how the way we interact online affects the first impressions and prejudices we form.
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To conduct the study, 72 photographs of 36 adults were used from a database, each with a happy or neutral expression. Several virtual backgrounds were superimposed on these images as if they came from Zoom calls “to resemble the video call experience.”
6 different boxes were selected For study, such as the living room at home, a room without much furniture, a bookcase, some plants, a blank and rude wall in front of an iceberg, are some of the interesting backgrounds that the platform offers.
Subsequently, 167 participants, between the ages of 19 and 68, were asked to fill out an online questionnaire. Determine the degree of confidence and competence That the people in each photo inspired them.
“People who had plants or shelves with books in their background were systematically classified as LMost trustworthy and most efficientUnlike homemade and “fun” boxes, which received lower ratings for reliability and efficiency, the study authors say.
Paddy Ross, director of the research and a professor at the same university, told CNN he was “surprised by the strength” of the responses.
In this sense, the study concludes that:Choosing a background during a video call can make a difference in trust levels What the person conveys: If you have plants or books, you may appear more trustworthy; Conversely, if a blank wall or blurred view of the background appears, it attracts less trust.
“Not everyone has a home office, but there’s still something about it that still feels unserious,” Ross continued, adding that the wallpapers “look like a new business suit” that you’ve carefully chosen to wear.
But of course, video calls are not static. There are other factorsAccording to the study, this affects whether a person conveys more or less confidence or competence. “We’ve found that smiling in general makes you appear more trustworthy and competent, whatever the background.”
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But that’s not all, the results also showed that Women inspire more confidence. “Female faces also received higher levels of positive evaluation, regardless of the background they used.”
The researchers want to continue the experiment, now with real videos recorded on Zoom of people in an interview, changing the background and asking people not just about first impressions, but about other, more important decisions.
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