Solved at last: The mystery of why other people's phone conversations are so annoying

 

 

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 8:23 AM on 23rd September 2010

 

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One-way traffic: Overhearing one side of a conversation is more distracting (file picture)

 

It can reduce even the most mild-mannered commuter to a fuming, seething wreck.

But when the passenger next to you on the bus or train is chatting on their mobile phone, it seems you have good reason to be infuriated.

Scientists have discovered listening to only half of a conversation affects concentration far more than hearing both sides.

A study in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, concluded this is because our brains make more sense of a full conversation, so we can ignore it.

But a part-heard conversation is less predictable, so the brain is distracted by it.

Lauren Emberson, a psychology Ph.D. candidate at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, came up with the idea for the study when taking the bus as an undergraduate.

She said: ‘I felt like I couldn’t do anything when someone was on a phone and I started to wonder about why that could be.’

In a study conducted with experts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of California, Merced, volunteers were much worse at concentration tasks when they could only hear half of a conversation.

‘I’m a lot more sensitive about talking on the phone in public,’ Miss Emberson said.

‘It has a really profound effect on the cognition of the people around you and it’s not because they’re eavesdropping or they’re bad people.

'Their cognitive mechanism basically means they’re forced to listen.

 

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1314208/Solved-The-mystery-peoples-phone-conversations-annoying.html#ixzz10TltHVQI

I think this explains the logic behind it too.

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI3I9NTHtAQ]YouTube - Curb Your Enthusiasm Larry Talks to Himself Clip CYE[/ame]

:bigcry:

 

I thought for the first......for the very very first time Mark has made a decent thread..-.....and then there was the daily mail headline again...:bigcry:

 

to answer the question:

 

Yes, they certainly do. where's the point in calling random people on public transport just to talk about private stuff....argh it really annoys me.

 

I listened to a guy once who was obviously talking to his best mate on the phone on the train....they were talking about the girls' butts at the discoteque they went to the night before....

I Hate them, It makes me feel all nosey

Most of the conversations are completely unnecessary and pointless, anyway.:dozey:

I especially dislike it when my parents are on their cell phone. They always have the speaker part on, so everbody can hear what the other person is saying. It's so loud and annoying! :angry:

 

 

Other than that, I :heart: my parents

 

I Hate how my Dad has to Yell down the phone

I Hate how my Dad has to Yell down the phone

:lol: Same here, unfortunately :dozey:

24-09-2010, 08:03 PM

mc_squared

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24-09-2010, 08:09 PM

Dfit00

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This is amazing.

24-09-2010, 08:03 PM

mc_squared

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24-09-2010, 08:09 PM

Dfit00

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This is amazing.

Don't forget your PS3 "ignore list" too. :wink:

Yeah. Especially when I'm out with friends and they feel the need to phone/ text people all the time. I think it's very rude.

No.

Yeah. Especially when I'm out with friends and they feel the need to phone/ text people all the time. I think it's very rude.

 

I couldn't agree more. It's a bit like saying "I find your company boring and I'd rather be with someone else."

I reckon if you go out with people, everyone should have the common decency to switch off their phones, or at least make an effort not to use them other than in exceptional circumstances.;)

No. Sometimes I actually like to listen at these conversations. :wtf: And then other times, I just don't really pay attention. So no, it doesn't bother me most of the time.

Not at all,

I just try to not to listen in on them.

:bigcry:

 

I thought for the first......for the very very first time Mark has made a decent thread..-.....and then there was the daily mail headline again...:bigcry:

 

:bigcry:

 

And no, they don't bother me in the least.

i like listening to other ppl and make a whole story out of their one sided conversation:laugh3:

and if i want to i can easily block ppl out :P