Ever wonder why overhearing a cellphone conversation is so annoying? Researchers at Cornell University think they have found the answer.
Whether it is in the office, on a train or in a car, only half of the conversation is overheard — which drains more attention and concentration than when overhearing two people talking.
“We have less control to move away our attention from half a conversation — or halfalogue — than when listening to a dialogue,” said Lauren Eberson, a co-author of the study, which will be published in the journal Psychological Science.
“Since halfalogues really are more distracting and you can’t tune them out, this could explain why people are irritated.”
Eberson said people try to make sense of snippets of conversation and predict what speakers will say next.
“When you hear half of a conversation, you get less information and you can’t predict as well,” she said.
The findings by Eberson and her co-author, Michael Goldstein, were based on studying 41 college students who did concentration exercises, like tracking moving dots, while hearing one or both parties during a cellphone conversation.