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More than face-to-face: empathy effects of video framing

Published: 04 April 2009 Publication History

Abstract

Video conferencing attempts to convey subtle cues of face-to-face interaction (F2F), but it is generally believed to be less effective than F2F. We argue that careful design based on an understanding of non-verbal communication can mitigate these differences. In this paper, we study the effects of video image framing in one-on-one meetings on empathy formation. We alter the video image by framing the display such that, in one condition, only the head is visible while, in the other condition, the entire upper body is visible. We include a F2F control case. We used two measures of dyad empathy and found a significant difference between head-only framing and both upper-body framing and F2F, but no significant difference between upper-body framing and F2F.
Based on these and earlier results, we present some design heuristics for video conferencing systems. We revisit earlier negative experimental results on video systems in the light of these new experiments. We conclude that for systems that preserve both gaze and upper-body cues, there is no evidence of deficit in communication effectiveness compared to face-to-face meetings.

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    cover image ACM Conferences
    CHI '09: Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
    April 2009
    2426 pages
    ISBN:9781605582467
    DOI:10.1145/1518701
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    Published: 04 April 2009

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    Author Tags

    1. empathy
    2. oneness
    3. video conferencing

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    • (2024)Nonverbal Dynamics in Dyadic Videoconferencing Interaction: The Role of Video Resolution and Conversational QualityProceedings of the 26th International Conference on Multimodal Interaction10.1145/3678957.3685733(387-396)Online publication date: 4-Nov-2024
    • (2024)The Tipping Points of Video Conferencing SolutionsJournal of Computer Information Systems10.1080/08874417.2024.2420769(1-14)Online publication date: 29-Oct-2024
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    • (2023)Therapist and client perceptions of empathy in simulated teletherapy sessionsBehaviour & Information Technology10.1080/0144929X.2023.221463643:7(1471-1486)Online publication date: 26-May-2023
    • (2023)A Preliminary Study on Eye Contact Framework Toward Improving Gaze Awareness in Video ConferencesHuman-Computer Interaction10.1007/978-3-031-35596-7_31(484-498)Online publication date: 9-Jul-2023
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