Background with bookshelves and plants increases trust during online calls – study
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A background with bookshelves or plants during video calls makes the best impression on others.
The Gurdian writes about this with reference to researchers from the Faculty of Psychology at Durham University.
Scientists say that original changes in the interior are unnecessary, because in this case people are less likely to consider you reliable or competent.
More than 160 people participated in the study. They evaluated a selection of images of people on different virtual backgrounds and with different facial expressions.
| Photo: journals.plos.org |
So they found out that a new background – for example, with a walrus in front of an iceberg, or just in the living room, reduces the perception of trust.
It was also noticed that gender played a significant role. Women were more likely to receive high scores for trustworthiness and competence – regardless of background. A happy facial expression also influenced a high score.
72 photos of 18 men and women were collected for the study. They could smile or have a familiar facial expression. Then they were superimposed on 6 different backgrounds:
- living room;
- blurred living room;
- bookcase;
- indoor plants on the closet;
- blank wall;
- a walrus in front of an iceberg.
The photos were then framed to look like Zoom screenshots.
Durham University Associate Professor Paddy Ross said that in a world changed by COVID, first impressions should be taken care of. And not only about your appearance, but also your background.
“If you can sit in front of a bookcase or houseplants, we’ve found those to be the best for ratings of trustworthiness and competence in a person. Try to avoid the novelty of the background or your living space behind you. We’ve found those to be the worst for trustworthiness and confidence ratings. Blurred backgrounds are fine, but if you can show plants or bookcases, that’s the best first impression of credibility and competence.”the scientist added.
The study is published in full in the scientific journal Plos One.
Earlier we talked about the best services for distance education.
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