Beneath The Mask: The Impact of Masks on Daily Communication During a Pandemic
From June 15 2020, it became compulsory to wear face masks on public transport, shortly followed by the requirement to wear them in hospitals, shops, places of hospitality and then schools.
In order to combat the coronavirus pandemic, wearing masks has become a new reality that society has slowly become accustomed to. Masks contain and reduce the transmission of infectious droplets from a person to others, and the correct wearing of masks is important where social distancing cannot be maintained or where it is a legal requirement to do so. Wearing masks is beneficial due to some people not displaying symptoms and therefore not self-isolating.
Masks have also developed into a fashion statement and a way of conveying an aspect of identity to the outside world. Masks can be customised to be both functional and fashionable and there are countless designer masks (Burberry, Chloe, Fendi) that can be used to make a statement.
Despite their many benefits, the wearing of masks has a direct impact on perception, communication, interpersonal understanding, and relations. Masks have redefined the way we view ourselves and each other as well as the way we communicate.
They hide many nonverbal interactions and an estimated 65% to 93% of the emotional meaning of messages is conveyed nonverbally, through vocal characteristics such as rate, pitch, volume, posture, gestures, and facial expressions. Masks also muffle sounds, making it harder to hear higher-pitched voices.
Through masking facial expressions, we are also masking our emotions, which are conveyed primarily by our faces. Fear, surprise, and anger are shown by the eyes and eyebrows, and fortunately, these can still be conveyed while wearing a mask.
However, some emotions are expressed solely in the lower part of the face, such as disgust, sadness, contempt, and happiness. These emotions are therefore hidden when wearing a mask, although genuine happiness can be seen around the eyes. Being unable to read the other person’s emotions and feelings impacts our communication style and we are more reliant on their speech.
Professor Chris Frith PhD (University College London) has studied the role of facial expressions in communication and notes that everyone uses lip-reading without noticing, and the absence of this may cause misunderstandings. This creates further issues for people who struggle to read emotions or decipher tone from speech; or for those who are hearing impaired.
In this new reality of wearing masks that we find ourselves in, interactions are found to be slower, awkward, and more focused as we rely on eye contact and other nonverbal cues (such as body language and facial expressions) from the other person.
Wearing a mask removes many visual cues we receive from the speaker, such as pitch, sarcasm, and tone, creating a barrier to communication. This has an impact on our communication style and makes us more reliant on nonverbal cues to decipher meaning.
‘Social smiling’; the smiles we flash at a neighbour on the street or the cashier to let them know we are polite and approachable are also hidden as a result of mask-wearing. These tend to be ‘mouth only’ smiles and the absence of these can affect our perception of others.
How to improve communication while wearing a mask:
Adapt your communication style and rephrase sentences to convey meaning if you are not understood.
Speak slower and use images to support understanding.
Remember to engage with eye contact, hand gestures and positive body language
Think about wearing masks with transparent windows or visors as an alternative to enable lip reading.
Eyebrows can also be used in an exaggerated way to convey meaning or expression to the other person
Try to smile with your eyes when you can.