I bet all of you have been yelled at and scolded before, right? Well, let's say the person yelling at you has a blank face and is saying everything in monotone. Do you think you would take that person seriously? Would you cry or get upset because you are being yelled at?
No? Why is there a difference between being yelled at in a monotone voice versus being yelled at in an angry tone?
Well, there's this article talking about how you might get a better read on someone's feelings if you shut your eyes and open your ears. In this study they did, they had people interact or watch others interact. Sometimes they could only hear what was happening, other times they could only see, and sometimes they got both. Funny thing is, the folks who were just listening usually did a better job figuring out how people were feeling. Except when they were listening to those computer voices, which was a total flop. This research is hinting at the idea that maybe we're putting too much stock in looking at people's faces to figure out what they're feeling. Instead, really listening to how someone's talking might be the way to go. The writer thinks this is because we're pretty good at using our faces to hide how we're really feeling and doing two things at once (like watching and listening) can make it harder to understand what's going on. The big message from the study is - don't forget to listen! Really tuning into what someone's saying and how they're saying it could give us a better understanding of what's up, whether we're at work or just hanging out with friends.
The tone in what we write and what we verbally say is similar. Tones can completely change how your readers perceive what you're saying. If you get the tone right, you can really connect with them and earn their trust. But if you miss the mark, it can deter them and make you seem less reliable.
There are many tones you can use, depending on what you're writing and who you're writing for. Here are some examples:
An example would be Grammarly. When using Grammarly, there is a feature where the app can detect your tone based on the words you use. Just like we do when we're talking to people, we change our tone depending on who we're talking to and what we're discussing. For instance, we'd be formal if we're talking to our boss, relaxed when we're with our friends, or caring when someone's upset. Grammarly detects these words and helps writers match their tone to the situation and the audience they're writing for. So, in real life, we can figure out how someone's feeling from their tone of voice, we pick up on their choice of words, the way they say it, and their overall vibe.
Getting the emotions from someone's voice is a big part of conversations and hanging out. For people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this can be a tougher for them. We're not exactly sure why - maybe they find it tricky to catch the ups and downs in how people speak, or maybe it's more about getting the hang of social cues. From a young age, individuals learn to adjust their behavior based on the emotions they hear in other people's voices. For people with ASD, trouble with basic sensory skills might make it harder for them to pick up on these cues, which could then affect their ability to understand emotions and even recognize voices. Some research shows that even though people with ASD can hear if someone's voice is high or low, they still find it hard to pick up on the feels in their voice. This points to the idea that it's less about hearing and more about decoding social situations. But, recent findings make us think that they might actually have a hard time hearing the pitch changes in voices. So, to dig into this, researchers did an experiment . They compared how well people with and without ASD can pick up on the mood in voices and notice changes in pitch. They also checked out how good they are at telling voices apart. This can shed some light on how people with ASD deal with sounds and emotions.
The study found a connection between how well people can understand emotions in voices and how good they are at catching the pitch in those same voices. They stumbled upon three pretty cool things. First off, for most of us, being good at understanding emotions in voices goes hand in hand with being good at hearing pitch changes in those voices. But for people with high-functioning ASD, that link isn't as strong. Though, it's worth mentioning that the difference between the two groups wasn't jaw-dropping. Secondly, adults with ASD didn't do as well as the other group when it came to recognizing emotions in voices and hearing pitch changes. But when it came to hearing pitch changes in sounds that weren't voices or identifying different voice qualities, there wasn't much difference between the two groups. Lastly, people who aren't as good at picking up on emotions in voices tend to show more traits that are usually linked to autism spectrum disorders. And it looked like people with ASD who struggled more with picking up on emotions in voices also had more severe symptoms.
understanding emotions in voices plays a significant role in human interaction, as demonstrated by the study's findings. When someone communicates with a blank face and a monotone voice, it becomes challenging to gauge their true emotions accurately. This underscores the importance of tone in conveying emotions effectively. Just as in written communication, where the tone can influence how the message is perceived, the tone of voice in verbal communication also plays a crucial role in conveying emotions. The study suggests that focusing on listening rather than solely relying on visual cues can enhance understanding of emotions. By tuning into the nuances of how someone speaks, including their tone, pitch, and overall delivery, individuals can gain deeper insights into their emotional state. This finding aligns with the broader understanding that verbal cues, particularly tone of voice, provide valuable information about a person's feelings. Moreover, the study sheds light on how individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may experience challenges in interpreting emotions conveyed through voices. While typically developing individuals tend to link their ability to understand emotions in voices with their proficiency in hearing pitch changes, this association appears weaker in individuals with high-functioning ASD. This emphasizes the need for further research and support tailored to individuals with ASD to improve their understanding of emotions in social interactions. Ultimately, recognizing the significance of tone in both verbal and written communication can enhance interpersonal connections and foster better understanding in various social contexts.