Effect of low frame-rate video on intelligibility of speech

Video communication is not a kind of half-way stage between traditional audio communication like the telephone, and the even more traditional face-to-face communication. It has its own characteristics, and evokes unexpected behaviour from the participants. Many studies investigate the influence that video mediation has on the process of communication. In this paper we look at a little-studied effect, on speech production. We show that when speakers can see each other on a low frame-rate video screen, they articulate more clearly than the case where they cannot see each other and are communicating only over an audio link. This is unexpected, because when speakers can see each other face-to-face, their speech is less clear. A video image encourages speech that is more clearly articulated, and this paper will argue that video images can be a distraction rather than a help. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.