Cell Phone Study: Mind if I talk?

Jack is on vacation, so it’s up to me to carry the torch for all things geeky. This quote and link from usability guru Jakob Nielsen is about as close as I can get today:

But the problem seems to be that people pay more attention when they hear only half a conversation. It’s apparently easier to tune out the continuous drone of a complete conversation, in which two people take turns speaking, than it is to ignore a person speaking and falling silent in turns.

The writer in me (aaauugh, get it out, get it out!) assumes that half a conversation is more engaging (although not positively so) because our brain has a natural tendency for closure and we’re drawn in against our will to complete what we’re hearing.

And, as human beings, we are extremely resistant to external controls on our behavior, be they deliberate or inadvertent.

Also, people who talk on cell phones in public are fucking annoying — although that’s not specifically covered by the study.

(Come back soon, Jack…)