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kaberettI keep slamming into this thing where I assume that people I can hear speaking, but can't see, aren't wearing masks. This assumption is (surprisingly?) frequently incorrect.
As best I can tell, what's going on is: because I rely a lot on lip-reading to help parse speech when I can see my interlocutor, I'm used to masks meaning I "hear" less well.
Which means that if I'm not looking at the person speaking, whether or not they're wearing a mask makes approximately no difference to how well I can hear them! But I "know" that masks = poorer comprehension, ergo, because I'm hearing as well as normal, obviously! anyone I cannot see! cannot possibly be wearing a mask!
On the one hand I'm sort of delighted by the background reasoning this demonstrates. On the other, it... is definitely increasing my baseline anxiety when I can hear other people talking, especially if they might be talking to me! So that's. A thing.
As best I can tell, what's going on is: because I rely a lot on lip-reading to help parse speech when I can see my interlocutor, I'm used to masks meaning I "hear" less well.
Which means that if I'm not looking at the person speaking, whether or not they're wearing a mask makes approximately no difference to how well I can hear them! But I "know" that masks = poorer comprehension, ergo, because I'm hearing as well as normal, obviously! anyone I cannot see! cannot possibly be wearing a mask!
On the one hand I'm sort of delighted by the background reasoning this demonstrates. On the other, it... is definitely increasing my baseline anxiety when I can hear other people talking, especially if they might be talking to me! So that's. A thing.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-23 10:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-24 02:31 am (UTC)Conversely, I don't seem to be having more trouble processing other people's speech if they're masked, but I am either speaking less clearly myself when wearing one, or just think I am.
Side note: does anyone else get a stiff jaw from wearing a mask? It's not that the mask itself hurts my jaw, it's that I automatically keep my jaw's range of motion narrower than when I'm not wearing one, because if I open my mouth too wide, the mask starts riding up and I have to adjust it, and I'm trying not to adjust it once it's on. It doesn't seem to matter what kind of mask I'm using.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-24 03:51 pm (UTC)I have noticed this myself. I keep having to do jaw massage.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-24 03:08 am (UTC)I have caught myself assuming that other people can understand me less well when I am masked, lately, which may be... related. (I have definitely long known that I Hear Better When I Can See Your Face, family vidcalls > family phonecalls ANY DAY.)
(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-24 12:13 pm (UTC)...Masks are fucking me up so much, god.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-10-24 03:15 pm (UTC)If only it would not contribute to the anxiety, thanks.
(I make a conscious effort to boom more when I'm masked, so that I can be more easily understood by someone. Which isn't helpful if they lean on a lot of lip reading, but seems to do okay with people who have expected levels of hearing.)