Speech Science Forum -- Ziyun Zhang

Communication technologies have fundamentally transformed how we interact, yet persistent challenges such as poor internet connectivity continue to disrupt the quality of online communication, including information exchange, interaction, and social appraisal. However, such impacts have not yet been systematically evaluated. In this talk, I will present my PhD work investigating the multifaceted impacts of signal degradation in virtual meetings, exploring both communication performance and interpersonal neural dynamics. In the first part of my talk, I will present a series of audio-visual manipulations inspired by virtual meeting challenges, demonstrating how such distortions not only impair speech comprehension but also interestingly impact trait assessments of speakers. To further explore the social aspects of communication, I will present the second part of my research, which utilises fNIRS hyperscanning with an interactive game to reveal how communication interruptions alter neural coherence patterns between interacting individuals. This work provides critical insights into how disruptions in virtual meetings profoundly impact human communication, extending beyond understanding the information to more complex social consequences.