EDMONTON -- A researcher at the University of Alberta has launched a new study to examine whether the COVID-19 pandemic is making people better communicators.
Speech language pathologist Dr. Andrea MacLeod wants to find out how communicating through phone, text, email and video chatting is impacting the health and well-being of individuals, and if the physical distancing requirements are encouraging people to communicate more.
“We want to know which tools people are using to communicate (telephone, video chats, texting), which languages they are using, how satisfied they are with these interactions and how they are coping,” said MacLeod.
“I’ve observed that we are also reaching out more to one another to check in, to find comfort and to reassure one another.”
She hopes to find out which types of communication strategies are most helpful to which type of person.
“We want to better understand the nuances of communication and language. The tools and context matter more than we think. Strategies that work with grandparents may not work with siblings or friends,” she explained.
The survey is anonymous, and can be completed online. MacLeod intends to keep it open until the end of May.
