Hand signals help overcome Zoom fatigue in online meetings

Video Meeting Signal - Demonstration of the hand signal for 'I hear for you/feel your emotion/send you kindness' Using hand signals can help overcome the psychological issues linked to online meetings and increase social connection, according to a new study led by UCL researchers. The team conducted a randomised control trial with more than 100 students, training one group to use hand signals including gestures such as waving to take a turn to speak, and raising a hand to show empathy. After the lockdowns triggered a transition to online meetings for many, the researchers were seeking to develop a better way to maintain the benefits of video calls while avoiding downsides that can include fatigue and feelings of social exclusion. The new study, now published in PLOS One and also involving the University of Exeter, found that participants who used a particular set of gestures to engage and express reactions felt closer to their group, interacted with each other better, and thought that they had learnt more than those who did not. A second larger study (with 137 participants) replicated these results, and also showed that using response buttons or emojis did not have the same positive effect as hand gestures, and in some aspects, made users' experience worse. Lead author Professor Daniel Richardson (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) said: "Because you can't make eye contact or pick up on subtle nods, gestures and murmurs of agreement or dissent in video conferences, it can be hard to know if people are engaged with what you're saying.