Psychological Effects of Using Facial Masks in Classrooms

Kryzsko Commons Ballroom, Winona, Minnesota

Outline: Since 2020, when the global pandemic started, people all around the world have had to adapt to new ways of life. One of the most obvious changes that has come from the pandemic is the use of face masks. This experimental study examines the ways in which face masks help or hinder communication and relationship building in a classroom setting. Path of Research: Previous research done by Emily Lee, Kayla Cormier and Anu Sharma in a hospital setting showed that masked communication requires more intense listening which leads to a disinterest in interpersonal communication. In a study conducted by Danial Campagne it is suggested that health care workers adopt the use of transparent masks because face covering negatively impact communication. Study Aims: The goal of this study is to examine the differences between masked communication and non-masked communication and to fill a research gap on the impacts of wearing masks in an educational setting. Study Design: This experimental research study will involve a blinded, speaker. All the speaker knows is that he or she will present a short reading to one sociology class with a mask on, and to another similar class without a mask on. The reading will be the same for both classes. Upon completion of the reading, a survey containing Likert-type scales and questions pertaining to emotional reaction of the students to the two conditions (mask vs. no-mask) will be collected from the students attending the sessions in each class. The questions will aim to measure the effectiveness of the speaker (i.e., the degree to which students understood the speech) as well as the degree of emotional connection between students and speaker, as reported by the students. At present, data have not been collected but they will be fully collected and analyzed a week before the commencement of this conference.