New Phone 'Jerk-O-Meter'

[Merika]

Published: Aug 11, 2005

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Ever wonder if that spouse, friend or co-worker on the other end of the phone is really paying attention? The "Jerk-O-Meter" may hold the answer.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing software for cell phones that would analyze speech patterns and voice tones to rate people - on a scale of 0 to 100 percent - on how engaged they are in a conversation.

Anmol Madan, who led the project while he pursued a master's degree at MIT, sees the Jerk-O-Meter as a tool for improving relationships, not ending them. Or it might assist telephone sales and marketing efforts.

"Think of a situation where you could actually prevent an argument," he said. "Just having this device can make people more attentive because they know they're being monitored."

The program, which Madan said is nearing completion, uses mathematical algorithms to measure levels of stress and empathy in a person's voice. It also keeps track of how often someone is speaking.

"It's an academically proven thing," Madan said of the math behind those measurements. "There are a bunch of academic papers published about this."

For now, the Jerk-O-Meter is set up to monitor the user's end of the conversation. If his attention is straying, a message pops up on the phone that warns, "Don't be a jerk!" or "Be a little nicer now." A score closer to 100 percent would prompt, "Wow, you're a smooth talker."

However, the Jerk-O-Meter also could be set up to test the voice on the other end of the line. Then it could send the tester such reports as: "This person is acting like a jerk. Do you want to hang up?"

To test the program, Madan and his MIT colleagues recruited 10 men and 10 women - all strangers to each other - and brought them into the lab. The researchers paired off the test subjects, with men only talking to men and women only talking to women, and monitored 200 three-minute conversations about randomly selected topics.

After each conversation, the subjects were asked to rate their level of interest on a scale of one to 10. By measuring the speaking style each person had used in the conversation, Madan was able to predict what score they would give roughly 80 percent of the time

Rest of the story: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBLWKVC9CE.html
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Would you want one??

[Luba]

No, I wouldn't want one because I don't like talking on the phone anyway! I'd much rather post here and now that I've been shown how to PM, I'm happier than a pig in poo!!

[hezekiah]

assuming the tonal quality of your voice is in response to the person with whom you're talking isn't always correct.
you could just be tired and sound like a jerk.

[Merika]

I don't know if I've ever been a jerk...but if someone calls who I can't get rid of....I've been known to just hold the phone and not say anything in repsonse at all until they hang up. (I'm a ninny)