When we have a conversation with someone, we’re all keenly aware of what they’re saying. We may not immediately realize it, but we’re also highly sensitive to how they’re saying it. In this series, we’ll explore how the way that we speak—intonation, pitch, volume, and even pauses—can give what we say different meanings, create emphasis, or convey attitudes and emotions.
By listening to how things are said in addition to what is said, we at inVibe ensure that our insights accurately convey respondents’ intended meanings.
When a Question Is More Than a Question
In writing, we use one punctuation mark “?” to indicate that we’re asking a question. When we speak, we don’t have punctuation marks in the air to help us interpret things, so we have to use something else. For most dialects of English, that something else is a slight increase in pitch at the end of a sentence. This small change to the melody of a sentence allows listeners to understand that the speaker is asking a question rather than stating something. It’s also what allows us to understand what kind of question is being asked and how we should respond.
Bringing it back healthcare research, imagine that an HCP is reacting to new data released at a conference, and they ask “What will this treatment do for me?” Without access to their tone of voice, there is no way to know what the intent of their question this is.
Let’s focus on just two possible ways to interpret the HCP’s question and how each of these sound:
- Information-seeking: Truly wondering what the treatment will provide them. English-speakers indicate a sincere question by ending the sentence with a rising intonation.
- Rhetorical: Asking for effect, not to obtain information. English-speakers indicate a rhetorical question by ending the sentence with a flat or falling intonation.
Though these differences in intonation are small when measured, these spoken cues allow us to hear the different intents behind them. Listening helps our analysts ensure that we translate the content and intent of HCP reactions into accurate insights for our clients.
Adding Value to Value Judgments
Another way that our intonation changes meaning is when we evaluate something. By putting more emphasis on a word, we can convey a range of attitudes from confidence to interest, excitement, surprise, doubt, or displeasure.
Applying it to the patient voices we listen to everyday, imagine that we ask a patient to describe their experience in a clinical trial, and they tell us “It was just great.” How do we know whether it was a positive experience or they’re being sarcastic?
- Positive: Sincerely means that it truly was great and that they feel positive and enthusiastic about the trial. English-speakers indicate positivity by putting emphasis on evaluative words like “great” using a higher pitch.
- Negative: Conveys a negative or critical attitude towards the trial. English-speakers indicate sarcasm by speaking slower and with a lower pitch, what we might call a monotone or dead-pan delivery.
These changes are enough to indicate to a listener whether a speaker is being sincere or not. Listening allows us to reliably discern intended meanings, which ensures our insights are accurate and our recommendations more generalizable.
Listening as a Standard
By expanding our analyses beyond what is said to how it sounds, our trained linguists offer a unique ability to understand HCPs’ and patients’ beliefs, attitudes, and intended meanings. That’s why inVibe’s trained linguists listen to every response to every question.
Contact us to learn more about how our listening team can help you to accomplish your business objectives!
