Have you ever been annoyed with the GPS system in your car? Of course you have. Have you ever gotten so annoyed with it that you felt the need to yell or even curse at it?
Stanford University’s communications professor Clifford Nass reported that BMW recalled their GPS systems. Why? Because their default voice was female. According to the angry phone calls the help desk received from infuriated German drivers, men refused to take directions from a female voice. Of course, they were actually taking directions from a machine, but that didn’t mollify their anger. BMW were forced to recall their GPS system.
Do you share their opinion? How would you describe your relationship with your GPS? Do you communicate with it or you just do what it tells you to do? Would you prefer to listen to a male voice as the German BMW drivers?
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