Why we see red over mobile calls

The reason we find others' mobile phone conversations so irritating could be down to curiosity, a new study has found. The volume of the call and its subject matter also play a part in making people see red.

But what really drives millions of Britons mad is, simply, they normally hear only one side of the conversation, according to researchers at York University. 'Conversations only work if there is a general agreement.

'There is a need to understand what is said and to talk back,' said Prof Andrew Monk. 'What other people are saying triggers language use and subconsciously you want to answer.' His team exposed 64 people, waiting for a bus or on a train, to a staged discussion - half on mobiles and half face-to-face - at different volumes. In all cases, the phone conversations annoyed volunteers more. Prof Monk said mobile speakerphones might lessen irritation.