From time to time people seem to want to be considerate of me by conducting their conversation in a whisper - but it’s much more disturbing to me than if they spoke normally, just very quietly. My impression is of being in a snake pit.
Does anyone actually prefer, for purposes of not being disturbed, people in the same room whispering as opposed to speaking as quietly as possibly?
Absolutely. Talking low (but in a normal tone) doesn’t do a thing. It’s harder to tune out lower frequencies than a higher whisper (at least in my opinion). If you’re across the room and whispering, I can’t hear a thing. If you’re across the room and just talking very quietly, then I can hear every word you say.
This is especially true in movie theaters. The reason whispering is commonly used is because the sound doesn’t carry nearly as much as.
It really depends on the situation. In a movie theater, if you must talk, whisper. But if I am in the breakroom at work, people on the other side of the rooms whispering is going to make me paranoid and I’ll probably (subconsiously) strain to hear what they are saying. But speaking quietly means I can hear enough of a conversation to make out the basic jist, identify it as irrelevant or none of my business, and ignore it. In a public space where talking is ok, whisper whisper whisper seems rude.