Why this class will not make you an all-knowing, infallible judge of others’ nonverbal cues

• Nonverbal cues can be perceived and interpreted, but not “read.”– The term body “language” is

misleading.– Nonverbal communication is not

a language.– Nonverbal communication has

no grammar, no syntax.• If you could read a person like

a book:– No one could successfully lie to

another person.– Poker players couldn’t bluff.– Undercover cops would be

exposed.– Relationships would be

damaged.

• There is no one-to-one correspondence between a specific nonverbal cue and its meaning.– direct eye contact could

signal attraction or hostility.

• Nonverbal behavior is highly idiosyncratic– It varies greatly from

person to person.

• 93% of the meaning or impact is communicated nonverbally (Mehrabian & Ferris, 1967; Mehrabian & Weiner, 1967)

• “No more than 30 to 35 percent of the social meaning of a conversation or interaction is carried by words” (Birdwhistle, 1970, p. 158)

• Mehrabian (1972, 1981) the face conveys 55% of the emotional meaning of a message, vocal cues convey 38%, as little as 7% is communicated verbally.

• The exact percentage is an unknowable statistic.

• If you watched a film in a foreign language would you understand 93% of it?

• If police were investigating a crime, and the only witness were a mime, would they obtain 93% of the information they needed?

• If you watched a stand-up comedian while wearing earplugs, would she/he be just as funny?

• We can’t hide our true feelings.– Nonverbal communication is

reflexive.• People can’t help but leak

nonverbal cues.– People give off “natural

signs” about what they are thinking and feeling.

• Nonverbal communication is more trustworthy, believable.

• Nonverbal communication is a powerful medium.

• The majority of the emotional or affective meaning is carried via the nonverbal channel.

• When there is a contradiction between verbal and nonverbal cues, people tend to assign more weight to the nonverbal message.

• Nonverbal cues convey generalized feelings and mood states.– mad, angry, upset,

frustrated• Words provide more

subtle, nuanced expressions of feeling.– furious, peeved, irate,

livid, outraged, riled up, in a huff, pissed off, ticked off, infuriated, miffed

• Nonverbal communication often operates at a low level of awareness– Or even unconsciously

• Nonverbal behavior can also be highly conscious and strategic– fake laughter– feigning interest– crocodile tears– fake orgasm

• Most people consider themselves good judges of emotion.– Self-serving bias– Confirmation bias

• A person’s expressive repertoire can be used deceptively.

People may assume that nonverbal behavior is instinctive or part of “human nature.”• Biologically innate• Evolutionarily adaptive

Charles Darwin, The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals

Universality of basic emotional expressions

1. Anger2. Disgust3. Fear4. Happiness5. Sadness6. Surprise 7. Contempt

Cross-cultural similarities do exist.

http://a3.vox.com/6a0100a7f54994000e011017abe333860e-pi

There are some cultural universals, however…

Fear and disgust are easily confused

Blended facial expressions are more culture-bound• Sarcastic smile, smirk, smug

look Cultural displays rules

moderate emotional displays

Example: When people sit, where should their legs and feet go?

Gender differences

Cultural differences

1. Slight sadness2. Disgust3. Slight enjoyment4. Slight or highly

controlled anger5. Slight or highly

controlled fear6. Masked anger7. Fear or surprise8. Contempt, smug,

or disdainful9. Worry,

apprehension, controlled fear

Movies and TV shows perpetuate this myth• Lie To Me• Casino Royale

Cops vastly overestimate their deception detection skills

Jurors overestimate their deception detection skills

Laypersons believe liars leak cues to deception via:• Gaze avoidance• Postural shifting• Response latency

On average, people are about 54% accurate in detecting deception.

Cops fare no better than college students

The three most common “signs” are false correlates of deception.

Liars do not necessarily look up and to the left• NLP is unreliable