why this class will not make you an all-knowing, infallible judge of others’ nonverbal cues
TRANSCRIPT
MYTHS OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Why this class will not make you an all-knowing, infallible judge of others’ nonverbal cues
Myth 1: You can read a person like a book
The reality• 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.
What do these smiles mean?
Myth 2: 95% of the meaning is carried via the nonverbal channel• 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 reality• 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?
Myth 3: Nonverbal behavior is genuine, natural, spontaneous
• 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.
The reality• 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
The reality• 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.
Myth 4: Nonverbal cues are culturally universal
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
The 7 “universal” emotions
Cross-cultural similarities do exist.
The reality 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
Name that emotion1. 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
Myth 5: You can spot a liar based on his/her nonverbal cues
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
The reality 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