Social Engineering Blogs

Patti shared her insights on the sleep habits of men with

We can accurately predict in a first impression thatsomeone is wealthy from their body language. New research: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=rudeness-is-for-the-rich&page=2Howwe unknowingly reveal our socioeconomic status using nonverbal behaviorsLater,the authors coded the get-acquainted interaction for signs of engagement cues(e.g., head nods, eyebrow raises, laughter and gazes at the partner) anddisengagement cues (e.g., self-grooming, fidgeting with objects and doodling).As predicted, higher SES significantly predicted disengagement cues. Thestudents from wealthier backgrounds were more likely than their poorer cohortsto exhibit these “rude” displays of relative indifference. (Indeed, this SESeffect occurred even after controlling for participants’ gender, since womenare generally more engaged listeners than men.)

What’s more, the authors asked a group of other undergraduate students to watchthe tape and to make their best guess about the SES of the people shown on thevideo. Based only on the participants’ nonverbal behaviors in these briefvideotaped exchanges, the observers were able to make better-than-chanceestimates of the participants’ family income and even their mother’s level ofeducation, an indirect measure of SES (though they were not as accurate injudging paternal education). Kraus and Keltner conclude their report by statingthat, “SES imbues the briefest interactions, influencing both what peoplesignal nonverbally and how they are perceived.”

As for me, I think I may have inherited that same mildly disingenuousblue-collar smile as my father. Having said that, unlike my dad I’m also apecuniary numbskull, and I have a hunch these types of engagement cues mightflare up in my social behaviors every time I burn a new hole in my pocket.Inthis new column presented by Scientific American Mind magazine, research psychologist Jesse Bering of Queen’sUniversity Belfast ponders some of the more obscure aspects of everyday humanbehavior. Ever wonder why yawning is contagious, why we point with our indexfingers instead of our thumbs or whether being breastfed as an infantinfluences your sexual preferences as an adult? Get a closer look at the latestdata as “Bering in Mind” tackles these and other quirky questions about humannature. Sign up for the RSS feed and or friend Dr. Bering on Facebook andnever miss an installment again.Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional – The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at http://PattiWood.net. Also check out the body language quiz on her YouTube Channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.