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How does body language effect the interaction at the Big Brother House?

Body Language at the Big Brother House.

How does body language effect the interaction at the Big Brother House?

Space invasion, proxemics Body Language Expert Patti Wood MA, CSP Author of SNAP Making the Most of First Impressions Body Language and Charisma.

WHY ARE WE SO UNCOMFORTABLE BEING CLOSE UP WITH STRANGERS?

In forced close distances, get intense at 2 feet.  When a stranger comes closer than two feet or less our bodies go into stranger danger stress response. You have heard of Flight Fight response, well when a stranger gets to close the limbic brain goes into a stress response and the brain releases cortisol. You may Freeze in place, Flee for safety, Fight, perhaps expand and get big to show don’t mess with me. (Arm’s length, our bodies go into a “Stanger Danger” stress response. You have heard of the flight fight response it’s more complex. Close strangers may make you want to freeze in place, flee, expand into fight response, faint or fade.) 

HOW CLOSE CAN WE GET TO ANOTHER PERSON? 

In Europe and North America our sense of self is external so we have a body bubble wall that extends out from our body 18 inches. 

THERE’S A CERTAIN DISTANCE WE ARE ALL GENERALLY COMFORTABLE WITH.

Intimate relationships 0 to 18 inches, for people we know but aren’t going to be kissing 2 feet is what is called personal distance. If we don’t know them and are confined we ideally want 4 feet or more (Think two arm lengths.) The interesting thing about the Big Brother house is it forces people into intimate distance space interactions_(0-18 inches) and social distance space one and a half to two feet) We normally would create a relationship then reduce the distance in this case the space requires us to reframe our relationships. It can make some people get belligerent and stay in attack and defend mode and others form close relationships very quickly.

WHY DO WE FEEL WE SHOLDN’T TALK TO STRANGERS IN CLOSE SPACES BUT SOMETIMES WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO?

Social proxemics typically when you have an intimate relationship think friend or family, both your primitive limbic brain and social rules say you can and should be physically close.  If you are forced to be close with a stranger you are battling the physical messages that say this is scary and the social etiquette that says, I should be nice, after all we close.

OVERALL: ANY GENERAL WORDS OF ADVICE OR TIPS TO MAKE CLOSE SPACES WITH STRANGERS LESS AWKWARD, AND MORE COMFORTABLE?

There is a tool I call, “establishing commonality” so you’re in the situation together. So say to them simple things you have in common like the weather outside, the temperature, the background music, so you feel a connection that makes you like each other. Yes there is a reason we talk about the weather finding out something you have in common with a stranger reduces your stress, it makes you feel like you are from the same tribe that you are in it together. By the way, you may establish commonality with some members in the house by forming an alliance against someone else!



Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.