Online First Impressions Are More Negative than Face to Face First Impressions.

Some of you know one of my areas of research and one of my body language books and my most popular keynote speech is on first impressions. I do research and consult on my clients business first impression and one of the things you may not know is that online your first impression is likely to be perceived more negatively.

“If you want to make a good impression, it is critical that it is done in person,” said Jeremy Biesanz, Ph.D., of the University of British Columbia, who conducted three studies comparing the accuracy and bias of first impressions when formed under different circumstances.

The first study analyzed a series of experiments involving more than 1,000 participants who met each other through either a three-minute speed-dating style interview or by watching a video of the person.

“What we observe here is that the accuracy of impressions is the same when you meet someone face to face or simply watch a video of them,” Biesanz said. “However, impressions are much more negative when you form impressions more passively through watching videotapes.”

While people could accurately attribute certain personality traits, such as extroverted, arrogant, or sociable, to others in person or by video, the magnitude of the positive attributes was lower via video, while the negatives attributes were higher.

The researchers found similar results in two other studies, including one that compared in-person impressions to those obtained by looking at Facebook photos. The other study compared in-person meetings to simply watching someone as a passive observer. In all cases, the passive means of making impressions were as accurate as the active ones, according to the researchers.

“However, there is an extremely large difference in the positivity of impressions,” he said. “More passive impressions are substantially more negative.”

Patti Wood, MA - 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.
     

The Working Mom's Perfect Handshake

Patti shared with www.WorkingMother.com her insights on the perfect handshake.  Below is the article that her tips appeared in.  Also here is the actual link to the article:  http://www.workingmother.com/working-mom-hows-your-handshake-tips#page-2

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.
     

Patti taping Couples Therapy in LA this Friday

 Patti Wood is an expert in Nonverbal Communication. She has done extensive research on  touch and first impressions. She also analyzes body language for the media by interpreting greeting behavior and other touch interactions of world leaders, celebrities, sports stars, and even suspected criminals.

Patti will be taping Couples Therapy this Friday in LA for the next season.  She will be viewing the celebrity couples body language. 

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.

Britney Spears. Lack of Confidence Effects Your Impression During a Media Interview

Britney Spears Interview. My rough notes Britney ran the emotional gamut during the interview, which makes sense as I am sure her hormones are creating a wild ride. Overall her body language showed her to be emotional, all over the place with her answers and sad and uncertain about most of the specific things she was questioned about except for her love for her child and her husband.

However in responding to six questions she responded with an extreme pulling down of the corners of the mouth that you would think meant pure sadness but the movement is too strong to be a sign of mealy sadness , in some case for her it was actually showing uncertainty like a shrug. And when she pressed her lips it became a sign of determination to grin and bear it. She used it so often that Matt even commented on it called it a face like a little puppy. Again she was trying to put on a happy face. When asked about people calling her a name her upper face showed true sadness that combined with this inverted smile showed she was trying to mask her true sadness.

There were times when her body language showed she did not believe what she was saying for example when she said she had “no regret with anything that I have ever done. Then a quick sharp downward smile that actually showed uncertainty. When asked about the timing of the beginning of her relationship with her husband she scratched her leg showing that the question irritated her and she was irritated with herself. As he went further with that line of questioning emphasizing that her now husband had left a pregnant girlfriend and another child to be with her. As the question was being asked Britney responded by making a soar expression to show how distasteful the question was.

When Matt asked her about the rumors of divorce she replied, " That’s silly” while scratching her head, while scratching the head can mean your head itches nonverbally it indicates that the thought in your head is very irritating. This leg itch became a self comforting leg rub to make her self feel more at ease the way you would rub a teddy bear for confort. As the discussion went onto her belief in Karma and whether or not she believed her husband would leave her. In direct response to the question she replied immediately with rapid blinking to cut herself off from the thought of the relationship ending and showing her anxiety at the thought. Then she replied “ no we are very happy together’’ and eyes scanned straight over to the left ( this showed she was remembering the sounds of happy relationship and as she finished the sentence her voice faded out indicating a lack of confidence and she added ‘right now” These signs showed her doubts.

When asked about the tabloid press statements that the marriage would end she did her smile through the tears grimace again said no and followed that statement by twisting her mouth which means she had to really twist her thoughts to say that No and was not confident about it at all. The first big smile and true happy demeanor we saw Britney give was when she was asked about her love for her husband it was also the first time she really made significant lingering eye contact with Matt. Her facial expressions and lifted up posture and high energy all showed she truly loves her husband. When asked about why she loved him she repeated words like simple, boy and good big hearted and looked down and to the left. When asked again about the certainly of the marriage with the question something to the effect “…would you say there is not an end in sight for this marriage" she again showed the downward grimace with a very sad face and voice trying to hold in her sadness.

She said that as a mother she has to speak out yet she chose a very low cut blouse and short skirt to appear sexual and to chew gum.




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.

How Accurate Are First Impressions Made From Viewing People In Photos?

How accurate are personality assessments made of people in photographs?

I quote this research to my audiences so they know how much information is communicated in an instant.

First Impressions Count When Making Personality Judgments, New Research Shows
Science Daily (Nov. 4, 2009) — First impressions do matter when it comes to communicating personality through appearance, according to new research by psychologists Laura Naumann of Sonoma State University and Sam Gosling of The University of Texas at Austin.

•Despite the crucial role of physical appearance in creating first impressions, until now little research has examined the accuracy of personality impressions based on appearance alone. These findings will be published in the December 2009 issue of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, co-written with Simine Vazire (Washington University in St. Louis) and Peter J. Rentfrow (University of Cambridge).

"In an age dominated by social media where personal photographs are ubiquitous, it becomes important to understand the ways personality is communicated via our appearance," says Naumann. "The appearance one portrays in his or her photographs has important implications for their professional and social life."

In the study, observers viewed full-body photographs of 123 people they had never met before. The targets were viewed either in a controlled pose with a neutral facial expression or in a naturally expressed pose. The accuracy of the judgments was gauged by comparing them to the aggregate of self-ratings and that of three informants who knew the targets well, a criterion now widely regarded as the gold standard in personality research.

Even when viewing the targets in the controlled pose, the observers could accurately judge some major personality traits, including extraversion and self-esteem. But most traits were hard to detect under these conditions. When observers saw naturally expressive behavior (such as a smiling expression or energetic stance), their judgments were accurate for nine of the 10 personality traits. The 10 traits were extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness, likability, self-esteem, loneliness, religiosity and political orientation.

"We have long known that people jump to conclusions about others on the basis of very little information," says Gosling, "but what's striking about these findings is how many of the impressions have a kernel of truth to them, even on the basis of something as simple a single photograph."

Gosling cautioned that observers still make plenty of mistakes, but noted that this latest work is important because it sheds new light on the sources of accuracy and inaccuracy of judgments.

With this kind of knowledge, individuals can choose to alter their appearance in specific ways, either to make identity claims or shape others impressions of them, Naumann says.

"If you want potential employers or romantic suitors to see you as a warm and friendly individual, you should post pictures where you smile or are standing in a relaxed pose," suggests Naumann.

For example, whether you smile and how you stand (tense vs. relaxed, energetic vs. tired) are important cues to judge a variety of traits. Extraverts smile more, stand in energetic and less tense ways, and look healthy, neat and stylish. People who are more open to experience are less likely to have a healthy, neat appearance, but are more likely to have a distinctive style of dress.

The researchers also found males who have a neat and healthy appearance are often seen as more conscientious. However, defining personality in women was more difficult because they were more strongly influenced by cultural demands to look presentable.

Digital high-resolution images demonstrating the standardized and spontaneous full-body photographs are available upon request.


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.

First Impression, What you do makes a differance.

What does your first impression say about you?
Clients come to me to improve their first impression and create more effective first encounters. Sometimes people are uncomfortable and they develop little nonverbal behaviors that effect their first impression and once they become aware of those habits and there effect magic happens.
A year ago I was working with a coaching client on her first impression. My client is happily married and in her 50's she wants to feel more comfortable interacting with strangers. She had noticed that when she was out with a particular girlfriend that strangers approached her girlfriend before her and would stand facing toward her friend and engage with her friend before her. She wanted full unedited feedback from me about her first impression. The first thing I shared with her was how her very silhouette could be off putting. She is very attractive but because she has very broad shoulders and a broad upper chest while the rest of her torso comes in it creates a v silhouette. You have heard me speak about how silhouette's are read by on of the brains in the eye. That silhouette looks like a big man. Just viewing that silhouette can activate the danger response and make people less likely to approach and more likely to be on guard if they do interact.
Then we looked at her head. As she stands and sits her head juts forward slightly.A head just can show intent listening or vocal emphasis depending on the timing but if you jut it forward as you approach and hold it there with out other body language cues or facial cues to soften it it can make you look aggressive. My client soften it somewhat by tilting her head to the side a beautiful softening cue, but then added to the mix a mouth cues. She pressed her lips together in a modified pucker. Though her eyes were beautiful she stared without blinking the combination I shared could make her look a bit assertive and judgmental.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Attention span, Grabbing your audiance, First Impression

GRAB AUDIENCE ATTENTION WITH POWERFUL OPENINGS
If adult attention spans are limited...and they are...(a study by the Navy determined the average adult attention span is 18 minutes One research study actually
suggested that the attention span of most adolescents is about 11
minutes -- roughly the time between commercials in a typical
television show.?
Studies on attention span also shed light on why students have
difficulty with the traditional lecture format. Adult learners can
keep tuned in to a lecture for no more than 15 to 20 minutes at a
time, and this at the beginning of the class. In 1976, A. H. Johnstone
and F. Percival observed students in over 90 lectures, with twelve
different lecturers, recording breaks in student attention. They
identified a general pattern: After three to five minutes of "settling
down" at the start of class, one study found that "the next lapse of
attention usually occurred some 10 to 18 minutes later, and as the
lecture proceeded the attention span became shorter and often fell to
three or four minutes towards the end of a standard lecture." Other
studies appear to confirm these findings.?
Mittendorf and Kalish note that studies on attention span indicate
that, when passively absorbing information, adult learners usually
experience mental lapses after a mere 15-20 minutes.?
), then it's critical that business presenters craft a memorable message to enhance retention. One way to be memorable is to grab your audience's attention when you begin your speech with a attention grabbing opener.

A powerful opening gives your audience a reason for listening. A bonus is that getting them engaged and interested right at the beginning will minimize any nervousness you may be feeling.



Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional
The Body Language Expert
Web- http://www.PattiWood.net
I have a new quiz on my YouTubestation. Check it out!
YouTube- YouTube - bodylanguageexpert's Channel

Photo analysis of Governor Sanford

I was just reading a twitter post about Governor Sanford's odd body language http://twitter.com/bagnewsnotes. The tweeter criticized his body language and in the next post apologized because he found out the photo he was analyzing was a year old. You really need to know your source before analyzing the body language in photos. I imagine the media was using that photo to represent the governor and most of the public assumed that it was a timely photo that represented his body language response to the discovery of his affair with an Argentinian woman.