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What You Wear Shows How You Feel. Research on Clothing and Mood

What You Wear Shows How You Feel.

The other night I was watching a funky documentary called "Advanced Style" about older women in New York City that where over the top fun clothes. There was lots of women wearing hot pink and leopard skin prints!  Though the women in the documentary were more than a little eccentric it was an inspiring look into a way to enthusiastically move into your elder years.

A recent study suggests a strong correlation between wearing certain clothes and emotional states. For example, it revealed that women who are depressed or sad are more likely to wear baggy tops, sweatshirts, or jeans. Women who had more positive emotions were more likely to wear a favorite dress or jewelry and generally look nicer.h


You may know that what color you were effects your mood, but here are some specifics. Colors can profoundly affect emotional responses. While not everyone experiences the same emotion in response to a particular color, most people find reds and oranges stimulating and blues and purples restful. In contrast, gray, brown, black, or white tend to be emotionally dulling.
 
Get out your favorite bright colored clothes and your rhinestones. Guys you really do look great in that colored oxford shirt.

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.

Your Facial Expressions Show You are Sleepy, Does Sleep Deprivation Effect Your Relationships? Do People Treat You Differently If You Are Sleepy

 
Research Study Reveals the Face of Sleep Deprivation  - The Body Language of Sleep Loss

Below is research on the facial expression of sleep deprived tired people. The most interesting thing about it is that they look sadder.  Yes, on some level you know that. But for me it is extremely interesting. Think about it. I am familiar with research that we avoid and in other ways treat people who look sad differently. How do you interact with someone who is sad or who just looks and feels sad because they are sleepy.  Are you more empathetic to someone who look sad/tired? Are you gentler or do you avoid people at work who look sad? What about leadership, credibly, sales and persuasion? Do you take the advice of someone who looks tired? Do you buy from a tired sales guy? Do you follow the protocol for your health from your sleep deprived Doctor? Do kids ignore the commands of their tired parents?
I would love to do a study on this. Here is the study I read on the facial expression of the sleep deprived.

Results show that the faces of sleep-deprived individuals were perceived as having more hanging eyelids, redder eyes, more swollen eyes and darker circles under the eyes. Sleep deprivation also was associated with paler skin, more wrinkles or fine lines, and more droopy corners of the mouth. People also looked sadder when sleep-deprived than after normal sleep, and sadness was related to looking fatigued. Here is what I find interesting, The James-Lange Theory argues that the pattern our body language for emotions goes as follows: stimulus - bodily reaction - emotion. Which means how your hold your body effects how your feel. If sleepiness causes sad facial expressions you can't help but feel sad. By the way this  goes against the conventional view that emotions cause bodily reactions

Link to the research or full research study below. http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/top/environment/
Date - August 30, 2013

Source - American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Summary
A new study finds that sleep deprivation affects facial features such as the eyes, mouth and skin, and these features function as cues of sleep loss to other people.

Tired eyes.
Credit: © Sylvie Bouchard / Fotolia
http://images.sciencedaily.com/2013/08/130830161323-large.jpg
Tired eyes.
Credit: © Sylvie Bouchard / Fotolia
A new study finds that sleep deprivation affects facial features such as the eyes, mouth and skin, and these features function as cues of sleep loss to other people.
Results show that the faces of sleep-deprived individuals were perceived as having more hanging eyelids, redder eyes, more swollen eyes and darker circles under the eyes. Sleep deprivation also was associated with paler skin, more wrinkles or fine lines, and more droopy corners of the mouth. People also looked sadder when sleep-deprived than after normal sleep, and sadness was related to looking fatigued.
"Since faces contain a lot of information on which humans base their interactions with each other, how fatigued a person appears may affect how others behave toward them," said Tina Sundelin, MSc, lead author and doctoral student in the department of psychology at Stockholm University in Stockholm, Sweden. "This is relevant not only for private social interactions, but also official ones such as with health care professionals and in public safety."
The study, which appears in the September issue of the journal Sleep, was conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Ten subjects were photographed on two separate occasions: after eight hours of normal sleep and after 31 hours of sleep deprivation. The photographs were taken in the laboratory at 2:30 p.m. on both occasions. Forty participants rated the 20 facial photographs with respect to 10 facial cues, fatigue and sadness.
According to the authors, face perception involves a specialized neuronal network and is one of the most developed visual perceptual skills in humans. Facial appearance can affect judgments of attributes such as trustworthiness, aggressiveness and competence.


Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.


Journal Reference:
1.     Tina Sundelin, Mats Lekander, Göran Kecklund, Eus J. W. Van Someren, Andreas Olsson, John Axelsson. Cues of Fatigue: Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Facial Appearance. SLEEP, 2013; DOI: 10.5665/sleep.2964


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American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "Study reveals the face of sleep deprivation." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 August 2013. .



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.

People With MS Can Have Trouble Reading Emotion From Body Language Posture Cues and It Can Make Them Seem Cold and Unfeeling


I have a friend Cathy whose sister Beth has MS.  Cathy struggles with her relationship her sister. No matter what Cathy does to help Beth, her sister seems selfish and lacks empathy. It is all about Beth and her needs. A new research study on MS and the lack of the ability to read nonverbal cues of emotion may explain all or at least some of her problems with her sister. People with MS may not read body language posture cues of emotions well.
I can see if you can’t read you would have trouble mirroring and empathizing.  Here is the link to the article. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141110083515.htm and below is the actual article.

Recognizing emotions, and what happens when this is interrupted

November 10, 2014
:
Sissa Medialab
Recognizing the emotions other people feel is crucial for establishing proper interpersonal relations. To do so, we look at (amongst other things) facial expressions and body posture. Unfortunately, in some neurological disorders this ability is heavily impaired. This happens, for example, in multiple sclerosis where scientific evidence shows that people affected by the disease often have trouble recognizing expressions that communicate emotions. A new study now demonstrates that the same difficulty may also be encountered with emotions conveyed by posture.
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Recognizing the emotions other people feel is crucial for establishing proper interpersonal relations. To do so, we look at (amongst other things) facial expressions and body posture. Unfortunately, in some neurological disorders this ability is heavily impaired. This happens, for example, in multiple sclerosis where scientific evidence shows that people affected by the disease often have trouble recognizing expressions that communicate emotions.
A new study now demonstrates that the same difficulty may also be encountered with emotions conveyed by posture. In addition, the study shows that this difficulty recognizing other people's emotions is unrelated to difficulties identifying one own's emotions, a disorder known as alexithymia, which may be present in patients with multiple sclerosis.
"The finding on posture is new, and even though this symptom is less pronounced than the inability to read facial expressions, it is nonetheless important" explains Marilena Aiello, a SISSA researcher. "Studies on the identification of expressions in neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis are important. In this type of disease the relationship between patients and carers is crucial to guarantee the patient the best quality of life. It's thus vital to identify the factors that may influence and improve this relationship."
In addition to Aiello, the other SISSA researchers who participated in the study, published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, are Cinzia Cecchetto (first author) and Raffaella Rumiati, a SISSA neuroscientist who coordinated the research project.

Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Sissa Medialab. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

1.     Cinzia Cecchetto, Marilena Aiello, Delia D’Amico, Daniela Cutuli, Daniela Cargnelutti, Roberto Eleopra, Raffaella Ida Rumiati. Facial and Bodily Emotion Recognition in Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of Alexithymia and Other Characteristics of the Disease. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2014; 1 DOI: 10.1017/S1355617714000939

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.

Body Language Read of Blake and Ryan - Easy Does It!






Ryan Reynolds, 38, and Blake Lively, 27, sexed it up for the cameras at the Met Gala in May.  As he palms his wife's rear, "Ryan has that proud look on his face, like, "Look at this babe I've got an my arm!".  There is a boyishness there, says Patti.  But Ryan's red-carpet approach was entirely different with a now-pregnant Blake at the Angel Ball in NYC.  "Ryan's fingers are tenderly curled around her back.  It is as though he doesn't want to hurt her as he draws her in!"

Patti gives the couple in May a 3 on the Life and Style True Love Rating Scale.

Patti gives the couple in October a 5 on the Life and Style True Love Rating Scale.

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.

Body Language Read of Kim and Kanye - Ships in the Night!



Kim Kardashian, 34, stole the spotlight from Kanye West, 37, during a September appearance in London.  "She looks as though she could be there all by herself,"  observes Patti.  "It's odd that Kanye's almost hidden behind her."  Things improved at a recent gala - sort of.  "They're looking at each other and having fun, but there is still no tenderness and connection here.  It look so fake!"

Patti gives this couple in September a 1 on the Life & Style True Love Rating Scale.

Patti gives this couple in November a 3 on the Life & Style True Love Rating Scale.

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.