Fidgeting and social class
As a perennial fidgeter, I was interested in this little note in today’s Boston Globe:
The secret language of fidgeting
INVOLUNTARY FACIAL EXPRESSIONS and body language can tell you a lot about a person, if you know what to look for. A new study lends support to this idea by showing how people can unconsciously reveal their class background. Psychologists asked strangers to sit across from each other and get acquainted. Video of the conversations was recorded by a concealed camera. Subjects from families with more income or education were more likely to appear disengaged, doing things like self-grooming, fidgeting with objects, or doodling, and less likely to look at the other person, laugh, nod their heads, or raise their eyebrows. In addition, third-party strangers who watched the video of the conversation were able to do a pretty good job of guessing the family background of the people in the conversation.
Kraus, M. & Keltner, D., “Signs of Socioeconomic Status: A Thin-Slicing Approach,” Psychological Science (forthcoming).
What does my fidgeting say about me?
2 comments December 28th, 2008