Richard Thaler, Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago.
What is the big idea of Richard Thaler, the economist quoted by David Cameron and Barack Obama? It comes down to this: you're not as smart as you think. Humans, he believes, are less rational and more influenced by peer pressure and suggestion than governments and economists reckon.
"Economists assume people have brains like supercomputers that can solve anything," says Thaler. "But human minds are more like really old Apple Macs with slow processing speeds and prone to frequent crashes."
According to this view, voters are less Mr Spock than Homer Simpson and they could do with a bit of help - what Thaler terms a "nudge" - to save more, eat more healthily and do all the other things that they know they should.
Cameron is so interested in the idea that in a speech last month he mentioned Thaler, his co-author Cass Sunstein and even the fact they had a new book out, Nudge. He then summed up their argument: "One of the most important influences on people's behaviour is what other people do ... with the right prompting we'll change our behaviour to fit in with what we see around us." It was surely the best plug two Chicago academics with a book about the obscure discipline of behavioural economics could hope for.
Click here for the full article.
Why do I include this article, written on July 12, 2008? Well it was important enough to me that I bookmarked in my favorites and ran across it the other day. Reviewed it again. Liked it in that same sprit of the books 'Blink' and 'Freakonomics.'
WhenI saw that all most of us need is a little nudge in one direction, it became clear to me what that nudge is many times... nonverbal language. Combine the nudge principle, with the proven facts from studies, that when giving a speech, your listeners are more likely to remember what happened in the first 3 minutes and the last three minutes, it all becomes clear that we need to focus even more on what we are saying with our nonverbal behavior than ever before.◦
Friday, July 3, 2009
Richard Thaler's Nudge
Thursday, July 2, 2009
TSA's Behavior Detection Agents
Watch CBS Videos Online
News story about the TSA Agents using facial expressions to determine threat, based on the work by Paul Ekman and Mark Frank.◦
Ivo Sanader Podnio Ostavku!
Just when I thought my life couldn't get any stranger... I was asked to take a look at the following video and analyze.
"But I do not speak the language." I say.
In broken English, "You don't do it? Me thought you look at body language?"
"Well you have me there, okay... send me the link I'll look at it and then an hour later send me the details of what he is saying."
Play along with me and take a look then review my analysis.
Analysis:
Ivo was not particularly excited during the speech, was slightly to highly confused at certain parts of the speech. There was a highly stressful period almost halfway through the speech, and during this time and immediately before he was thinking. Only one time about 3/4 of the way through the video was he pleased with himself. Few inaccuracies were detected during voice analysis. He was relaxed and comfortable throughout the speech.
What is the story: ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatian lawmakers accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader Thursday, but were left without any explanation of his unexpected move.◦
Jermaine Jackson on Today Show This Morning
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
He was being less than truthful when he mentions planning on going on tour with the Jackson 5 Reunion and Michael being a part of it. He also is being less that truthful about a conversation about speaking about a new song with Micheal. He did not want to speak about Michel's health, and suggests that mental issues was more of a problem than physical issues. I believe that Jermaine showed true emotions of loss and grief.
In regards to the allegations against Michael in the past- I am unclear of his guilt or innocence. I have reviewed past interviews since his death and it is very complicated. Voice analysis show innocence, while his word choice suggest less than honest responses. I believe it is clear that he existed in a different reality and this makes it difficult to read. I do believe he existed as a "child" with a child's heart.◦
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Helen Fisher Tells us Why We Love + Cheat
Anthropologist Helen Fisher takes on a tricky topic -- love –- and explains its evolution, its biochemical foundations and its social importance. She closes with a warning about the potential disaster inherent in antidepressant abuse.
Anthropologist Helen Fisher studies gender differences and the evolution of human emotions. She's best known as an expert on romantic love, and her beautifully penned books -- including Anatomy of Love and Why We Love -- lay bare the mysteries of our most treasured emotion.◦
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Analysis of South Carolina's Governor, Mark Sanford's Press Conference
Role analysis, I believe he is truly sorry for what has happened, but why is he sorry? Is it for his family, for his friend, for his career/job? After reviewing the tape this is the order of importance:
1)Friends
2)Career/Job
3)Family
I based this on his emotional level as he is speaking about these things. Generally there could be a build up as the speech goes on, but in this speech if I had to rank the emotional level it would be 3 for family, 7 for friend, and 5 for job.
00:58 Eye Blocking, is a nonverbal behavior that can occur when we feel
threatened and/or don’t like what we see. In this case he doesn't like seeing the reporters and the media.
01:18 Looking Down, Shame. People who are feeling ashamed, embarrassed, or sad, deliberately look away. Shame is a negative emotion occurring when we evaluate things as going worse than we expected.
01:55 Slight Lip Lick (see below).
01:59 Microexpression Subtle, Sadness, in mouth only.
Generally he doesn't want to look straight ahead.
02:14 Lip Lick, is a pacifying behavior (often referred to as an adapter in academia literature) serving to calm us down after we experience something unpleasant or downright nasty.
03:00 More emotional when speaking about his friend than about his wife and family.
03:47 Lip Lick, pacifying behavior.
05:20 More comfortable speaking about faith, looking more straight on. This is odd because there should be some shame or emotion to convey he is in turmoil with his faith and what he has done. I believe this is a sign that is is most sorry for being caught.
06:15 Eyes Down, Shame.
07:26 Full Shoulder Shrug, this needs to be evaluated in the context of what is being said. The shrug is a universal gesture that is used to show that a person does not know or understand what you are talking about. In this case he doesn't know how this will end.
07:46 Expel Air, Relief.
08:11 Lip Lick, pacifying behavior.
08:20 Becoming more emotional over resignation (not of his governorship).
Voice Analysis
Final Analysis
It appears because of his emotional level, and his conversation with his father-in-law two weeks prior, that his marriage was in extreme jeopardy before this getaway. His last conversation with his father-in-law was not as civil as he portrays it in this speech. Due to his high emotional response when speaking of his friend and political partner, he had higher aspirations than just Governor. I believe he does not want his wife speaking to the media. It may also be that he wanted to get "caught" if his marriage was over, this could have been orchestrated to be as sensational as it was, to control the revelation, gain the upper hand, and receive national exposure. It would have been very messy if this was a drawn out divorce, that his career would not be able to handle. His resignation (not of the state) is an attempt to convey punishment.◦
Breaking News- Journal of Nonverbal Behavior Lastest Issue Released
Volume 33, Number 2 / June, 2009
On the Correspondence Between Physiological and Nonverbal Responses: Nonverbal Behavior Accompanying Challenge and Threat
Abstract: Little is known regarding the covariance between physiological and nonverbal responses to “stressful” situations. We argue that physiological markers are especially likely to be accompanied by psychologically-meaningful nonverbal behavior. Within “stressful” motivated performance situations, complex patterns of cardiovascular (CV) reactivity mark challenge and threat motivational states relevant to confidence. We expected the CV challenge and threat markers to be distinguished on the basis of facial and vocal confidence. In a test of this hypothesis, participants’ cardiovascular (CV) responses were recorded during a videotaped social interaction. As expected, the CV challenge marker was associated with more vocal confidence and less facial confidence than the CV threat marker. These findings are related to the complexity of human responses to motivated performances.
Content Type Journal Article
Category Brief Report
DOI 10.1007/s10919-008-0064-8
Authors
Max Weisbuch, Tufts University Department of Psychology 490 Boston Avenue Medford MA 02155 USA
Mark D. Seery, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Buffalo NY USA
Nalini Ambady, Tufts University Department of Psychology 490 Boston Avenue Medford MA 02155 USA
Jim Blascovich, University of California Santa Barbara CA USA
Journal Journal of Nonverbal Behavior
Online ISSN 1573-3653
Print ISSN 0191-5886
Journal Volume Volume 33
Journal Issue Volume 33, Number 2 / June, 2009
Looking at the Audience Improves Music Appreciation
Abstract: The establishment of eye contact between a musician and his or her listeners, and its influence on musical perception, has been neglected by musical performance research. Two experiments were conducted to verify the hypothesis that increased eye contact between musician and audience leads the latter to better appreciate the music performed by the former. In the first experiment a musician played and sang three pieces, whereas in the second study he played without vocal support. The results of both experiments showed that directing the musicians’ gaze toward the audience enhanced the qualities of the musical experience.
Content Type Journal Article
Category Original Paper
DOI 10.1007/s10919-008-0062-x
Authors
Alessandro Antonietti, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Department of Psychology Largo Gemelli 1 20123 Milan Italy
Daniela Cocomazzi, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Department of Psychology Largo Gemelli 1 20123 Milan Italy
Paola Iannello, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart Department of Psychology Largo Gemelli 1 20123 Milan Italy
Journal Journal of Nonverbal Behavior
Online ISSN 1573-3653
Print ISSN 0191-5886
Journal Volume Volume 33
Journal Issue Volume 33, Number 2 / June, 2009
Recognizing Emotions in a Foreign Language
Abstract: Expressions of basic emotions (joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust) can be recognized pan-culturally from the face and it is assumed that these emotions can be recognized from a speaker’s voice, regardless of an individual’s culture or linguistic ability. Here, we compared how monolingual speakers of Argentine Spanish recognize basic emotions from pseudo-utterances (“nonsense speech”) produced in their native language and in three foreign languages (English, German, Arabic). Results indicated that vocal expressions of basic emotions could be decoded in each language condition at accuracy levels exceeding chance, although Spanish listeners performed significantly better overall in their native language (“in-group advantage”). Our findings argue that the ability to understand vocally-expressed emotions in speech is partly independent of linguistic ability and involves universal principles, although this ability is also shaped by linguistic and cultural variables.
Content Type Journal Article
Category Original Paper
DOI 10.1007/s10919-008-0065-7
Authors
Marc D. Pell, McGill University School of Communication Sciences and Disorders 1266, ave. des Pins Ouest Montréal QC H3G 1A8 Canada
Laura Monetta, McGill University School of Communication Sciences and Disorders 1266, ave. des Pins Ouest Montréal QC H3G 1A8 Canada
Silke Paulmann, McGill University School of Communication Sciences and Disorders 1266, ave. des Pins Ouest Montréal QC H3G 1A8 Canada
Sonja A. Kotz, Max Planck Institute of Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Research Group on Neurocognition of Rhythm in Communication Leipzig Germany
Journal Journal of Nonverbal Behavior
Online ISSN 1573-3653
Print ISSN 0191-5886
Journal Volume Volume 33
Journal Issue Volume 33, Number 2 / June, 2009
Do Iconic Hand Gestures Really Contribute to the Communication of Semantic Information in a Face-to-Face Context?
Abstract: Previous research has shown that iconic gestures are effective at communicating semantic information, particularly about the size and relative position of objects. However, the conclusions of these experiments have been somewhat limited by the fact that the methodology has typically involved presenting gesture–speech samples on video rather than in an actual face-to-face context. Because these different viewing conditions can impact on addressees’ behavior and perception, and therefore potentially impact on the amount of information they receive from gestures, the present study compares the communicative effectiveness of iconic gestures when viewed in a face-to-face context compared to when viewed on video. The results are quite striking in that gestures seemed at least as effective, and in some cases even more effective at communicating position and size information when they occurred in the face-to-face condition compared to video.
Content Type Journal Article
Category Original Paper
DOI 10.1007/s10919-008-0063-9
Authors
Judith Holler, University of Manchester School of Psychological Sciences Coupland Building 1 Manchester M13 9PL UK
Heather Shovelton, University of Manchester School of Psychological Sciences Coupland Building 1 Manchester M13 9PL UK
Geoffrey Beattie, University of Manchester School of Psychological Sciences Coupland Building 1 Manchester M13 9PL UK
Journal Journal of Nonverbal Behavior
Online ISSN 1573-3653
Print ISSN 0191-5886
Journal Volume Volume 33
Journal Issue Volume 33, Number 2 / June, 2009
Parents’ Beliefs about Emotions and Children’s Recognition of Parents’ Emotions
Abstract: This study investigated parents’ emotion-related beliefs, experience, and expression, and children’s recognition of their parents’ emotions with 40 parent-child dyads. Parents reported beliefs about danger and guidance of children’s emotions. While viewing emotion-eliciting film clips, parents self-reported their emotional experience and masking of emotion. Children and observers rated videos of parents watching emotion-eliciting film clips. Fathers reported more masking than mothers and their emotional expressions were more difficult for both observers and children to recognize compared with mothers’ emotional expressions. For fathers, but not mothers, showing clearer expressions was related to children’s general skill at recognizing emotional expressions. Parents who believe emotions are dangerous reported greater masking of emotional expression. Contrary to hypothesis, when parents strongly believe in guiding their child’s emotion socialization, children showed less accurate recognition of their parents’ emotions.
Content Type Journal Article
Category Original Paper
DOI 10.1007/s10919-008-0066-6
Authors
Julie C. Dunsmore, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Psychology Blacksburg VA 24061-0436 USA
Pa Her, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Psychology Blacksburg VA 24061-0436 USA
Amy G. Halberstadt, North Carolina State University Department of Psychology Raleigh NC USA
Marie B. Perez-Rivera, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Psychology Blacksburg VA 24061-0436 USA
Journal Journal of Nonverbal Behavior
Online ISSN 1573-3653
Print ISSN 0191-5886
Journal Volume Volume 33
Journal Issue Volume 33, Number 2 / June, 2009◦
Monday, June 29, 2009
Body Language in Sports
The funny thing about the words "body language" is they show up in the news most often to describe victory and defeat in sports, but there is much more to body language in sports.
In movement games like basketball and soccer the players are making decisions based on the opponents body language every second. Which way is the opponent likely to go- to the right or the left. What is the expression on their face, likely can tell me if they have numbers, or the advantage. Better players do this very well.
The other side is the strategy sports like American football. For the most part it is being ignored at even the top levels.
When I first noticed this was when I was playing football, I played defensive tackle and during the offensive part of the practice there was one coach that would look directly at the hole the ball would be run to when the huddle broke. Since it was practice the coaches were right behind the huddle, making it really easy to see where the ball was going. It was a huge advantage for me. If i knew it was coming at me I'd hold my ground and wait for the ball carrier to come to me, if it was to the other side I could basically ignore the offensive tackle, do a spin move to the other side of the field next to the play- It worked perfectly... except once when I was in too good at getting over to the other side of the line, the running back cut back to my assigned side of the line... "where the h@#l were you warr..."
If I was a defensive back I would be taking it all in: Does the receiver move into starting position faster when it is a pass play; Do they follow the route with their eyes before the snap; how closely is the receiver looking at the defensive setup; what is the quarterback doing; do the line man act differently when approaching the line when it is a run/pass; what is the coach playing the call doing right after the play is being brought in- does he have happy feet, or nervous whenever the long ball is thrown. There are so many players and situations to account for, but when you pick up on a "tell" it is like you were in their huddle, and if that happens 3-4+ plays a game that is an advantage. Colts quarterback, Peyton Manning watches his own game film and analyzes his own non verbal behavior to see if he can tell if the play called was a pass or run, there are times he sees the smallest tell in his own body language.
No matter what the sport, from soccer to chess, if you analyze the opponent it can lead to advantages◦
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