The Nonverbal Sleuth

Most detective procedures center around hard physical facts and evidence, but what is the role of detecting nonverbal behavior? A new study in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior sought to challenge conventional wisdom that emphasized physical facts over nonverbal behavior. By replicating a previous study with slightly different variants, Dr. Eric Novotny and his team…

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Do Power Postures Work?

It is pretty popular for people to explore the idea of taking power postures to achieve success in interpersonal interactions, especially negotiations, but is it empirically valid? A recent study by Drs. Joseph Cesario and David Johnson wades into this debate with a resounding rejection of the idea of power postures’ efficacy. In a series…

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Nonverbal Behavior in Close Relationships

We keep talking about nonverbal behavior with strangers, but what role does it have in close interpersonal contexts? There is plenty of reason to think that this is important! We pick up on our romantic partner’s nonverbal behavior, even if we don’t realize that we are doing it. In a recent paper, a team of…

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Clusters of Nonverbal Behavior Differentiate Truth Tellers from Liars

A great deal of popular discussion of how to detect deception rests on specific, isolated factors like eye contact, but the reality is a bit more complex. New research shows that clusters of nonverbal behavior differentiate truth tellers from liars. This is the case that Humintell’s Drs. David Matsumoto and Hyisung Hwang made in a…

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