BERKELEY, Calif., Feb 6, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Body language may indicate
one's socioeconomic status, much as a vehicle, bank account or schools attended
can, U.S. researchers say.
Psychologists Michael W. Kraus and Dacher Keltner of the University of
California, Berkeley, videotaped participants as they got acquainted in
one-on-one interview sessions.
During the taped sessions, the researchers looked for two types of behaviors:
disengagement behaviors -- including fidgeting with personal objects and
doodling -- and engagement behaviors -- including head nodding, laughing and eye
contact.
The study, reported in Psychological Science, reveals that non-verbal cues can
give away a person's socioeconomic status. Volunteers whose parents were from
upper socioeconomic status backgrounds displayed more disengagement-related
behaviors compared to participants from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds.
In addition, when a separate group of observers were shown 60-second clips of
the videos, they were able to correctly guess the participants' socioeconomic
status background, based on their body language.
Those with access to prestigious institutions tend to be less dependent on
others, the researchers say.
"This lack of dependence among upper socioeconomic status people is displayed in
their non-verbal behaviors during social interactions," the psychologists
conclude.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International