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"Smart" is an Instant Perception

12/8/2015

Within fractions of a second, in a phenomenon that psychologists call “thin slicing”, we make evaluations about various characteristics of people we meet. One of those characteristics is intelligence. A moment is, obviously, too short a time to hold an in-depth discussion, so on what are our “gut feelings” based?

One key factor affecting our first impressions about intelligence is eye contact. A 2007 study led by Loyola Marymount University professor Nora A. Murphy found that looking your conversation partner in the eye had an enormous impact on your perceived smartness.

Speaking expressively is another factor that influences people to think you are bright. Opinions offered in a monotone, no matter how brilliant, might not impress. But varying your tone and volume will serve you well—especially if you maintain eye contact while you do it! This research intrigued us because we have been teaching these skill sets for years in our course on persuasive presentations. Interesting to discover how important they are in interpersonal influence as well.

We want to hear. What criteria do you think you use to determine if someone is intelligent? Do you actively try to manage people’s perceptions of your own intelligence—and how so? To join the conversation, click "comments" on our Community of Practice Forum.

If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion.

6 Comments

Paddy

12/8/2015 01:50:08 pm

Hi Susan and Peter

Eye contact conventions vary with cultures:

http://blog.joytours.com/2012/12/20/the-role-of-eye-contact-in-different-cultures/

The Role of Eye Contact in Different Cultures

Eye contact may be one of the most subtle forms of social interaction, but it should never be underestimated.
If you are travelling or planning a trip, it is something that you need to be particularly aware of – as something which is normal social behaviour at home, may not be in another culture.
Western Cultures
The UK, USA, Australia and Western Europe all have fairly similar social expectations of when and where eye contact is appropriate… which is most of the time!
Eye contact is expected in Western culture, it is a basic essential to a social interaction which shows a person’s interest and engagement with your conversation.
In Western cultures eyes are considered to show the central point of a person’s focus. So if somebody doesn’t give any eye contact during a conversation, it may be considered insulting. Many people would take this to mean that they weren’t interested, and take their wandering eyes as a sign of their distraction.
In other, more formal, circumstances in Western cultures a lack of eye contact can be seen in another way. For example, in an interview situation, strong eye contact by the interviewee is seen as a sign of self-belief, whereas a lack of eye contact is seen as a lack of confidence.
Middle Eastern Cultures
While the many cultures of the Middle Eastern countries can hardly be grouped together, they do have a few common trends – one of which is their use of eye contact.
Eye contact is less common, and considered less appropriate than in Western cultures. There are strict gender rules, whereby women should not make too much eye contact with men as it could be misconstrued as a romantic interest.
Intense eye contact is often a method used to show sincerity. Long, strong eye contact can mean ‘believe me, I’m telling you the truth’.
Asian Cultures
Asian cultures place great importance on respect. Hierarchies are much more visible in their society than in Western cultures, and their social behaviors mirror this.
In countries such as China and Japan, eye contact is not considered an essential to social interaction, instead it is often considered inappropriate. In such an authoritarian culture, it is believed that subordinates shouldn’t make steady eye contact with their superiors.
For example, students are discouraged from making eye contact with their professors, as it can be interpreted as a sign of disrespect. Similarly a daughter will point her eyes downwards when her father is speaking to her, as a sign of politeness and respect.
African and Latin American Cultures
Many African and Latin American cultures, while unique in many ways, remain strong hierarchical societies. In many circumstances intense eye contact is seen as aggressive, confrontational and extremely disrespectful.
Eye contact is so subtly ingrained into every culture that it is something which is rarely even considered before travelling abroad.
Westerner’s use of eye contact could be deemed inappropriate, and even disrespectful, in many other cultures – so make sure you learn the use of eye contact and body language before you jet off!
Regards

PADDY CLIFFORD l Chief Executive
Palmerston North City Council l Private Bag 11034 l Palmerston North
P: +64 (6) 3568199 l www.pncc.govt.nz

From: Glaser & Associates [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, 9 December 2015 6:03 a.m.
To: Paddy Clifford
Subject: “Smart” is an Instant Perception

Click to view this email in a browser

Hi Paddy,

Within fractions of a second, in a phenomenon that psychologists call “thin slicing”, we make evaluations about various characteristics of people we meet. One of those characteristics is intelligence. A moment is, obviously, too short a time to hold an in-depth discussion, so on what are our “gut feelings” based?
One key factor affecting our first impressions about intelligence is eye contact. A 2007 study led by Loyola Marymount University professor Nora A. Murphy found that looking your conversation partner in the eye had an enormous impact on your perceived smartness.

Speaking expressively is another factor that influences people to think you are bright. Opinions offered in a monotone, no matter how brilliant, might not impress. But varying your tone and volume will serve you well—especially if you maintain eye contact while you do it! This research intrigued us because we have been teaching these skill sets for years in our course on persuasive presentations. Interesting to discover how important they are in interpersonal influence as well.
We want to hear. What criteria do you think you use to determine if someone is intelligent? Do you actively try to manage people’s

susan

12/8/2015 02:28:44 pm

Thank you, Paddy, for this thoughtful and thorough comment. We so agree with you that eye contact is culturally dependent and varies around the world. Perhaps what makes it most challenging is the strength of cultural bias both for and against it. Really appreciate your sharing your insights with our community. How much better it is to learn before making a mistake! (We learned about not sitting on a table in NZ by offending more than a few people in our audience!) Again, thank you for staying in touch. Kia Ora

Todd R

12/8/2015 06:04:17 pm

I witnessed myself contemplating the intelligence of a fellow today while I studied his shabby attire and untied shoes..Especially the shoes.

Susan

12/10/2015 07:05:14 am

How interesting and relevant to this week's Communication Capsule, Todd. When we were just beginning our consulting practice a mentor mentioned that shoes are one of the first things people look at when making instantaneous decisions about people. Definitely made a long term impression on us! Thanks for your comment.

Cooper And Lourie link

5/29/2017 03:35:40 am

Eye contact is expected in Western culture, it is a basic essential to a social interaction which shows a person’s interest and engagement with your conversation.

6/3/2017 09:17:14 am

Very true. And more than any other nonverbal behavior, when we don't receive eye contact (in western culture) we often feel disrespected.

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