Body Language Reveals Background

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Non-verbal cues can indicate one's social status, as stated by Psychologists Michael W. Kraus and Dacher Keltner of the University of California. The study involved participants whose backgrounds were known after a one on one interview.

The taped sessions focused on two types of behaviours, disengagement behaviours (including fidgeting with personal objects and doodling) and engagement behaviours (including head nodding, laughing and eye contact).

The results showed that the participants who were from the upper SES displayed disengagement behaviours as compared to those from lower SES backgrounds. When the video-clips were later shown to another set of observers, they were correctly able to guess the participant's SES backgrounds based on their body language.

This was first of its kind of study that showed any relationship between SES and social engagement behaviour. The study concluded that persons from upper SES backgrounds were wealthy and had access to prestigious institutions, are less dependant on other. A fact that reflects on their body language. "This lack of dependence among upper SES people is displayed in their non-verbal behaviours during social interactions," concluded the psychologists. AGENCIES