This is a short clip from the Stories and Strategies Podcast. The full episode is available here https://storiesandstrategies.ca/podcast/ published January 14, 2024
Guest Vincent Denault, PhD explains misconceptions surrounding nonverbal communication and the Mehrabian myth. Denault clarifies that nonverbal communication is indeed important but warns against the oversimplification and misuse of specific statistics like the often-misquoted '7-38-55' rule from Mehrabian's research. Mehrabian's studies were not about nonverbal communication in general but were more specific, and the public and experts often misremember this.
Denault also highlights the role of nonverbal communication in our identity and daily life, extending beyond mere gestures or facial expressions to include appearance, tone of voice, physical characteristics, and environment. Denault criticizes the popular culture's oversimplification and misuse of nonverbal communication, particularly in high-stakes environments like courts or law enforcement, where such misconceptions can have serious implications.
The conversation also touches on the intuitive judgments we make based on nonverbal cues and the need for a nuanced understanding of these cues beyond the simplistic interpretations often portrayed in media and popular culture.
