Relevance of Body Language in Conversations for the Assessment of the Interlocutor

The following study examines the question of how certain forms of body posture form the point of view of an observer (N=167) can influence the evaluation of a dialog partner. Through experimental means, positions of the arms, head, buttocks, and alignment of the body are manipulated and data gathered as to the evaluation of these with respect to six different characteristics (degree of assertiveness, ability to communicate, sense of responsibility, team abilities, leadership, and motivation to perform. Above this, perceived attractiveness as a covariate is also taken in consideration. Findings of the study confirm that each of the four bodily postures has significant effects. Moreover, in all the conditions there are gender-specific differences as well as a prevalent attractiveness effect.