Speaking without words

How much can we say to another person without actually saying a word?  As it turns out, quite a bit.  A recent series of studies suggests that small touches -  the passing pat on the back, the weight of a hand on the shoulder, the clasping of a warm palm - these brief moments of physical contact can actually have a profound effect on the way we feel about an interaction.

The evidence that such messages can lead to clear, almost immediate changes in how people think and behave is accumulating fast. Students who received a supportive touch on the back or arm from a teacher were nearly twice as likely to volunteer in class as those who did not, studies have found. A sympathetic touch from a doctor leaves people with the impression that the visit lasted twice as long, compared with estimates from people who were untouched.Research by Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute in Miami has found that a massage from a loved one can not only ease pain but also soothe depression and strengthen a relationship.

 Psychologists have known for a long time that much of what we say to each other is communicated via nonverbal channels.  What is new and what is interesting about this, however, is that this new work focuses on the actual physical touch as a medium for the transmission of emotional state.

What I find really fascinating about this kind of work is the idea that there is so much under the surface that influences us.  We might not notice that someone touching us alters our perceptions of what happens.  But it nonetheless might have a significant impact on the way we feel.

Body Talk

Anyone remember reading Amelia Bedelia books when you were young?  Amelia Bedelia was a maid who wore crazy hats and took things literally - throwing a tent away after being asked to pitch it, putting clothes on the chicken she was asked to dress, and decorating the curtains she was asked to draw. Funny stuff to a 6-year old.

Amelia Bedelia did not understood that conversations are not supposed to be taken literally. We all make extensive use of metaphors in speech - we can think of talking about our troubles weighing us down, or feeling like we are on cloud nine; of someone who has a cold heart, or who warms our soul; of feeling puffed up with pride, or in the case of unwelcome events, very small.  As we get older, we understand that these are symbolic in nature.  However, as it turns out, we may not have left all that literalism behind with our youth. 

A series of recent studies suggest that many of our abstract cognitions may be interpreted literally.  In other words, our bodies may in some cases mirror and reflect our abstract thoughts.  Many of us still hold to the concept of mind-body dualism; the idea there is something unique and special and separate about our minds versus our bodies.  This series of clever studies suggest that this dichotomy is even more false than it is generally acknowledged to be. 

"Researchers at the University of Aberdeen found that when people were asked to engage in a bit of mental time travel, and to recall past events or imagine future ones, participants’ bodies subliminally acted out the metaphors embedded in how we commonly conceptualized the flow of time. As they thought about years gone by, participants leaned slightly backward, while in fantasizing about the future, they listed to the fore. "

In a similar fashion, other studies in this newly emerging field of embodied cognition suggest that we might find people friendlier when we are holding a warm drink, or might be more likely to use handiwipes when we're reminded of the wrongs we have committed, and think heavier textbooks contain more vital information.  

“How we process information is related not just to our brains but to our entire body,” said Nils B. Jostmann of the University of Amsterdam. “We use every system available to us to come to a conclusion and make sense of what’s going on.”

These physical accompaniments to the metaphors in language suggest that we think, not just with our heads, but also with our bodies.   They also suggest a number of fascinating areas for future research.  It remains to be seen whether the effects found in the laboratory translate into an influence in the real world.  There are also implications with respect to cross-cultural differences.  Would cultures with different metaphors show different  physical correlates?  In Chinese, the past is thought of as being in front of you, and the future behind you.  Would Chinese subjects lean in the opposite direction to American samples?  And last, and perhaps more importantly - can we influence people's thoughts by influencing their bodies?

Educational Opportunities

Anyone interested in medicine?  Oregon Health and Science University has a summer internship program for undergraduate students in the Center for Research in Occupational and Environmental Toxicology.  Work at OHSU for the summer, receive a stipend, and gain valuable experience to make your graduate/medical school application more competitive.  Plus, as you will be required to take mass transportation to work every day, you might get to ride this on a daily basis. 

Capstone anyone?  Finish up your required Capstone course in 2 weeks outside in the beautiful summertime Portland weather helping children and adults with physical and developmental disabilities enjoy summer camp.  Information here. By the way, all students I have talked to who have completed this Capstone have said really good things about it.  I highly recommend it. 

Or, if you prefer, put up with me for another quarter by taking my Early Childhood Education Capstone course. I'm teaching a small course in which students will be placed in local daycare centers to work with young children (ages 3 months to 5 years).  We'll meet to discuss application of developmental principles into applied settings, and you will be asked to complete a final project to present to your daycare center at the conclusion of the quarter.  See me for more information, and relatively soon, as class size is limited.

Healthy body, healthy life, healthy mind.  We all know the health benefits of exercise.  Let PSU and a little competition help you out here with the 20.20.20 mini-triathlon at the Academic and Student Recreation Center on February 20.  20 minute lap swim, 20 minute stationary bike, and 20 minute run.