Revisiting the Mehrabian Myth
One of the myths of media and presentation coaching is the notion that how you say something is far more important than what you’re saying. The idea got its primary boost from the studies of Arthur Mehrabian back in the 1970’s. Only problem is, that wasn’t exactly what he was saying. Jim Bergman and Sue Johnston discuss The Mehrabian Myth in a recent edition of their entertaining podcast Media Relations Matters.
I’m going to be looking at Mehrabian’s conclusions in more depth down the road. The main point I would want to make is that his studies concerned the communication of likes and dislikes, of emotional states, and within that context, he concluded that body language, vocal qualities, etc. were more important to that communication, WHEN there was a disconnect between what you’re saying and how you’re saying it.
The example I always like to use in my seminars is this: You offer me some pie, I take a bite, and my face looks like I’ve eaten a lemon, while I say to you “I love this pie”… that’s disconnect, and my face tells you how I really feel!
Posted: June 2nd, 2008 under Media Interview Trends, Your Appearance, Your Presentation, Your Voice.