Albert Mehrabian b. 1939
Engineer turned psychology professor Albert Mehrabian is
best known for the research in the role of non-verbal communication which led
to his 7-38-55 rule. This idea, that the words account for 7%, tone of voice
for 38%, and body language accounts for 55% of liking, has been widely
misunderstood and cited. He has served as consulting editor to Sociometry,
Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
and Journal of Psychology, and has authored or co-authored 20 books.
Mehrabian’s experiments have helped identify nonverbal and subtle ways in which
one conveys like-dislike, power and leadership, discomfort and insecurity,
social attractiveness, or persuasiveness. His contributions include a
three-dimensional mathematical model for the precise and general description
and measurement of emotions and individual differences. Mehrabian is of much
more value than his famous rule, finding much of interest such as that liars
talk less and more slowly; and that people are more relaxed in the presence of
someone of inferior status, and more most tense if their company has a
perceived superior status.
Read Nonverbal Communication (1972) Chicago, IL:
Aldine-Atherton.
