D, I, S and C: Observing Behavior and Understanding it Correctly
“You’re certainly highly influencing!” A sentence that one might have thought at some point. However, then, while filling out a persolog® Personality Factor Profile, suddenly the surprise: the initial assessment doesn’t match the result at all. The reason: people tend to interpret initial information about others too quickly and then stick to it. Studies have shown that recruiters make a judgment about the applicant in the first 90 seconds and up to 70% stick to it.
But how exactly does this often incorrect initial assessment come about and what can we do to better assess behavior in direct communication?
The Most Common Errors of Our Perception
Each one of us is subject to some degree of perceptual bias. We all see reality through our own eyes and assess things based on our own perspectives. A purely objective perception is not possible for this reason. That’s why it’s especially important to constantly question our own perception and exchange ideas with others. Because often we forget that our own perception is not the “only true” one. This leads to typical perceptual errors:
- Role Errors: Conclusions are drawn based on the social role of the person. For example: You meet a leader and immediately assume that the person is dominant.
- Similarity Errors: We tend to like people who are similar to us. For example: A job candidate in an interview shows that he is very spontaneous. You yourself have the same trait and then transfer more of your personal traits onto the candidate: The candidate is very spontaneous, just like me. Then he must also be great at dealing with people. Just like me.
- Halo Effect: Individual characteristics of a person “overshadow” the overall impression, and we draw conclusions about further behavior. For example: Your employee completes tasks very precisely. This characteristic overshadows all other traits. Thus, you assume that he is also very precise and orderly in other life situations.
- Logical Errors: Incorrect conclusions are drawn when evaluating characteristics and traits. For example: A friend is always late to all meetings and events. Therefore, you assume that he is a very disorganized person.
- Projection: Unconscious inner psychological contents are projected onto other people. For example: You were raised to be orderly and therefore are averse to disorderly people. When you meet a disorderly person, you tend to exaggerate this trait.
But how do I recognize a person’s behavior correctly without having to fill out a profile?
One cannot not communicate!
Studies have shown that nonverbal communication has 65% to 95% more influence on us than the spoken word itself. It’s no coincidence that facial expressions have a significant impact on our lives. On the one hand, through our facial expressions, we unconsciously share emotions with others. On the other hand, facial expression is also a significant function of our body language and expresses our unconscious attitude towards ourselves (self-esteem, sociability, etc.).
Prof. Dr. John G. Geier, the developer of the Personality Factor Model with the four behavioral dimensions Dominant, Influencing, Steady, and Cautious, also asked himself this question: How can we infer a person’s behavior based on facial expressions and gestures? He identified the following cues for the behavioral dimensions in studies:
Dominant
- Looks others directly in the eyes
- Appears superior and confident
- Can seem arrogant at times
- Appears self-assured
- Has a rather serious facial expression
Influencing
- Open, radiant facial expression
- Engaging
- Appears trustworthy
- Humorous, sociable
- Playful, cheerful
Steady
- Friendly demeanor
- Gentle breathing
- Non-competitive, non-aggressive
- Open, gentle, but reserved facial expression
- Conveys: “You can rely on me.”
Cautious
- Distant and thoughtful demeanor
- No spontaneous reaction
- Sometimes appears critical
- Conveys: “I want to understand the world.”
- Can listen and remain silent
How do I observe behavior without bias?
To correctly interpret a person’s behavior, it’s important to observe behavior very closely. Often, we tend to evaluate recognized behavior. When evaluations dominate, the observations lose their significance. They become subjectively biased and thus very inaccurate. To interpret the appearance of certain individuals correctly, there are various tips. These help to observe and interpret behavior correctly:
The 6 Most Important Tips for Behavioral Observation
- The mixture of behavioral tendencies is best observed in interaction.
- When a person is alone and focused on work, we only see their predominant behavioral tendency in preparing things.
- Environments in which people enter a room, get to know each other or say goodbye, interact with each other, or approach each other are optimal for observation.
- By observing the overall effect of the person – gesture, facial expression, body posture – conclusions can be drawn about their behavior.
- To observe behavioral tendencies, a sequence of actions is particularly suitable: e.g., talk, listen, respond, think.
- People who are thinking generally look serious. Therefore, it’s better to observe people in interaction.
Recognizing and interpreting behavior correctly is not as easy as we think! We have to consider many things and should enter situations as unbiased as possible.
