When it is difficult for us to explain our feelings, we involuntarily resort to gestures — they help us express the most difficult experiences. But gestures, in turn, can evoke emotions or amplify them.
When it is difficult for us to explain our feelings, we involuntarily resort to gestures — they help us express the most difficult experiences. But gestures, in turn, can evoke emotions or amplify them. Psychologists Jesse Chandler and Norbert Schwarz (Jesse Chandler, Norbert Schwarz) from the University of Michigan (USA) invited the participants of the experiment to read the story and evaluate the actions of its aggressive hero, accompanying their response with the movement of one of the fingers — forefinger, middle or thumb. It turned out that those who moved the middle finger were most hostile to the hero, while those who were big, on the contrary, perceived his actions quite complacently. The authors notice that using a rude gesture, we not only influence the interlocutor, but also provoke our own aggressiveness. A gesture of support, on the contrary, makes us more confident and strengthens a positive attitude.