Busting the Mehrabian Myth
03/01/11 20:24 Filed in: Presentations
One of the most enduring tales in presentation folklore is based on the idea that only seven percent of what a speaker says is conveyed via his or her words. The rest of the message - a whopping 93 percent - is transferred via tone of voice and facial expressions.
Enduring tale - yes. Truth - no. Far from it. And yet, the research the tale is based on is valid. Is it all making sense yet?
Here's how the myth came to be...
Once upon a time (back in the sixties) in a land far, far away (California) Albert Mehrabian, an American professor at UCLA, decided to study human face to face communication. What he learned from his experiments was that when two people engage in a conversation about their feelings and attitudes, much of what they mean is conveyed through their speech tone and facial expression. If there is an inconsistency in such circumstances between what a speaker says and the way he or she says it, the receiver would be wisest to trust the physical cues over the words.
The problem occurred when people started to apply this research to the broader topic of public speaking. Professor Mehrabian himself spoke out to clarify that he did not mean for people to conclude that non-verbal elements convey the bulk of the message in all situations. Yet the myth persists that words only account for a tiny portion of a public speaker’s message.
Vocal tone and body language contribute to communication, but they don't dominate it. While delivery is important, it won't make or break a well prepared presentation. Content is important.
Want more evidence? Then, take a few minutes to watch Busting the Mehrabian Myth, an animated video produced by Creativity Works. In this short work, British speechwriter and cartoonist Martin Shovel and his colleague Martha Leyton put the kibosh on the misinterpretation of the good professor's research. And they do it in an entertaining way. So, conduct your own research by watching the video and enjoy a chuckle at the same time.
Words matter. The end.
Enduring tale - yes. Truth - no. Far from it. And yet, the research the tale is based on is valid. Is it all making sense yet?
Here's how the myth came to be...
Once upon a time (back in the sixties) in a land far, far away (California) Albert Mehrabian, an American professor at UCLA, decided to study human face to face communication. What he learned from his experiments was that when two people engage in a conversation about their feelings and attitudes, much of what they mean is conveyed through their speech tone and facial expression. If there is an inconsistency in such circumstances between what a speaker says and the way he or she says it, the receiver would be wisest to trust the physical cues over the words.
The problem occurred when people started to apply this research to the broader topic of public speaking. Professor Mehrabian himself spoke out to clarify that he did not mean for people to conclude that non-verbal elements convey the bulk of the message in all situations. Yet the myth persists that words only account for a tiny portion of a public speaker’s message.
Vocal tone and body language contribute to communication, but they don't dominate it. While delivery is important, it won't make or break a well prepared presentation. Content is important.
Want more evidence? Then, take a few minutes to watch Busting the Mehrabian Myth, an animated video produced by Creativity Works. In this short work, British speechwriter and cartoonist Martin Shovel and his colleague Martha Leyton put the kibosh on the misinterpretation of the good professor's research. And they do it in an entertaining way. So, conduct your own research by watching the video and enjoy a chuckle at the same time.
Words matter. The end.