In Italian Trial, the non-verbals will count

Is it Amanda Knox or Foxy Knoxy?

12 year old Seattle honor student is on trial for murder in Perugia, Italy.

Compare the lead photo on msn.com with the one you are lead to from Newsweek here.

I don't know about you, but from looking at the photos, I would have a completely different "impression" of Ms. Knox depending upon which one I was shown.

The article on Newsweek (link above) is full of the importance of impression and nonverbal communication. Would this be moreso in a country that is relatively more right-brained, like Italy? You be the judge. But the nonverbals matter in any courtroom in any country. That's why lawyers study it, why there are mock trials, why there are experts who 'prepare' witnessess, and why there are expert witnesses called to testify. The jury watches carefully, listens carefully, forms opinions beyond what is said, what is termed in the article, "nonjudicial factors."

Examples from the article:

Murder suspect Amanda Knox has a lot of explaining to do. But what she says may not be as important as how she says it.

Says Alessandra Batassa, a criminal-defense lawyer in Rome who has served on defense teams in similar crimes. "The court will be absolutely influenced by nonjudicial factors like her demeanor. Her image has been painted in a very bad light in the trial so far, so she has to portray that she has normal sexual relationships and that she is just a normal girl. She has to be very convincing."

At times she is indignant, answering questions with her own questions.

... she is either serious or arrogant

... waffled between confidence and calamity

The article ends:

She will almost surely be less cavalier this time, as her lawyers prepare her for what will be a grueling day. The jury will be listening attentively, but more important, they will be watching her every move.

If you'd like to increase your understanding of emotional intelligence and nonverbal communication, take the EQ Course or sign up for EQ coaching. Email sdunn@susandunn.cc for more information.

P.S. How would someone portray that she is "just a normal girl"? Share your comments.

Who is good at reading nonverbal cues and who is not. And how to get better at it.

The biggest mistake you can make is to assume communication has taken place.

A classic:

I have just revised my ebook, NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION and invite you to learn more. Including new research information.

Why learn nonverbal communication aka body language? As Sun-Tzu says, if something can be used against you, it's good to know as much about it as you can.

From the ebook:

Who's Good at Reading Nonverbal Cues and Who Isn't? (according to research):

• Autistic people usually are poor at it, or cannot
• Abused children are more sensitive to anger cues than unabused children
• Heroin addicts and phencyclidine abusers have a decreased ability
• Cocaine addicts have an increased ability
• Men with major depression have significantly decreased ability to read nonverbal cues
• Obese women have diminished ability to read nonverbal cues
• Women with PMS have a diminished ability
• Serial rapists of adult women are very good at it
• Women who have been raped on at least two occasions by different perpetrators are very poor at it (see data below)

A Disturbing, Yet Cautionary Tale:

In research done by AJ Giannini, WA Price, JL Kniepple in International Journal
of Psychiatry in Medicine, it was found that males who were serial rapists of adult women had very high "nonverbal receptive abilities," while women who had been raped on at least two occasions by different perpetrators had "a significant impairment in their abilities to read these cues in either male or female senders." Adds wikipedia, " These results were troubling, indicating a predator-prey model. The authors did note that whatever the nature of these preliminary findings the responsibility of the rapist was in no manner or level, diminished.

Lastly -

Medical students going into family practice, psychiatry, pediatrics and obstetrics-gynecology were significantly better at reading nonverbal cues than medical students going into surgery, radiology and pathology. Internal medicine and plastic surgery candidates scored near the mean.

Common sense (EQ) would add:

• Successful trial lawyers are good at it
• Clinical psychologists are good atl research psychologists aren't
• Psychics are excellent at it
• Identical Twins are very good at it (see my white paper on this)
• Successful gameplayers are good it ("don juans," Ponzi-schemers and poker player)
• Accountants, engineers and IT personnel are not good at it

I work with doctors and lawyers to improve their ability to read nonverbal communication.

IF YOU CAN'T READ NONVERBAL CUES, IN THE BEST-CASE SCENARIO, YOU ARE "CLUELESS" AND IN THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO, YOU ARE A SITTING DUCK FOR PREDATORS.

Let me help you. Order the ebook, sign up for personal coaching. Email me at sdunn@susandunn.cc .