Published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, the study assessed the personalities of 29 participants who were placed on treadmills to observe the way they move both their upper and lower bodies as they stroll, using motion-capture technology that can pick up even the subtlest movement.
“We analyzed their thorax and pelvis movements, as well as speed of gait,” the study explains. “Participants completed personality questionnaires, including a Big Five measure and a trait aggression questionnaire. We found that gait related to several of our personality measures.”
"We find that increased upper body movement (relative to lower body movement) can indicate latent aggression and increased lower body movement can relate to socially-facing traits (such as social skills and energetics)," lead researcher Liam Satchell told Medical Research.
Researchers hope that their small study will lead to continued research into the science behind body language.
