Handshakes
What does your handshake say about you? Chaplin et al (2000) had 2 males and 2 females rate the handshakes and first impressions of 112 participants (57% women). These predictions were compared to actual results on several personality inventories. A firmer handshake was related to openness (imagination, creativity) in women, but a less firm handshake was related to openness in men. Chaplin also found that more "open" women made a better first impression, while more open men made a slightly worse one.
Men's handshakes were "firmer" than women's, based on Chaplin's "Firm Handshake Composite", an aggregate score based on "strength, vigor, duration, eye contact, and completeness of grip." Gender was unrelated to a positive first impression based on the "First Impression Composite" (aggregated rater predictions of "extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional stability, openness, emotional expression, outgoingness, and positive affect").
I shake hands. I have freaked out small children by trying to shake their hands. Apparently one doesn't do this with small children. I don't remember when hand-shaking became part of the standard introduction protocol for me, but I remember noticing that it had happened. It happened at some point during college, so I was still a woman at the time. Judith Kleinfeld's (2008) article about Chaplin's research pointed out a gender difference in ettiquette that I'd missed. A man shouldn't initiate a handshake with a woman unless she puts out her hand first, because it's uninvited physical contact. I hadn't thought of that. I wonder if I've been pressing myself on female colleagues inappropriately.
I haven't asked this in a while, but if you're enjoying DifferenceBlog, I'd really appreciate a link in your LJ.
Men's handshakes were "firmer" than women's, based on Chaplin's "Firm Handshake Composite", an aggregate score based on "strength, vigor, duration, eye contact, and completeness of grip." Gender was unrelated to a positive first impression based on the "First Impression Composite" (aggregated rater predictions of "extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional stability, openness, emotional expression, outgoingness, and positive affect").
I shake hands. I have freaked out small children by trying to shake their hands. Apparently one doesn't do this with small children. I don't remember when hand-shaking became part of the standard introduction protocol for me, but I remember noticing that it had happened. It happened at some point during college, so I was still a woman at the time. Judith Kleinfeld's (2008) article about Chaplin's research pointed out a gender difference in ettiquette that I'd missed. A man shouldn't initiate a handshake with a woman unless she puts out her hand first, because it's uninvited physical contact. I hadn't thought of that. I wonder if I've been pressing myself on female colleagues inappropriately.
I haven't asked this in a while, but if you're enjoying DifferenceBlog, I'd really appreciate a link in your LJ.