(bright guitar music) (writing utensil scratching)
(bell dings)
- [Teacher] Hey, Psych2Goers, welcome back to another video.
We wanted to let you know that it's only with your support
that we're able to make psychology
and mental health more accessible to everyone.
So thank you for all of the love that you've given us.
Now let's continue.
Sometimes it can be hard to get to know a person.
One minute you think you've just figured them out,
and then the next, they go ahead
and show they're someone else
from who you thought they were.
Whoever you're trying to get a read on,
they may be trying to get a read on you too.
There are a lot of little things
that can reveal a lot about your personality,
like what type of shoes you wear
or how often you check your phone or even your handshake.
If you're curious to learn more about these things
that give insight into your personality,
here are nine little things that can reveal a lot about you.
Number one, how often you check your phone.
You check your phone a lot.
It buzzes and beeps,
receiving messages from your friends and family
or maybe you have to exclusively use it for work.
But did you know that checking your phone too much
might be a sign that you're struggling with mental illness?
A team of psychologists at the University of Derby
and Nottingham Trent University conducted an online study
with 640 smartphone users, aged 13 to 69,
to determine the association
between smartphone use and personality traits.
Results indicated that people who struggle
with their mental health are more likely
to intensively use their smartphone as a form of therapy.
As your anxiety levels increase,
the more you might use your smartphone.
The less diligent you are,
the more likely you are to be addicted to your phone.
So, have you noticed that your roommate has been glued
to their phone lately?
Or that your younger sister can't seem to give up
their phone for anything or anyone?
They could be going through something.
Now might be a good time to talk with them
and see if they need your help.
Or, maybe they just really like playing Among Us.
Two, how you treat service staff.
Do you treat your waiter with kindness and patience?
How do you treat the checkout girl at the grocery store?
Everyone who works in the service industry is there
to help you and they shouldn't be mistreated
or disrespected by customers.
Pay attention next time to how others around you treat those
who work in service areas like restaurants or in stores.
Is your date complaining nonstop about your waitress?
Are they losing their patience or temper
over every little thing that the waitress does wrong?
When you take notice of things like that,
it can give you some insight into their personality.
You might learn some interesting details
about how they handle stress,
even if it is as small as waiting for your order
of chicken wings to arrive.
Number three, what type of shoes you wear.
According to a study published in ScienceDirect,
the shoes you wear most often can tell a lot
about who you are.
Shoes can wind up conveying a thin
but useful slice of information about you.
The study investigated people's precision
in judging characteristics of an unknown person,
based solely on the shoes he or she wears most often.
Participants provided photographs of their shoes,
and during a separate session
completed self-report measures.
When subjects were given photos of the participants' shoes,
they'd rate and judge them based on their shoes alone.
The shoes correlated
with the shoe owner's personal characteristics.
They were right about a person's age,
income, and attachment anxiety
from a picture of their favorite pair of shoes.
Those who wear comfortable shoes are likely to be agreeable.
Or if you wear uncomfortable shoes,
you're likely a calm person
with a touch of internalized pain.
If you're someone who's more so aggressive,
you probably like to wear ankle boots.
And if you enjoy having new shoes
or want to wear clean, well-maintained shoes,
you might be trying to calm yourself due to an anxious
and clingy personality.
Number four, how often you naturally make eye contact.
Not everyone likes making regular eye contact,
and that's okay.
But eye contact or lack thereof can reveal a lot
about what you're thinking in that precise moment.
According to researchers at Cornell University,
people often reduce eye contact
when discussing something embarrassing
or when they're deep in thought
or when emotions get stirred up during a conversation.
Also, according to this research,
if you're someone who happens
to make a lot of eye contact with people,
you're likely more socially dominant
and have a good amount of confidence.
Number five, your handshake.
Your handshake can seem like such a small, trivial thing,
but it can actually be an important indicator
of your personality.
A study from the University of Alabama had a group
of trained handshake coders shake hands twice
with 112 male and female subjects.
The subjects didn't know they were being evaluated
on their handshake,
and afterwards completed four personality questionnaires.
The study found that your handshake stays consistent
and how you shake can tell a lot about your personality.
The firmer your handshake is,
the more likely you are to be an extrovert
and open to new experiences.
If your handshake is more on the weaker side,
you're more likely shy and a bit neurotic.
When you have a firmer handshake,
you make a more favorable impression on others.
Number six, whether you show up on time or not.
Do you constantly run late to things?
Have you gotten a bad rep for struggling
to make it to school or work on time?
In actuality, this bad habit might not be the worst thing.
Running late can be indicative that you're a multitasker
or are more laid back.
Findings from a 2003 study by Jeff Conte
from San Diego State University
showed that out of 181 New York City subway operators,
those who preferred to multitask were commonly late to work.
Multitasking makes it harder to have metacognition,
or the awareness of what you're doing,
meaning that you aren't as aware of the time
when you're in the middle of multitasking.
Number seven, when you get something for yourself
but don't think to get anything for anyone else.
Let's say you want some takeout.
So you decide to grab some sushi on your way home from work.
And then you call your partner or your family
to see if they want some too.
That is, you probably do this
if you're a kind and unselfish person.
Someone who doesn't do this is likely someone
who could be considered rude, inconsiderate, or selfish,
and isn't very thoughtful.
They might also just be cheap.
Number eight, if you subtly put others down.
People can subtly be rude to you
and you might not notice it right away.
For example, do they talk like this?
You don't like to read that comic, right?
Or, you're not really into that video game, are you?
If they often phrase questions in a condescending way
and you can't help but feel bad by their remarks,
then they might not be the best friend to have.
Speaking this way can also be a sign
that they look on the negative side of things
and don't think very highly of others.
And number nine, where you look
when you're drinking out of a cup.
In psychology, where you happen to look
while you take a drink can subtly reveal a lot about you.
If you look over the rim of your cup when taking a drink,
you're likely an extroverted type
who can be easily influenced.
It's an indicator that you trust others easily,
are environmentally aware, and have a carefree view of life.
If you look into the cup when drinking,
you're more introspective.
You know yourself, are focused,
and have an idealistic view of life.
If you're someone who closes their eyes while drinking,
you might be in some sort of pain or discomfort
and are preoccupied with pleasure and relief.
Which of these nine things mentioned in the video
do you think would reveal the most about your personality?
Please like and share this video if it helped you
and you think it could help someone else too.
The studies and references used are listed
in the description below.
Don't forget to hit the subscribe button
for more Psych2Go videos.
Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time.