Guy Reams (00:00.834)
This is day two 60, the clever Hans effect. I was recently in a business planning session filled with dynamic, intelligent people, all eager, all opinionated and passionately committed to their ideas. The energy was palpable. The atmosphere charged. At times we moved mountains, reaching critical breakthroughs and exciting conclusions yet.
Just as often, discussions devolved into heated exchanges with the conversation leaping chaotically from topic to topic. What struck me the most in this scene wasn't the complexity of our goals or the diversity of perspectives. Rather, it was something subtler, something beneath the surface of the words. As I carefully observed the interactions unfolding, I noticed something intriguing. Those who struggled to be heard
those repeatedly interrupted or overlooked, began amplifying their nonverbal signals. Voices grew louder, tones shifted abruptly, gestures became exaggerated. It was as if their bodies were desperately compensating for what their words alone could not convey. Witnessing this reminded me vividly of a fascinating lesson from college about nonverbal communication.
A lesson that was crystallized by an unlikely teacher. A horse named Clever Hans. In the early 1900s, a German horse named Hans captured imaginations worldwide. Clever Hans appeared to do the impossible, solving math problems, telling time and answering questions simply by tapping his hoof. Was this horse truly gifted? A mathematical prodigy? Scientists and
curious onlookers alike were eager to find out. Yet, what Hans revealed was not numerical genius, but something even more profound about human behavior. He wasn't performing calculations at all. Instead, Hans was intuitively reading the subtle and unconscious cues of his trainer and the audience sometimes. Tiny shifts in posture, changes in breathing, slight facial expressions.
Guy Reams (02:17.599)
signals humans weren't even aware that they were given. Hans didn't know math, he just knew people. This phenomenon now famously called the Clever Hans Effect highlighted a powerful insight into behavioral science and research. When humans subtly unintentionally signal approval or expectation, they influence outcomes far more than their words alone could.
In research, this unconscious queuing can profoundly skew results, making double-blind studies or automation essential to preserving objectivity. But the clever Hans effect isn't confined to lavatories or research studies. It infiltrates everyday interactions from office meetings to casual conversation. Consider the salesperson who notices the customer's slight nod or the manager whose inadvertent frowned colors an employee's update.
These small gestures profoundly shape communication, even without our awareness. Psychologist Albert Meharabian famously explored this further, formulating in communication circles what is now known as the 738-55 rule. According to his research, when expressing feelings or attitudes, only about 7 % of the message actually comes from words, 38 % from tone, and a remarkable
remarkable 55 % from your body language and facial expressions. The precise numbers obviously can vary, but the underlying truth is undeniable. How we communicate matters profoundly, often far more than the exact words that we choose. This insight has deep implications for leadership, sales, teamwork, indeed any human interaction.
Leaders who master nonverbal communication can inspire trust, motivate teams, and build deeper connections. Conversely, unintentional signals, a furrowed brow, a distracted glance, can undermine relationships, breeding doubt and confusion. Returning to that spirited planning session I had, I realized how much of our energy and effectiveness depended not merely on what we said, but on how we communicated.
Guy Reams (04:34.72)
Understanding the clever Hans effect, we can become more intentional, more thoughtful in our interactions by paying careful attention to tone, posture, facial expressions. can lead conversations more effectively, foster clear understanding and potentially even maybe build stronger relationships. Well, as this, as the session concluded, I took a moment to think about it. The words spoken in that room really mattered.
But what truly shaped our progress was the dance going on between the dialogue and the subtle powerful signals constantly exchanged, I think rarely recognized, but they were profoundly influential. Hans the horse couldn't perform arithmetic, but he did teach us something invaluable about what it is to be human. People, perhaps we all could benefit from becoming just a little more aware of the silent
Elegant conversations that are happening all the time with our expressions and with our tone.