It has long been a basic proposition of rapport building within Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) that people unconsciously trust those who are most like them. This has led to the idea of matching or mirroring other people’s physiology or modes of speech in order to build an unconscious positive connection. Done well, I’ve found that it works extremely well, and is a basic skill that we teach our Cognitive Hypnotherapy students.
Now evidence from a study conducted by researchers at St Andrews University has validated this approach. Scientists used computer graphics to manipulate men’s faces before women rated their attractiveness.
The faces were made to look more or less masculine by altering areas including jaw lines, and more or less like the women who rated them as part of the research.
It was found that women both trusted the men who most resembled them, and found them most attractive. The full story can be found here.
