Can we identify an aggressive person by the way they walk? A team of researchers from the University of Portsmouth (United Kingdom) has carried out a study whose objective is the prevention of crime by recognizing potentially aggressive people for their walking style.
The experts focused on the relationship between the five major personality traits: sociability, responsibility, openness, kindness and neuroticism and the way they walk or move, as well as the inclination of a subject to aggression according to their way of walking.
For this, they had the participation of 29 people who underwent personality evaluations and a test on a treadmill at natural speed using motion capture technology. This method records human actions and uses that information to create a 3D animated character model. Walking speed, pelvic movement and chest movement were taken into account.
The results determined that an exaggerated movement of both the lower and upper body indicated a significant factor of aggressiveness. Furthermore, while there was a moderate correlation between walking speed and aggression for men, this association was not observed among women.
According to experts, personality is closely related to our way of walking , so aspects such as the movement of our arms, the speed at which we walk or the general movement of the body, point to different characteristics of an individual’s personality.
Thus, the greater the movement relative to walking, the higher the level of aggressiveness the volunteers presented: “People are usually aware that there is a relationship between arrogance and psychology. Our research provides empirical evidence that confirms that personality is indeed manifested in the way of walking ”, explains Liam Satchell, leader of the work.
According to the authors, identifying a possible relationship between an individual’s biological movement and their intention to participate in an assault could be used to help prevent a crime.
The study has been published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior.
