Dr. Glenn Wilson observed the body language of 500 bar patrons and categorized them as either: flirts, gossips, fun lovers, wallflowers, ice-queens, playboys, Jack-the-lads, or browbeaters. He did his work for the Walkabout bar chain.
Extensive Resume in Human Behaviour
Dr. Wilson is an Honourary Senior Lecturer at King’s College, University of London. He is widely published and well known for his studies in personality measure, sexual attraction, and other human behaviour fields.
Talking about his recent study he told BBC News (May 29, 2009), “When you’re in a crowded bar, often all you have to go on is body language.” So, by being ardent students of the way people behave and hold their drinks fellow customers can gauge personality types.
Every Man’s Dream
The flirt says Dr. Wilson “is usually a woman, who holds her glass with dainty, splayed fingers and uses it in a provocative way.”
Fun lovers are also high on the list for attracting males on the prowl for a date. “They take short swigs from bottled drinks so they don’t miss out on chipping in with the conversation…This type of person is always happy to extend their social circle. The best way to approach them therefore is to leap directly into light, good-humoured conversation and make them laugh.”
Two Difficult Personalities to Win over
Wallflowers are shy and submissive. They hold their glasses protectively with the palms of their hands hidden; “the glass is used as a social crutch - the drink is never quite finished, with a mouthful left in case of emergency.”
Ice-queens are, as the name suggests, cold and defensive. “She drinks from a wine glass, or a short glass, which is held firmly in a barrier position across the body so as to deter intimate approaches.”
Several Types Women Should Avoid
Jack-the-lad is in the bar for a good time, and that’s all that matters to him. He will spread “himself over as much space as possible, for example, pushing the glass well away from himself and leaning back in his chair.” Jack is conscious of his image and needs his ego stroking.
The playboy is self-confident and “He uses his, usually long, glass or bottle as a phallic prop, playing with it suggestively.”
The browbeater is a hostile know-it-all. “He prefers large glasses, or bottles, which he uses as symbolic weapons, firmly grasped, and gesticulating in a threatening, ‘in the face’ kind of way.” Dr. Wilson advises that, “He should be approached with great care, or not at all.” Counsel that would seem to apply to all the male types he describes.
Unconscious Body Language
Dr. Wilson told BBC News that the body language people display is unconscious and “just reflects the person you are and the type of social relationships you have.
“The next time you’re in a bar, it might be worth thinking about what you’re saying to the people around you, just by the way you’re holding your glass.”
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