ABSTRACT

Although oral hygiene is known to impact self-confidence and self-esteem, little is known about how it influences our interpersonal behavior. Using a wearable, multi-sensor device, we examined differences in consumers’ individual and interpersonal confidence after they had or had not brushed their teeth. Students (N = 140) completed nine one-to-one, 3-minute “speed dating” interactions while wearing a device that records verbal, nonverbal, and mimicry behavior. Half of the participants brushed their teeth using Close-Up toothpaste (Unilever) prior to the interactions, whilst the other half abstained from brushing that morning. Compared to those who had not brushed their teeth, participants who had brushed were more verbally confident (i.e., spoke louder, over-talked more), showed less nonverbal nervousness (i.e., fidgeted less), and were more often perceived as being “someone similar to me.” These effects were moderated by attractiveness but not by self-esteem or self-monitoring.

摘要

尽管众所周知口腔卫生会影响自信心和自尊，但人们对其如何影响人际行为却知之甚少。使用可穿戴的多传感器设备，我们检查了消费者在刷牙或未刷牙后个人和人际关系信心的差异。学生（N = 140）在佩戴记录语言、非语言和模仿行为的设备的情况下完成了 9 次一对一、3 分钟的“快速约会”互动。一半的参与者在互动之前使用 Close-Up 牙膏（联合利华）刷牙，而另一半在那天早上不刷牙。与没有刷牙的参与者相比，刷过牙的参与者在言语上更有信心（即，说话声音更大，说话更多），表现出更少的非语言紧张（即更少烦躁），并且更常被认为是“与我相似的人”。这些影响受到吸引力的调节，但不受自尊或自我监控的影响。