Honest Signals: How They Shape Our World (Bradford Books)

the group's honest signaling? What if the group and task roles were in fact closely related to the social roles we see when we measure people's signaling in other situations?

known that teams with a centrally coordinated structure-the classic "org chart" structure-are good for fixed, well-defined tasks, but not for complex tasks requiring flexibility.' Conversely, teams with richer interconnections are good for tasks requiring flexibility.

(Sound familiar? Interest and heightened activity are associated in most animals.)

solve problems, and learn.'5Indeed,

levels, and a consistency of emphasis and rhythm.

control.

keep track of how information flows within the social network.

These signals seem to be an ancient legacy of human evolution. They are a reading of basic brain functions, such as the arousal of the autonomic nervous system, the engagement of the attention and orienting brain centers, and the integration of the action sequencing system as well as the function of the more recently evolved mirror neuron system.

sociometer-wasn't recording what each person said in their presentation but rather how they said it.' How much variability was in the speech of the presenter? How active were theyphysically? How many back-and-forth gestures such as smiles and head nods occurred between the presenter and the listeners? This device was measuring another channel of co