The University of Michigan conducted three studies on the cooperativeness and nonverbal expressions in leadership positions in group dynamics.

Lead author Patricia Chen, a psychology graduate student at Michigan stated, “Our studies show that the effects of rank on cooperativeness spill over into the individual’s nonverbal cues, which are not only picked up by observers, but also lead them to act differently towards the individual.”

These results, according to Health Canal.com, show that less cooperative-looking people are not necessarily selected into higher-ranked organizations. Rather, situational cues of these positions evoke hierarchical facial expressions.

In one of the studies the results showed that the higher the rank of the business school, the less cooperative the dean appeared (in a photograph).

What does this mean for people higher up on the corporate ladder?

Well, if followers do not perceive a leader as cooperative, they tend to be less motivated, committed and open in their communication.  “Leaders need to be aware that their ranking might spill over into their facial expressions when they interact with others in the organization, affecting what others think of their cooperative intentions,” said co-author Christopher Myers, a doctoral student in the Ross School of Business.

Fear and confidence go hand in hand.  This might sound like an oxymoron, but new research suggests that it is in fact true.

A sociologist from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania led a study on men’s outward display of confidence while experiencing fear.  The study focused on mixed martial art competitors.

According to newswise, the findings, which appear in the December issue of American Sociological Association’s Social Psychology Quarterly, purport that successful management of fear may “create an emotional orientation that primes men to subordinate and harm others.”

Co-author of the study Dr. Christian A. Vaccaro goes on to state, “By signifying masculine selves through evoking fear and shame in others, such men are likely to more easily secure others’ deference and accrue rewards and status. Managing emotional manhood, whether it occurs in a locker room or boardroom, at home or the Oval Office, likely plays a key role in maintaining unequal social arrangements.”

The researchers affirm that managing emotional manhood, a term used in their study, “ is an interactional strategy for managing emotion and a means for conveying a social identity to others.”

To learn more about fear read this article from the Association of Psychological Sciences (aps) on existential fear.