Welcome to the asylum, everyone.
So why are we here?
Well, stream coaches always tell you how important
it is to stream with a camera, but they never
go into detail about why.
They always say “it builds a better connection
with your audience.”
Which is true, but they don’t really explain
how that connection gets built, or at least
how cameras can make it any better.
We’ll look at what happens in the brain
when seeing a face and how it gets perceived
and recognized.
Then, we’ll talk about nonverbal communication
and how streaming with a camera fills that
void.
Also, let me know in the comments if you use
a camera when streaming or not.
As always, If you ever want to discuss things
talked about on Stream Theory you can catch
me live on Twitch every Tuesday, Thursday,
and Saturday.
And If you like science and psychology applied
to streaming, be sure to subscribe.
With that out of the way, LET’S BEGIN!
As I mentioned in my last video, there are
neurons in your brain called Mirror Neurons.
Mirror Neurons fire off when you watch an
activity, and make you feel like you similarly
did the activity.
However, this doesn’t just have to do with
actions, it has the same effect for emotions
as well.
If we see someone who is experiencing a strong
emotion, there is a chance we may experience
the emotion as well, even if it’s to a lesser
degree.
Scientists have speculated this may be one
of the causes of empathy.
We see an emotion, and we feel that emotion.
Streaming with a webcam can help to show that
emotion and share it with your audience.
For example, smiling on camera can help make
people feel better, and mirror neurons are
why people joke and say smiling is contagious,
because in a sense, it kind of is.
Now, this isn’t to say if you’re feeling
depressed looking at a smile will automatically
make you feel better, but it can be a step
in the right direction.
If you stream without a camera, people may
not be able to tell what it is you’re experiencing.
Sure, they’ll be able to get an idea by
the sound of your voice, but the voice provides
very limited information.
Let’s talk about your brand.
It’s easier to build a brand when you have
a face to go with it.
Here’s why: Faces are extremely perceptible,
you’re able to recognize what a face is
almost as soon as you see one.
There is an area of the brain basically just
meant for faces.
It’s called the Fusiform Face Area, or FFA,
and it’s located in the temporal lobe.
The FFA contains functional clusters of neurons
that allow us to perceive faces.
These neurons fire at a characteristically
different pattern than other neurons.
Studies have shown that because of the firing
of these different neurons in the FFA and
other linked areas, faces are perceived as
a sum of separate parts, not a single structure.These
parts of faces get stored in our memory and
become recognizable just like any other object.
Part of what I’m getting at is that your
face will be recognized when someone sees
it, even if someone else shows a similar face.
This means that when someone sees your brand,
they’re able to instantly make the connection
between you and it.
Now let’s talk about the communication aspect
behind streaming with a camera.
Depending on how you look at it, nonverbal
communication can account for at least 1/3rd
of communication, some others say it’s a
whole 55%.
The thing to grasp here is, it’s extremely
important.
We communicate nonverbally naturally, and
without even realizing it.
Posture, stance, facial expression, etc. all
have a key role in how we communicate, and
can provide information about what the person
wants to communicate without the person even
speaking one word.
How you look when saying something can be
just as important, if not more important,
than what you say or how you say it.
Facial expressions are likely the most important
form of nonverbal communication when streaming.
Things like joy, sadness, and disgust are
all almost universally recognized no matter
what language you speak or what culture you’re
from.
When you’re watching someone on camera,
you can get an idea of how they’re feeling
without them saying anything.
If they smile, you can tell they’re happy
or feel good about something just from looking
at them.
If they frown, you can tell they’re unhappy.
Now, let’s talk about a theory called the
Uncertainty Reduction Theory.
It’s a theory that asserts that people need
information about another person in order
to reduce uncertainty when interacting.
Uncertainty can be thought of as cognitive
discomfort or maybe even anxiety in some cases.
You may be thinking “well yeah, duh” but
gaining this information gives people the
ability to understand a person’s behavior
and resulting action.
According to the theory, this is crucial to
the development of any relationship.
There are 2 basic assumptions that I’d like
to talk about in this theory that have to
do with nonverbal communication.
The first is that non-verbal expressiveness
which includes eye contact, arm gestures,
head nods, facial expressions, etc. can reduce
uncertainty levels in an initial interaction.
The second is that there has been found to
be an inverse relationship between uncertainty
levels and communication satisfaction.
This means that as levels of uncertainty go
down, communication satisfaction goes up.
Communication satisfaction is defined as "an
affective response to the accomplishment of
communication goals and expectations".
Again, these may seem obvious, but it becomes
important if thinking about live streaming
as a sort of conversation or attempt at communication
as opposed to a movie or form of entertainment.
There are also a set of theorems that is made
based on those 2 assumptions, which are based
on research.
Nonverbal affiliative expressiveness and intimacy
level of communication content are positively
related.
Positively related means that as one goes
up, the other also goes up.
So as a communicator uses nonverbal communication
more and more, the intimacy level of that
communication goes up.
Here is another one:
Intimacy level and communication satisfaction
are also positively related.
I really hope you all enjoyed the video and
learned something today.
If not, it at least got you thinking about
why certain things you’re told about streaming
work the way they do.
If you enjoyed the video, go ahead and hit
the like button and subscribe to the channel
to see more Stream Theory videos in the future.
And again, If you’d like to catch me live
I stream every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
from 6pm-9pm EST.
Have a wonderful day, and most importantly,
stay crazy.
