Reclaiming the 3D you: Mirroring, pheromones and other scientific reasons you should be there in-person

One of the major lessons from the past three years is that there is no substitute for in-person interaction. But why is that?

Much of the conversation revolves around personal preferences or intangible ideas like “rapport” and “context” that don’t fit well in a research proposal or business case. This session will explore some of the psychological and biological reasons that people interact in fundamentally different ways when they are in the same physical location. Clint also take a look at the implications for research, for stakeholder management, for productivity and for career development.

Key takeaways:

1. Being with a person in the same location builds a level of trust, interest, and (platonic) attraction that can’t be replicated on a screen.
2. Understanding the concrete benefits of in-person interaction allows us to prioritize when an in-person appearance is worth the additional time, effort, and cost.
3. Understanding these benefits also enables researchers to make the case to their partners for when and why in-person research is needed.