The human mind. Pt. 3, Making Friends.

In the final part of this 3-part series, Professor Robert Winston looks at the complicated process that our brains go through when communicating with other. Mia Bragg travels to New Zealand to meet the family of her boyfriend shortly before they get married; her new life depends on establishing a good relationship with her new family. Babies under 6 months have the ability to tell the difference between primate faces but they soon lose this ability as they get older, because it is not vital to their survival and they are surrounded only by adult faces in their early days. A smile is one of the most important things we notice when we meet someone. Actress Jacqueline Haig demonstrates the difference between a genuine and a false smile. Asymmetrical faces are more likely to trigger distrust than broad features on 'baby-like' faces. An experiment where participants meet a 'Mr. Nice' and a 'Mr. Nasty' shows how people mimic the body language of people they like. Mirror neurons in our minds help us to read the minds of others so that we feel something of what they are feeling. Actress Tricia Dibbs tries on a series of awful outfits in a shop and asks passers-by if they think these clothes suit her. They all say yes and tell afterwards of how they felt that was what she wanted them to say. The 'mind reading' that we all do naturally can also be used to manipulate and deceive. The signals that suggest someone is lying are examined. The programme concludes that we are always trying to work out what others are thinking before deciding what to do ourselves, which is what helps us to understand that people have different interests, ideas and beliefs, and also means we can appreciate the arts and entertainment, as well as develop personal relationships.