Questions: Douglas just finished his first job interview. Armed with knowledge from his Business Soft Skills course, Douglas attempted to use his body language to his advantage. He sat up so straight his back hurt, made eye contact until his eyes felt dry, and focused all his leftover energies into controlling his facial expressions. When the interviewer mentioned something of concern, Douglas quickly smoothed out his eyebrow line to mask it. While Douglas seems to have chosen the right behaviors, what is the potential pitfall? Douglas's brief eyebrow raise may have signaled his displeasure and cost him the interview. The interviewer may have been watching for body language signals of which Douglas is unaware. Since it is difficult to control all body language signals in a genuine way, Douglas's efforts may have seemed forced and unnatural. Douglas's body language may have been viewed as an aggressive power play.

The answer is: Since it is difficult to control all body language signals in a genuine way, Douglas's efforts may have seemed forced and unnatural.

Explanation for each option:

1. Douglas's brief eyebrow raise may have signaled his displeasure and cost him the interview.

   • This option is incorrect because the question does not provide enough information to suggest that a brief eyebrow raise alone would have been significant enough to cost him the interview. It focuses on a single instance rather than the overall impression.

2. The interviewer may have been watching for body language signals of which Douglas is unaware.

   • While this is a possibility, it is not the primary pitfall mentioned in the context. The question is more concerned with Douglas's overall approach to controlling his body language rather than the interviewer's specific observations.

3. Since it is difficult to control all body language signals in a genuine way, Douglas's efforts may have seemed forced and unnatural.

   • This is the correct answer. The passage suggests that Douglas was overly focused on controlling his body language to the point where it may have appeared unnatural. Genuine body language is often more effective in conveying confidence and sincerity.

4. Douglas's body language may have been viewed as an aggressive power play.

   • This option is incorrect because the passage does not indicate that Douglas's body language was aggressive. It focuses more on the unnatural and forced nature of his efforts rather than any perception of aggression.

In summary, the main issue is that Douglas's attempts to control his body language may have come across as forced and unnatural, which could negatively impact the interviewer's perception of him.