3 posts tagged “interpreting body language”
It's impossible to imagine our life without hands. They are our main feeders, they give comfort and hugs, they help defend ouselves, help bonding with others, well what not? They even take a great part in nonverbal communication by sending a lot of hidden signals, which help any body language expert to easily read and decode person's true emotions and feelings. In this matter our hands can work for or against us. So why not getting good at interpreting and using hand body language.
Lets continue our hand disscussion...
Touching people and things is probably the most frequent use of the hands. Touching can be used in romantic situations for stimulating certain desires. It can also be used as punishment, something like slapping can be a good example for that. The way we touch, the strength can say a lot about person. It can show whether the person is dominant or submissive, the level of interest and friendliness etc.
Another popular move is rubbing. We can rub sore parts of a body to start with a straight use of hands. More subtle use can include things like rubbing hands together. This can be done when we are cold or feeling gleeful. Rubbing hands together in more slow move can mean a thinking process, e.g. how to benefit at the expense of others. In this case look out for little noticable smile and defocused eyes. Another thinking process can be express by rubbing the face. This usually means deciding or evaluating something.
While thinking we may also press all our fingers together pointing upwards or just do this with index fingers only. This is usually evaluating or decisive process.
When we think we can also support our head with hand either with the opened palm or with the index finger up on one side of the face and the middle finger covering the mouth.
Hands around cheeks with elbows on the table may mean that the person is bored or sleepy. And the more head is supported the more bored person is feeling. When somebody is interested there is either light support or no such at all.
Sometimes people hide their hands and this in most cases is a negative body language signal. This can indicate absence of desire to communicate. One of the ways to hide hands is putting them into pockets. Liars often do that in fear that their hands will betray them. Hiding hands may also show a desire for listenning and not talking, that is allowing another person to speak while they would just listen. As always hiding and putting hands into pockets doesn't always mean a negative signal. This can be also done when the person is relaxed.
Picking at bits of fluff clothes most of the times mean that the person disagree with something and in this way is picking apart the argument.
More on body language,please visit my site Improving Communication in Business and Personal Life
source:www.changingminds.org
Yesterday I gave the introduction to what I would be covering in the next couple of days.As we moved from the top to bottom,I'll start with the head today.
Head gets the most attention,while communicating.It has many parts that send nonverbal signals to the opponent.I'll be covering them in my further posts.Today I'm concentrating on head positions and movements,which are affected by neck muscles.
Lowering head
This gesture has a lot of meanings.It can be greeting,agreement or confirmation,subduing or shame.Other parts of body will help to distinguish which one exectly it is.
A single nod with the head means greeting.
Lowering head can be agreement with the other person or it can be a signal of power.
It can be a gesture "from the past" having a defencive meaning,as neck is very volnurable part of the body.So it can occur as a result of any possible threat and not necessarely physical.Literaly,it makes body smaller and protects the neck.
Lowering head,complemented with lowering eyes,can be a sign of submission or shame (you can add red cheeks here as well).These are driven by affection or fear.
Finaly,it can just mean that the person is tired,so the person's head will sag.
Raising head
If person raised a lowered head it can mean an interest.This is usually accopmpanied with the eye contact and raised eyebrows.
A quick flick upwards can be a sign of query.
Looking at the ceiling with raised head can show that the person is bored or is deeply thinking.Another example when the person wants to focus on some sound and averts his/her eyes to be able to concentrate on it.
Nodding and shaking head
Nodding is a gesture of confirmation in most cultures and negation in few,like Sri Lanka and Bulgaria.When nodding means agreement it's usually accompanied with a smile and other approval gestures.A strong nodding probably indicates a strong agreement,a slow one should be questioned as it indicates conditional agreement.
Shaking head shows disagreement or disapproval.The speed of swinging indicates the strength of disapproval.If the head is lowered while swinging that's a particular disagreement as person doesn't even want to look in the eyes of opponent.
Nodding or shaking at the moment of talking is the encouragement for the other party to agree.This one works very often.
Nodding when somebody else is speaking means agreement and encouragement to continue.
Short and sharp nod can show that the person wants to strike the other person,e.g to emphasise some point in the conversation.
Saying something positive and shaking head at the same time is a negative sign.This may be when person doesn't believe what he/she is saying.
Tilting head
This sign can show that the person is interested in what's being discussed.It can be a flirting signal,showing an interest as well.
If,while tilting,the head is pushed forward as if person wanted to look at you from different angle,that can be curiosity,query or uncertainty.The greater the tilt,the greater the signal.
On the contrary,if head is pulled back it shows that the person has suspicion (defencive sign).
Tilting head at the angle of each side means doubt in most cultures.
If tilted head is supported with a hand it can mean both - tiredness or continued interest.
Rotating head
Rotating head in circle movement is extrimely rare and basically person just exercises stiff neck,although this may be boredom as well.
A slight rotation when nodding or shaking can show incomplete approval or disaproval,e.g.indicating external agreement with a hint of disagreement (that can be actually significant,when person feels coerced to agree).
A slight head turn shows just one eye to the other person.This position can be used as act of dominance or even giving "an evil eye".
Chin pointing
We can point by chin at a person or a thing,just anything we have interest at.We can also point a direction,usually when our hands are busy.Some times this gesture is also used as a greeting.If somebody points at a person without looking at him/her it can be insulting.
Touching the head
People touch head in different places.This is mostly done while being anxious.When people are concerned they usually stroke or touch preferred place.
Covering eyes with sunglasses is easy way to hide some emotions,as eyes' pupils are the only thing we can't control.
People stroke their chin or touch their nose when they are thinking,judging or making decisions.
When we are bored or tired we tend to prop our chin with the hand.This gesture can also mean that we are evaluating something or just thinking.
We can scratch the back of our head,when we don't know the answer and trying to figure it out from the outside world.
That's the power of non-verbal communication.Many people who earn their living by playing games know a big deal about decoding and interpreting body language signs.Just by watching other players give them the better position in the game and they can work out better steps in the game.
Tomorrow we'll continue body language talk...
Reading and Decoding Body Language
Materials used for the article:wikipedia.com;changingminds.org
Today is one of my special days of a year.So should stay in a good mood all day.
I was thinking at night before going to bed,where do the roots of body language science come from?When did people begin to notice significance of nonverbal communication?To say it even better,when did people begin to actualy observe and record all body movements and gestures and their connection to people's feelings and thoughts?Decoding all body language signs should have taken a bit of a time,as while interpreting them one should take into consideration both straight and hidden (subconscious) meaning of expressions.
Well of course there are some movements that tell for themselves.These were definitely obvious even to a cave man, all his body language was pretty much straight forward based on insticts only.His life was limited to doing certain things and in order to survive he had to deal with a lot of agression and selfishness.Funny enough there are representatives of alike nowadays(and I'm not talking about the tribes in third world countries).
Another question...does body language evolve alongside humanbeing or is it timeless, but comes out to the surfice once the time arrives?
Any thoughts?
