Body Language

Non-Verbal Communication
 What people are saying (ie. the words they
speak) and what they are really saying
(their intentions, emotions, hidden
agenda's etc.) can be very different;
 Some people lie.
 Some people unconsciously oppose what
they say
 Some people pretend to be what they're
not
 Some people don't talk at all (but their
body speaks volumes!)
 Body language and Intent

 Voluntary/Intentional movements - Usually

called "Gestures". These are movements you
intended to make, like shaking a hand, giving
the finger, blinking with one eye...
 Involuntary movements - Usually called "tells",
but "ticks" also fall into this category. Any body
movement you have no control over falls in this
category. While technically not a body
movement, sweating also applies.
Tone of voice and Intonation
 Pitch of voice - high voice, low voice,
intonation.
 Loudness - Everything from shouting to
whispering.
 Breathing - Slow, fast breathing, shaky
voice.
 Happy/joy

 Your forehead is relaxed, and may show light

wrinkles as you eyebrows are lightly raised.
 The corners of the mouth are curling up,
sometimes showing the teeth. If someone's
laughing out loud, the mouth is open. The
cheekbones are lifted.
 Your eyes show wrinkles in their outer corners
(when 'the eyes don't smile', these wrinkles are
absent; it's a telltale sign that someone isn't
really happy).
 Anger
 Your forehead is pushed together in a frown,
pushing down the eyebrows. Oftentimes your
teeth are showing, with snarling lips and
depressed corners of the mouth.
 Your nostrils are standing out and the nose is
wrinkled.
 The eyes are bulging out, putting tension on the
eyelids.
 Sadness
 The corners of your mouth is depressed, often
with a shaking lower lip. The eyebrows are
squashed together, and the forehead is frowning.
 The skin around your eyes is pulled in, and the
eyes are tearing up (or even crying).
 Wrinkles are forming from the nostrils to the
corners of your mouth.
 Scared
 Eyes are getting big, and the eyebrows go
up and then down again.
 Your lips are stretched outwards, and your
lower lip is pulled down.
 Your skin will look pale, as blood is
retracted from your head, and sweat can
form on your forehead.
 Surprise
 When you're surprised, your eye brows
are pulled up high, making your eyes wide
open, and your forehead wrinkled.
 Your mouth opens as your jaw muscles
relax and your lower jaw drops.
 you reveal things about yourself with how
you place your arms and legs. Are you:
 Open or Closed?
 Confident or Insecure?
 Interested or Bored?
 Dominant or Submissive?
 Happy or Depressed?
 Successful or a Loser?
 Leaving or Staying?
 Common Gesture Clusters
Openness:
Several gestures indicate openness and
sincerety
 Open hands,
 unbuttoned coal or collar,
 leaning slightly forward in the chair,
 removing coat or jacket,
 uncrossing arms and legs,
 moving closer.
 Common Gesture Clusters
Openness:
When people are proud of what they have
done, they usually show their hands quite
openly.
When they are not often put their hands into
their pockets, or hide back
When people show signals of openness that
means they are generally beginning very
comfortable in your presence which is
good.
 Common Gesture Clusters
Defensiveness:
People who are defensive usually have
 a rigid body,
 arms or legs tightly crossed,
 eyes glancing sideways or darting
occasionaly.
 minimal eye contact
 lips pursed, fists clenched and downcast head
 Common Gesture Clusters
Evaluation:
Evaluation gestures say that the other person
is being thoughtful or is considering what
you are saying. Sometimes in a friendly way
sometimes in an unfriendly way.
Typical evaluation gestures include
 tilted head,
 hand to cheek,
 leaning forward and
 chin stroking
 Common Gesture Clusters
Evaluation:
Sometimes evaluation gestures take on a
critical aspect.
 The body is more drawn back
 The hand is to the face but the chin is in
the palm of the hand with one finger going
up the cheek and the other fingers
positioned below the mouth.
 This is generally an unfavorable gesture.
 Common Gesture Clusters
Evaluation:
To gain time for evaluating the situation
people use cigarette or pipe smoking
habits, removing eyeglasses.
A final negative evaluation gesture is
dropping his eyeglasses to the lower
bridge of noise and peering over them.
This gesture usually causes a negative
emotional overreaction in other people.
 Suspicion, Secrecy,
Rejection, and Doubt:

These negative emotions are communicated

typically by:
 Sideways glances
 Minimal or no eye contact
 Shifting the body away from the speaker
 Touching or rubbing the nose.
 Suspicion, Secrecy,
Rejection, and Doubt II
When a person do not want to look at you it
could mean he is being secretive, has private
feelings in opposition to what you are saying or
hiding something.
A sideway glances means suspicion and doubt.
Shifting your body from someone means you
wish to end the conversation, meeting etc.
Touching nose may indicate doubt or
concealment
 Common Gesture Clusters
Readiness
Readiness is related to the goal-oriented
high achiever with a concern for getting
things done.
It communicates dedication to a goal and is
usually communicated by sitting forward
at the edge of a chair.
This may negatively give the appearence
of being overly anxious also.
 Common Gesture Clusters
Nervousness
 Clearing one’s  Whistling,
throat,  Jingling pocket
 Chain smoking. change
 Covering the  Fidgeting
mouth with hand,  Twitching lips or
 Tapping fingers face
 Common Gesture Clusters
Boredom or Impatience
These unproductive feelings are usually
conveyed by the
 Drumming of fingers
 Cupping the head in the palm of the hand,
 Foot swinging
 Brushing or picking a lint
 Looking at your watch or the exit.
 Common Gesture Clusters
Enthusiasm
This is an emotion hat you love to see in
other people and they in you. It is
conveyed by
 A small upper or inward smile
 Hands open and arms extended outward
 Eyes wide an alert
 A lively and bouncy walk
 A lively and well-modulated voice.