Author: Chris

*No Photo, Amplifier, Audible signals, Authoritative body language, Submissive body language

Body Language of Voice Pitch

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Voice Pitch

Cue: Voice Pitch

Synonym(s): N/A

Description: Pitch is a voice quality describing the number of vibrations emitted from the vocal cords in a unit of time. We detect pitch is the highness or lowness of the voice.

In One Sentence: The depth of the voice indicates dominance and submissiveness.

How To Use it: To appear more dominant lower the voice, to appear more submissive, raise the pitch of the voice. Both voice pitches, high and low, have a place for both men and women.

Men and women should lower their voice pitch when trying to appear in control, assertive and dominant. This will work in any context, but is especially crucial when leadership is required. While a high pitched female voice can be used to create obedience and fear, it will most likely be attributed to loss of control. When voices become high pitched they come across as emotional and this is then ascribed to the person. Lowering the voice, on the other hand, signals dominance which is a more natural way to create obedience.

In dating, men with deep voices are seen as more attractive as it signals higher dominance. Therefore, men should deepen their voices in a dating context. Research has also found that women can artificially make their voices sexier by deepening them. In fact, women were much better at making their voices sexy than men.

Conversely, when men and women wish to create a caring impression, they should use a higher pitched voice. A high pitched voice is best used with babies and small children. The aim is to mirror their voice pitch so as to create a likeness. This will facilitate trust.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “My voice is either highly pitched or deeply pitched and this depends on my level of dominance and authority and provides you with cues to how you should treat me and with how much respect I deserve.”

Variant: See Becoming Loud, Becoming Quiet or Whispering.

Cue In Action: Mom’s voice was soothing and calming, but when it came to getting her child to listen, she could raise her voice to a screech. Dad’s voice, on the other hand, was baritone. His voice boomed and put his little boy into action. When Dad talked, the 4-year-old knew the games were over and it was time for bed. His low deep voice resonated with dominance, striking fear in him.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The rate of vibration is controlled by the length and thickness of the vocal cords as well as how they are contracted or relaxed. The greater the vibrations, the higher the pitch, and therefore the higher the note achieved. In most cases, men’s voices are of lower pitch than women’s, but even men can tighten their vocal cords enough to achieve comparable pitch. Therefore, voice pitch is partly under conscious control. The highness and lowness of natural voices is affected by the body chemical androgen, which is the male sex hormone. The same hormone is tied to physical prowess and aggressiveness and also loosely tied to a competitor’s health and vigor making a low voice attractive to females when it is found in men.

To the nonverbal world, meaning is conveyed through pitch. When emotions run high, the voice can raise. A high voice pitch with a high volume is a scream which indicates heightened emotion such as anger, frustration, fear or excitement. A low voice has the reverse effect. It is often calming and authoritarian. Pitch also tells us what kind of person we are dealing with, be they subordinate with a higher pitch or dominant with lower pitch.

While we are all born with a certain natural voice pitch, it is possible to raise or lower our pitch to yield desired results. A woman may raise her voice pitch to gain favour from others, or she may lower it to command respect from colleagues. Generally, a high pitch tells others that we are ineffectual no matter how capable the person might really be. A low pitch with no inflection, showing no emotion, can also signal depression and weariness.

Cue Cluster: This cue coupled with other cues, can strengthen its meaning. A dominant voice with dominant body language increases the chances that a person is perceived that way. However, you might imagine a burley man with a weak, high pitched voice. This will likely confuse the body language reader as it is a mixed message. Voice pitch is just one cue so it must be read alongside other cues in the cluster.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Authoritative body language, Audible signals, Submissive body language.

Resources:

Apicella C. L.; D. R. Feinberg and F. W. Marlowe. Voice Pitch Predicts Reproductive Success in Male Hunter-Gatherers. Biology Letters. 2007. 3:682–684. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0410
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/hes-got-deep-voice-larger-family-tree-voice-pitch-predictor-reproductive-success-men/

Apicella, Coren L. and David R. Feinberg. Voice Pitch Alters Mate-Choice-Relevant Perception in Hunter–Gatherers. Proc. R. Soc. B. 2009. 276: 1077–1082
doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.1542
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/impress-higher-pitched-voice/

Abitbol, J., Abitbol, P., & Abitbol, B. (1999). Sex hormones and the female voice. Journal of Voice, 13, 424–446.

Bachorowski, J., & Owren, M. J. (1995). Vocal expression of emotion: Acoustic properties of speech are associated with emotional intensity and context. Psychological Science, 6, 219–224.

Brück, Carolin ; Kreifelts, Benjamin ; Wildgruber, Dirk. Emotional voices in context: A neurobiological model of multimodal affective information processing. Physics of Life Reviews. 2011 8(4): 383-403.

Cartei, Valentina and David Reby. Acting Gay: Male Actors Shift the Frequency Components of Their Voices Towards Female Values When Playing Homosexual Characters. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2012. 36:79–93
DOI 10.1007/s10919-011-0123-4
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/purposely-gay-voice-pitch-male-actors-use-effeminate-voices-feign-homosexuality/

Fraccaro, Paul J.; Benedict C. Jones; Jovana Vukovic; Finlay G. Smith; Christopher D. Watkins; David R. Feinberg; Anthony C. Little and Lisa M. Debruine. Experimental Evidence That Women Speak in a Higher Voice Pitch to Men They Find Attractive. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 2011. 9(1): 57-67.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/women-raise-voice-pitch-men-find-attractive/

Fraccaro, Paul J.; Jillian J. M. O’Connor; Daniel E. Re; Benedict C. Jones; Lisa M. DeBruine and David R. Feinberg. Faking it: Deliberately Altered Voice Pitch and Vocal Attractiveness. Animal Behaviour. 2013. 85: 127e136.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/sound-little-atypical-measuring-artificial-lowering-raising-voice-pitch-men-women/

Gobl C, Nı´ Chasaide A (2003) The role of voice quality in communicating emotion, mood and attitude. Speech Commun 40: 189–212. doi: 10.1016/ S0167-6393(02)00082-1.
Hughes, S. M., & Gallup Jr., G. G. (2003). Sex differences in morphological predictors of sexual behavior: shoulder to hip and waist to hip ratios. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24, 173–178.

Hughes, S. M., Harrison, M. A., & Gallup Jr., G. G. (2002). The sound of symmetry: voice as a marker of developmental instability. Evolution and Human Behavior, 23, 173–180.

Hughes, Susan M.; Franco Dispenza and Gordon G. Gallup Jr.. Ratings of voice attractiveness predict sexual behavior and body configuration. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2004; 25: 295–304.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/sexy-voices-linked-to-sexy-bodies-and-sexual-success/

Hughes, S. M., & Gallup Jr., G. G. (2003). Sex differences in morphological predictors of sexual behavior: shoulder to hip and waist to hip ratios. Evolution and Human Behavior, 24, 173–178.

Hughes, S. M., Harrison, M. A., & Gallup Jr., G. G. (2002). The sound of symmetry: voice as a marker of developmental instability. Evolution and Human Behavior, 23, 173–180.

Herold, Debora S. ; Nygaard, Lynne C. ; Namy, Laura L. Say It like You Mean It: Mothers’ Use of Prosody to Convey Word Meaning. Language and Speech. 2012. 55(3): 423-436.

Krauss, R. M., Freyberg, R., & Morsella, E. (2002). Inferring speakers’ physical attributes from their voices. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 618–625.

Lass, N. J., & Colt, E. G. (1980). A comparative study of the effect of visual and auditory cues on speaker height and weight identification. Journal of Phonetics, 8, 277–285.

Lass, N. J., & Davis, M. (1976). An investigation of speaker height and weight identification. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 60, 700–704.

Leongómez, Juan David; Jakub Binter; Lydie Kubicová; Petra Stolarová; Katerina Klapilová and Jan Havlícek, S. Craig Roberts. Vocal Modulation During Courtship Increases Proceptivity Even in Naive Listeners. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2014. doi: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.06.008.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/voice-pitching-courtship-competition/

Lass, N. J., & Colt, E. G. (1980). A comparative study of the effect of visual and auditory cues on speaker height and weight identification. Journal of Phonetics, 8, 277–285.

Lass, N. J., & Davis, M. (1976). An investigation of speaker height and weight identification. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 60, 700–704.

Laukkanen A-M, Vilkman E, Alku P, Oksanen H (1997) On the perception of emotions in speech: The role of voice quality. Logoped Phoniatr Vocol 22: 157– 168. doi: 10.3109/14015439709075330.

Mikach, S. M., & Bailey, M. (1999). What distinguishes women with unusually high numbers of sex partners? Evolution and Human Behavior, 20, 141–150.

Nygaard, L. C., & Queen, J. S. (2008). Communicating emotion: Linking affective prosody and word meaning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 34, 1017–1030.

Puts, David A.; Julia L. Barnd; Lisa L.M.; Welling, Khytam Dawood; and Robert P. Burriss. Intrasexual Competition Among Women: Vocal Femininity Affects Perceptions of Attractiveness And Flirtatiousness. Personality and Individual Differences. 2011; 50: 111-115.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/women-use-voice-pitch-flirt-compete-men

Puts, David A.; Coren L. Apicella and Rodrigo A. Cárdenas. Masculine Voices Signal Men’s Threat Potential in Forager and Industrial Societies. Proceedings of the Royal Society. 2011. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2011.0829
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/deep-voice-signals-potential-threat-use-body-language-dominance/

Scherer KR (2003) Vocal communication of emotion: A review of research paradigms. Speech Commun 40: 227–256. doi: 10.1016/S0167-6393(02)00084-5.

Sally D. Farley, Susan M. Hughes, Jack N. LaFayette. People Will Know We Are in Love: Evidence of Differences Between Vocal Samples Directed Toward Lovers and Friends. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 2013; 37 (3): 123.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/are-they-cheating-research-says-voice-may-betray-them/

Susan Hughes, Justin Mogilski, Marissa Harrison. The Perception and Parameters of Intentional Voice Manipulation. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 2014 DOI: 10.1007/s10919-013-0163
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/her-voice-is-hot-his-is-not/

Sei Jin Ko; Melody S. Sadler and Adam D. Galinsky. The Sound of Power Conveying and Detecting Hierarchical Rank Through Voice. Psychological Science. 2014. DOI: 956797614553009
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/power-produces-dominance-voice-study/

Scherer, K., Banse, R., Wallbott, H., & Goldbeck, T. (1991). Vocal cues in emotion encoding and decoding. Motivation and Emotion, 15, 123–148.

Singh, L., Morgan, J. L., & Best, C. T. (2002). Infants’ listening preferences: Baby talk or happy talk? Infancy, 3, 365–394.

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Siegman, Aron Wolfe ; Boyle and Stephen Mineka. Voices of Fear and Anxiety and Sadness and Depression: The Effects of Speech Rate and Loudness on Fear and Anxiety and Sadness and Depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 1993. 102(3): 430-437.

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Zuckerman, M., & Driver, R. (1989). What sounds beautiful is good: the vocal attractiveness stereotype. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 13, 67–82.

*No Photo, Lying or deceptive body language, Masked emotions

Body Language of Upper Lip Smile

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Upper Lip Smile

Cue: Upper Lip Smile.

Synonym(s): N/A

Description: In this smile, the upper lip is raised to expose only the top row of teeth with the lower teeth remaining hidden and together.

In One Sentence: The upper lip smile indicates insecurity and dishonesty.

How To Use it: This cue is not seen as a positive signal so should be avoided and instead replaced with an honest Duchenne smile or simply a polite smile.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I have a hidden agenda which is why my upper lip raises baring my clenched teeth.”

Variant: See Smiling, Fear Smile, Friendly Smile, Frown (the) or Downturned Smile, Honest Smile or Duchenne Smile, Jaw Drop Smile, Nervous Smile, Polite Smile (the), Uneven Smile Or Lopsided Smile, Upper Lip Smile, Artificial Smile or Fake Smile, Nervous Smile, Honest Smile or Duchenne Smile, Contempt Facial Expression.

Cue In Action: The used car salesman feigned a smile when he saw the customer approaching by only exposing his upper teeth.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The Upper Lip Smile is one that is perceived as insecure and dishonest. People who ‘beam light’ from their teeth in this way will be viewed as having a hidden agenda.

Cue Cluster: Be careful to watch for power plays such as touching, encroaching on personal space and strong eye contact.

Body Language Category: Lying or deceptive body language, Masked emotions.

Resources:

Abel, Ernest L. and Michael L. Kruger. Smile Intensity in Photographs Predicts Longevity. Psychological Science. 2010. 21(4): 542-544.

Centorrino, Samuele ; Djemai, Elodie ; Hopfensitz, Astrid ; Milinski, Manfred ; Seabright, Paul. Honest smiles as a costly signal in social exchange. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2010. 33(6): 439-439.

Cashdan, Elizabeth. Smiles, Speech, and Body Posture: How Women and Men Display Sociometric Status and Power. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1998. 22(4): 209-228.

Colonnesi, Cristina; Susan M. Bogels; Wieke de Vente and Mirjana Majdandzic. What Coy Smiles Say About Positive Shyness in Early Infancy. Infancy. 2013. 18(2): 202–220. ISSN: 1525-0008 print / 1532-7078 online
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-7078.2012.00117.x
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/nonverbal-meaning-coy-smiles-infants/

Ekman, P., Davidson, R., & Friesen, W. V. (1990). The Duchenne smile: Emotional expression and brain physiology II. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 342–353.

Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1982). Felt, false and miserable smiles. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 6, 238–252.

Ekman, P., Friesen, W. V., & O’Sullivan, M. (1988). Smiles when lying. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 414–420.

Ekman, P., Roper, G., & Hager, J. C. (1980). Deliberate facial movement. Child Development, 51, 886–891.

Fairbairn, Catharine E.; Michael A. Sayette; Odd O. Aalen and Arnoldo Frigessi. Alcohol and Emotional Contagion: An Examination of the Spreading of Smiles in Male and Female Drinking Groups. Clinical Psychological Science. 2014. DOI: 2167702614548892
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/alcohol-social-lubricant-male-smiles/

Frank, M. G., & Ekman, P. (1993). Not all smiles are created equal: The differences between enjoyment and nonenjoyment smiles. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 6, 9–26.

Frank, M. G., Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1993). Behavioral markers and recognizability of the smile of enjoyment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 83–93.

Grandey, Alicia A. ; Fisk, Glenda M. ; Mattila, Anna S. ; Jansen, Karen J. ; Sideman, Lori A. Is “service with a smile” enough? Authenticity of positive displays during service encounters. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2005. 96(1): 38-55.

Gueguen, Nicolas. Weather and Smiling Contagion: A Quasi Experiment With the Smiling Sunshine. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37:51–55. DOI 10.1007/s10919-012-0140-y
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/weather-smile-not-contagion-smile-linked-weather-conditions/

Golle, Jessika; Fred W.; Mast and Janek S. Lobmaier. Something to Smile About: The Interrelationship Between Attractiveness and Emotional Expression. Cognition and Emotion, 2014. 28:2: 298-310. DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2013.817383.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/smiles-arent-just-cameras/

Guéguen, N. The Effect Of A Woman’s Smile On Men’s Courtship Behavior. Social Behavior and Personality. 2008. 36(9): 1233-1236.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/how-women-can-use-a-simple-smile-to-attract-men/

Guéguen, N., & Fischer-Lokou, J. (2004). Hitchhiker’s Smiles And Receipt Of Help. Psychological Reports. 94: 756-760.

Gosselin, Pierre; Reem Maassarani; Alastair Younger and Mélanie Perron. Children’s Deliberate Control of Facial Action Units Involved in Sad and Happy Expressions. Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour. 2011. 35:225–242. DOI 10.1007/s10919-011-0110-9.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/childrens-control-facial-actions-improve-age-create-accurate-emotional-expressions/

Gunnery, Sarah D.; Judith A. Hall and Mollie A. Ruben. The Deliberate Duchenne Smile: Individual Differences in Expressive Control. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37:29–41. DOI 10.1007/s10919-012-0139-4
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/can-probably-fake-honest-smile-deliberate-duchenne-smile/

Hertenstein, Matthew J.; Carrie A. Hansel; Alissa M. Butts and Sarah N. Hile. Smile Intensity In Photographs Predicts Divorce Later In Life. Motiv Emot. 2009; 33:99-105
DOI 10.1007/s11031-009-9124-6
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/small-smiles-predicts-divorce/

Harker, L., & Keltner, D. (2001). Expressions Of Positive Emotion In Women’s College Yearbook Pictures And Their Relationship To Personality And Life Outcomes Across Adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(1), 112–124. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.80.1.112.

Harker, L. A., & Keltner, D. (2001). Expressions of positive emotion in women’s college yearbook pictures and their relationship to personality and life outcomes across adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 112–124.

Johnson, Kareemj. ; Waugh, Christiane. ; Fredrickson, Barbaral. Smile to see the forest: Facially expressed positive emotions broaden cognition. Cognition & Emotion. 2010. 24(2): 299-321.

Johnston, L., Miles, L., & Macrae, C. N. (2010). Why are you smiling at me? Social functions of enjoyment and non-enjoyment smiles. British Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 107–127.

Krumhuber, E., Manstead, A., & Kappas, A. Temporal Aspects of Facial Displays in Person and Expression Perception: The Effects of Smile Dynamics, Head-tilt, and Gender. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2007. 31(1), 39-56.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/slow-onset-smile-best/

Krumhuber, Eva ; Likowski, Katja ; Weyers, Peter. Facial Mimicry of Spontaneous and Deliberate Duchenne and Non-Duchenne Smiles. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2014. 38(1): 1-11.

Krause, Michael W. and Teh-Way David Chen. A Winning Smile? Smile Intensity, Physical Dominance, and Fighter Performance. Emotion. 2013. 13 (2): 270–279. DOI: 10.1037/a0030745
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/smile-lose-smile-intensity-predicts-fighting-ability

Krumhuber, Eva G.; Manstead and Antony S. R. Can Duchenne smiles be feigned? New evidence on felt and false smiles. Emotion. 2009. 9 (6): 807-820.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/can-fake-real-smile-practice/

Krumhuber, Eva; Antony S. R.; Manstead; and Arvid Kappas. Temporal Aspects of Facial Displays in Person and Expression Perception: The Effects of Smile Dynamics, Head-tilt, and Gender. Journal Nonverbal Behavior. 2007; 31: 39-56.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/head-tilt-and-slow-onset-smile-nonverbals-trust-attraction-dominance-and-flirting-a-brief-report/

Labroo, Aparna A.; Anirban Mukhopadhyay; Ping Dong. Not Always the Best Medicine: Why Frequent Smiling Can Reduce Wellbeing. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2014. 53:156-162.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/why-too-much-smiling-can-be-bad-for-you/

LaFrance, M. (2002) ‘Smile Boycotts and other Body Politics’, Feminism & Psychology. 12: 319–23.

Lockard, J. S., McVittie, R. I., & Isaac, L. M. (1977). Functional Significance Of The Affiliative Smile. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 9, 367-370.

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Mehu, Marc ; Grammer, Karl ; Dunbar, Robin I.M. Smiles when sharing. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2007. 28(6): 415-422.

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/fake-till-make-cheaters-fake-smile-make-lies-difficult-detect/

Pease, Barbara and Allan Pease. 2006. The Definitive Book of Body Language Hardcover. Bantam.

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Petrican, Raluca; Christopher T. Burris and Morris Moscovitch. Shame, Sexual Compulsivity, and Eroticizing Flirtatious Others: An Experimental Study. Journal of Sex Research. 2015. 52(1), 98–109, 2015. DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2013.829796
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/coy-flirtatious-smile-eye-contact-leads-shame-sex/

Quadflieg, Susanne ; Vermeulen, Nicolas ; Rossion, Bruno. Differential Reliance on the Duchenne Marker During Smile Evaluations and Person Judgments. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37(2): 69-77.

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Seder, J. Patrick and Shigehiro Oishi. Intensity of Smiling in Facebook Photos Predicts Future Life Satisfaction. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2012. 3(4): 407-413.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/facebook-smile-predicts-life-satisfaction/

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Samuele Centorrino, Elodie Djemai, Astrid Hopfensitz, Manfred Milinski, Paul Seabright. Honest Signaling in Trust Interactions: Smiles Rated as Genuine Induce Trust and Signal Higher Earning Opportunities. Evolution and Human Behavior DOI:
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Thibault, Pascal ; Gosselin, Pierre ; Brunel, Marie – Lise ; Hess, Ursula. Children’s and Adolescents’ Perception of the Authenticity of Smiles. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2009. 102(3): 360-367.

Vazire, S., Naumann, L.P., Rentfrow, P. J., and Gosling, S. D. (2009). Smiling reflects different emotions in men and women. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 32:5, 403–405.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/smiling-reflects-different-emotions-men-women/

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Walsh, D. G., & Hewitt, J. (1985). Giving Men The Come-On: Effect Of Eye Contact And Smiling In A Bar Environment. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 61, 873-874.

*No Photo, Adornments, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Depressive body language, Low confidence body language

Body Language of Unkept or Dowdiness

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Unkept or Dowdiness

Cue: Unkept or Dowdiness.

Synonym(s): Rumpled, Sloppy Dress, Dowdiness, Un-groomed, Rumpled Appearance.

Description: A nonverbal term referring to a person’s dress that is wrinkled but otherwise fairly clean, shapeless, outdated, bland, messy, unflattering, out-of-date, out of style and well worn. When a person lacks attention to personal care, cleanliness, rumpled, dirty, or un-kept attire, unwashed body or hair or malodor. It may include clothing that is far too casual for the occasion.

In One Sentence: Being unkept is can be a sign of many underying factors including a low socioeconomic background, that a person is artistic, intellectual or is an absent minded thinker, is preoccupied, sloppy, un-caring of his impression and at worst, dirty and unpopular.

How To Use it: Being unkept is a negative nonverbal signal and should be avoided in almost every situation. Even in the comfort of one’s own home, where it is likely to receive the most tolerance, being dowdy remains a poor reflection of the mind.

Married couples can suffer from overall dowdiness which only drags down romance further. Being unkept says two things. One, that a person is comfortable in their relationship and is not concerned about their outer appearance, and two, that, one is not concerned about the impression they are making in their counterparts. Unfortunately, these are two conflicting messages, which, if not remedied, can create resentment. One should be particularly conscious of situations where one dresses-up for work but quickly down-dresses after work. This tells your partner that the impression you make in others is more important than the impression you make in them. This might work sufficiently in friendships, however, looking ones best is highly important in intimate relationships.

In business, one should always be cognizant of making a good overall outer impression and this includes a lack of dowdiness. While it is moderately tolerated by acquaintances, friends and partners, one is unlikely to receive the benefit of the doubt in more day-to-day encounters.

Overall, however, if you wish to create and maintain positive impressions, avoid dressing dowdy as no positive attributes are universally realized from this condition.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m clean, but my mind is too busy to care about how I look on the outside. I value my thoughts over my clothing and don’t care to be judged on my outside appearance. That’s why I permit my clothing to be outdated and sloppy.” “I’m suffering from mental illness or depression, that is weighing me down which is why I lack basic motivation required to keep my body clean and clothing presentable.”

Variant: See Grooming and Preening.

Cue In Action: a) The professor was brilliant and creative, but his clothing hung off of him, it was outdated and nothing matched. While his student respected him for his thoughts, they rated him poorly on character. b) The teenager kept his room in an un-kept state that blew over to his physical appearance and clothing. He habitually wore jogging pants and a soiled shirt and barely fed himself proper meals. He habitually lazed around the house, waking at noon or later. His parents feared that he had fallen into depression.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Being un-kept with poor fashion signifies a low socioeconomic background, that a person is artistic, intellectual or is an absent minded thinker, is preoccupied, sloppy, un-caring of his impression and at worst dirty and unpopular.

Preening includes anything done to maintain our physical appearance such as fixing our hair, washing our bodies, wearing clean, matching clothing, brushing our teeth and so forth. In an evolutionary context, preening signifies that we are healthy and in a good state of mind.

It has been noted around the world that when people suffer from illness personal grooming is usually one of the first aspects he or she neglects. When minds are busy with more pressing matters it quickly turns away from personal hygiene. Homeless people and the severely depressed will wear un-kept hair, dirty clothing and ignore showering. They will lie around for hours on end but when they do finally take foot, their posture will be slumped, shoulders rolled inward, torsos bent at the waste and their head will droop as if they carry the “weight of the world upon their shoulders.” They will succumb to the forces of gravity rather than defy it such as what we see with the exuberant that seem to have a “bounce in their step.” This is why it is so vitally important to keep a well cared for appearance to signal to others that we have proper mental health (unless you can get away with it!). A lot can be surmised about a person from wearing torn and soiled clothing, especially in public. Like manners, preening tells others that we respect their thoughts and opinions, and that we wish to belong to a functioning society.

In other cases, an un-kept appearance serves to illustrate that a person does not wish to conform to societal norms and is not seeking approval from the culture at large. We may see this in fringe groups such as feminist who keep hairy legs and arm pits. There are other subgroups such as “nerds” who are social outcasts who will choose comfortable clothing over stylish clothing. Some people are also not attuned to the societal norms at all and keep a rather laissez-faire approach to their upkeep. How one maintains their appearance give us clues to their overall thoughts and beliefs.

Cue Cluster: Someone who is dowdy in dress will usually have other odd characteristics of manner. They might be social awkward, use highbrow humour or humour that is dry, commit other social faux pas like encroaching on other people and lack good eye contact. As this cue can signal degrees of mental illness, be watchful for additional cues to decide on its relevance. A general malaise might be low level and only result in an un-kept room, or body odor, but might spill over to general attire, grooming, mismatched clothing, overly casual or dirty clothing. When this spills over to bad body language such as slumped shoulders, expressionless faces, unsmiling, lack of affect, lazy appearance, cowering and desire for isolation, this can spell more serious matters such as full blown mental illness.

Body Language Category: Adornments, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Depressive, Low confidence body language.

Resources:

Allen, Sarah J. ; Kramer, Jack J. Modification of personal hygiene and grooming behaviors with contingency contracting: A brief review and case study. Psychology in the Schools. 1990. 27(3): 244-251.

Buckley, Hilda Mayer ; Roach, Mary Ellen. Clothing as a Nonverbal Communicator of Social and Political Attitudes. Home Economics Research Journal. 1974 3(2): 94-102.

Cantor, Michael B. ; Smith, Stephen E. ; Bryan, Bonita R. Induced bad habits: Adjunctive ingestion and grooming in human subjects. Appetite. 1982. 3(1): 1-12.

Curtis, V., & Biran, A. (2001). Dirt, disgust, and disease: Is hygiene in our genes? Perspectives in biology and medicine, 44(1), 17–31.

Conti, Richard P ; Conti, Melanie A. Mock jurors’ perceptions of facial hair on criminal offenders. Perceptual and motor skills. 2004 98:(3 Pt 2): 1356-8

Cash, T. F., Dawson, K., Davis, P., Bowen, M., & Galumbeck, C. (1989). Effects of cosmetics use on the physical attractiveness and body image of American college women. Journal of Social Psychology, 129, 349-355.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/science-makeup-how-to-use-it/

Chao, A., & Schor, J. B. (1998). Empirical tests of status consumption: Evidence from women’s cosmetics. Journal of Economic Psychology, 19, 107-131.
Franzoi, S. L. (2001). Is female body esteem shaped by benevolent sexism? Sex Roles, 44, 177-188.

Cornelis, Erlinde ; Cauberghe, Verolien ; De Pelsmacker, Patrick. Being healthy or looking good? The effectiveness of health versus appearance-focused arguments in two-sided messages. Journal of Health Psychology. 2014. 19(9): 1132-1142.

de Waal, F. (1997). The chimpanzee’s service economy: Food for grooming. Evolution & Human Behavior, 18, 375–386.

De Souza, Altay Alves Lino ; Baião, Vera Baumgarten Ulyssea ; Otta, Emma. Perception of men’s personal qualities and prospect of employment as a function of facial hair. Psychological reports. 2003. 92(1): 201-8.

Dunbar, R. (1996). Grooming, gossip and the evolution of language. London: Faber and Faber.

Das, Jayoti ; De Loach, Stephen B. Mirror, mirror on the wall: The effect of time spent grooming on earnings. Journal of Socio-Economics. 2011. 40(1): 26-34.

Erdos, Diane. Look good … feel better – a program for cancer patients. (personal grooming program) (Patient’s Advocate) (Column). RN. 1992. 55(10): 25(3).

Etcoff, Nancy L ; Stock, Shannon ; Haley, Lauren E ; Vickery, Sarah A ; House, David M Suzuki, Satoru (Editor). Cosmetics as a Feature of the Extended Human Phenotype: Modulation of the Perception of Biologically Important Facial Signals (Cosmetics: Feature of the Extended Human Phenotype). PLoS ONE. 2011. 6(10): p.e25656.

French, M.T., Robins, P.K., Homer, J.F., Tapsell, L.M., 2009. Effects of physical attractiveness, personality, and grooming on academic performance in high school.
Labour Economics 16, 373–382.

Greenfield, Paige. Can you fake a prettier face?(hairstyles)(Report). Women’s Health. 2010: 036.

Grammer, Karl ; Moller, Anders P. ; Fink, Bernhard ; Manning, John T. Physical attractiveness and health: comment on Weeden and Sabini (2005).(Author Abstract). Psychological Bulletin. 2005. 131(5): 658(4).

Girard, Jeffrey M.; Jeffrey F. Cohna; Mohammad H.Mahoor S.; Mohammad Mavadati;
Zakia Hammal; and Dean P. Rosenwalda. Nonverbal Social Withdrawal In Depression: Evidence From Manual And Automatic Analyses. Image and Vision Computing. 2013.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-language-signals-withdrawal-depression

Greenless, Iain ; Buscombe, Richard ; Thelwell, Richard ; Holder, Tim ; Rimmer, Matthew. Impact of opponents’ clothing and body language on impression formation and outcome expectations. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology. 2005 27(1): 39-52.

Hosey, Geoffrey ; Thompson, Robin. Grooming and touching behaviour in captive ring-tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta L.). Primates. 1985. 26(1): 95-98.

Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 511–524.

Hellström, A., & Tekle, J. (1994). Person perception through facial photographs: Effects of glasses, hair, and beard on judgments of occupation and personal qualities. European Journal of Social Psychology, 24, 693–705. doi 10.1002/ejsp.2420240606

Hinsz, V. B., D. C. Matz, and R. A. Patience 2001 Does Women’s Hair Signal Reproductive Potential? Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 37:166-172.

Hintikka, Pirjo ; Saarinen, Antti ; Tanskanen, Heli ; Koivumaa-honkanen, Heimo ; Viinamäki, Heimo. Gender differences in living skills and global assessment of functioning among outpatients with schizophrenia. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 1999. 33(2): 226-231.

Hoover, Kelli ; Grove, Michael ; Gardner, Matthew ; Hughes, David P ; Mcneil, James ; Slavicek, James. A gene for an extended phenotype. Science. 2011. 333(6048): 1401.

Hamermesh, D.S., Biddle, J.E., 1994. Beauty and the labor market. American Economic
Review 84 (5), 1174–1194.

Hamermesh, D.S., Meng, D., Zhang, J., 2002. Dress for success – does primping pay?
Labor Economics 9, 361–373.

Ingmanson, E. Cultural transmission of a communicative gesture in a captive group of bonobos (Pan paniscus).(Abstract). American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 2002. 117(4): 88(1).

Karl, Katherine A. ; Hall, Leda Mcintyre ; Peluchette, Joy V. City employee perceptions of the impact of dress and appearance: you are what you wear. Public Personnel Management. 2013 42(3): 452(19).

Kinzey, W., & Wright, P. (1982). Grooming behavior in the titi monkey, Callicebus torquatos. American Journal of Primatology, 3, 267–275.

Koonin, Marc A. Avoiding claims of discrimination based on personal appearance, grooming, and hygiene standards. The Labor Lawyer. 1999. 15(1): 19-45.

Langlois, J.H., Kalakanis, L., Rubenstein, A.J., Larson, A., Hallam, M., Smoot, M., 2000.

Lihi Segal-Caspi, Sonia Roccas, and Lilach Sagiv. Don’t Judge A Book By Its Cover, Revisited: Perceived And Reported Traits And Values Of Attractive Women. Psychological Science, 2012; 23(10): 1112-1116.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/are-attractive-women-worthy-of-their-physical-appearance-or-does-the-book-not-read-like-its-cover/

Malatynska, E.,Knapp,R.J.,2005.Dominant-Submissive Behavior as Models of Mania and Depression. NeuroScience and.Biobehavior .Rev.29(4–5): 715–737, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2005.03.014.

Mulhern, R., Fieldman, G., Hussey, T., Le´veˆque, J.-L., & Pineau, P. (2003). Do cosmetics enhance Caucasian female facial attractiveness? International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 25(4), 199-205.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/beauty-eye-holder-makeup/

Mesko, Norbert ; Bereczkei, Tamas. Hairstyle as an adaptive means of displaying phenotypic quality. Human Nature. 2004. 15(3): 251-270.

Maxims ormyths of beauty? ameta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin 126 (3), 390–423.

Mobius, M.M., Rosenblat, T.S., 2006. Why beauty matters. American Economic Review 96 (1), 222–235.

Mccoy, Lee. First impressions. (projecting a professional image)(includes related article on casual Fridays). Canadian Banker. 1996. 103(5): 32(4).

Nelson, Holly ; Geher, Glenn. Mutual Grooming in Human Dyadic Relationships: An Ethological Perspective. Current Psychology. 2007. 26(2): 121-140.

Peak, S.L., 1986. Effects of garment styles on the perceptions of personal traits. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal 5 (1), 26–29.

Rempel, J., Holmes, J., & Zanna, M. (1985). Trust in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49, 95–112.

Shimooka, Yukiko ; Nakagawa, Naofumi. Functions of an unreported “rocking-embrace” gesture between female Japanese Macaques ( Macaca fuscata ) in Kinkazan Island, Japan. Primates. 2014. 55(2): 327-335.

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Tinlin, Rowan M. ; Watkins, Christopher D. ; Welling, Lisa L. M. ; Debruine, Lisa M. ; Al – Dujaili, Emad A. S. ; Jones, Benedict C. Perceived facial adiposity conveys information about women’s health.(Report). British Journal of Psychology. 2013. 104(2): 235(14).

Thompson, Kristin. Grooming the Naked Ape: Do Perceptions of Disease and Aggression Vulnerability Influence Grooming Behaviour in Humans? A Comparative Ethological Perspective. Current Psychology. 2010. 29(4): 288-296.

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Vartanian, Lenny R. ; Wharton, Christopher M. ; Green, Erica B. Appearance vs. health motives for exercise and for weight loss. Psychology of Sport & Exercise. 2012. 13(3): .251-256.

Wasylkiw, L. ; Emms, A.A. ; Meuse, R. ; Poirier, K.F. Are all models created equal? A content analysis of women in advertisements of fitness versus fashion magazines. Body Image. 2009. 6(2): 137-140.

Worrall, Norman ; Taylor, Vanessa M. ; Ricketts, Jennifer P. ; Jones, Ann P. Personal Hygiene Cues In Impression Formation. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 1974. 38(3c): 1269-1270.

Wachtmeister, C. (2001). Display in monogamous pairs: A review of empirical data and evolutionary explanations. Animal Behaviour, 61(5), 861–868.

Wilkinson, G. S. (1986). Social grooming in the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus. Animal Behaviour, 34(6), 1880–1889.

Wax, M., 1957. Themes in cosmetics and grooming. The American Journal of Sociology
62 (6), 588–593.

Leaked or involuntary body language, Microgestures

Body Language Of The Uneven Smile Or Lopsided Smile

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language Of The Uneven Smile Or Lopsided Smile

Cue: Uneven Smile

Synonym(s): Apologetic Smile, Lopsided Smile.

Description: An uneven smile is on where the left and right side of the mouth do not match. One side of the face is pulled up and is smiling and the other side is not or may be downturned or frowning.

In One Sentence: The uneven smile indicates the presence of conflicting emotions.

How To Use it: Use the uneven smile when you want to show others that you can’t fully commit to contentment. You might flash the uneven smile when you acknowledge the smile of another person, but don’t particularly feel happy yourself. Also, when joking around or being sarcastic, the uneven smile can be used to show other people that you are not to be taken seriously.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “Wish I hadn’t made that mistake”, “That seems odd”, “I’m pulling your leg, see how I did that!” “I’ve got myself in a twist.” “On one side, “yes” and on the other “better not.”

Cue In Action: When Bob took Bill’s stapler from his desk he made a lopsided smile in Brenda’s direction – they both knew that Bob was going to lose it on her if it was missing.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The uneven smile depicts a frame of mind in which opposite emotions are present such as uncertainty, tongue-in-cheek humour and sarcasm. The uneven smile is coupled with cheeky humour amongst friends and also during sarcasm.

Cue Cluster: A lopsided smile can appear in unison with upturned palms and shoulder shrugs.

Body Language Category: Leaked or involuntary body language, Microgestures.

Resources:

Abel, Ernest L. and Michael L. Kruger. Smile Intensity in Photographs Predicts Longevity. Psychological Science. 2010. 21(4): 542-544.

Guéguen, N., & Fischer-Lokou, J. (2004). Hitchhiker’s Smiles And Receipt Of Help. Psychological Reports. 94: 756-760.

Krumhuber, Eva; Antony S. R.; Manstead; and Arvid Kappas. Temporal Aspects of Facial Displays in Person and Expression Perception: The Effects of Smile Dynamics, Head-tilt, and Gender. Journal Nonverbal Behavior. 2007; 31: 39-56.
DOI 10.1007/s10919-006-0019-x
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/head-tilt-and-slow-onset-smile-nonverbals-trust-attraction-dominance-and-flirting-a-brief-report/

Kahlbaugh, Patricia ; Haviland, Jeannette. Nonverbal communication between parents and adolescents: A study of approach and avoidance behaviors. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1994 18(1): 91-113.

Lockard, J. S., McVittie, R. I., & Isaac, L. M. (1977). Functional Significance Of The Affiliative Smile. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 9, 367-370.

Matsumoto, David. Scalar Ratings Of Contempt Expressions Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2005. 29(2): 91-104.

Navarro, Joe. 2008. What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People. William Morrow Paperbacks.

Navarro, Joe. A four-domain model for detecting deception: an alternative paradigm for interviewing. The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. 2003. 72(6): 19(6).

Tidd, K., & Lockard, J. (1978). Monetary Significance Of The Affiliative Smile: A Case For Reciprocal Altruism. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 11, 344-346.

Underwood, M. K.. Glares of Contempt, Eye Rolls of Disgust and Turning Away to Exclude: Non-Verbal Forms of Social Aggression among Girls. Feminism & Psychology. 2004 14(3): 371-375

Vigil, J. M. (2009). A socio-relational framework of sex differences in the expression of emotion. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 32, 375–428.

Walsh, D. G., & Hewitt, J. (1985). Giving Men The Come-On: Effect Of Eye Contact And Smiling In A Bar Environment. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 61, 873-874.

*No Photo, Amplifier, Lying or deceptive body language, Microgestures, Suspicious body language

Body Language of Uneven Shoulder Shrugs

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Uneven Shoulder Shrugs

Cue: Uneven Shoulder Shrugs.

Synonym(s): Partial Shoulder Shrug.

Description: The uneven shoulder shrug occurs when only one shoulder comes up by itself rather than both shoulders in unison.

In One Sentence: A partial shoulder shrug or uneven shoulder shrug shows lack of full commitment.

How To Use it: By raising only one shoulder, you can tell other people that you are unsure. Couple this with a down-turned mouth and raised eyebrows for better effect. This works in any context.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m dishonest so my shoulders do not act in unison. My shoulders lack full commitment.”

Variant: When the shoulders rise together, they indicate that a person is fully committed to the idea. The amplitude of the shoulder rise also provides hidden meaning. The higher the shoulder rise, the more committed someone is to “not knowing.” See Shoulder Shrugs or Shoulder Rise.

Cue In Action: When the boss inquired about the whereabouts of the company stapler, two of the three employees raised their shoulders quickly and in unison, the third only raised her right shoulder slightly. That gave him a clue as to whom to pursue for more information. Clearly she knew more than she was willing to share.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Uneven shoulder shrugs are dishonest. Shoulder shrugs indicate when someone doesn’t know something. It’s the “I don’t know” posture. But if they are being truthful with their lack of knowledge, their shoulders will come up in unison and sharply. However, if just one shoulder comes up, and only slightly, then their body language is indicating a lack of amplitude and commitment to the message. This should then lead the reader to conclude that they are uncertain of their message. In other words, dishonesty shows through when the body language to support an emotion lacks full symmetry and follow-through.

Cue Cluster: Watch for other cues of dishonestly such as palms down or hidden in pockets, eyes averted, expressionless face or stress smile, head ducked or bowed and toes or torso pointed toward the exit as if trying to escape.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Lying or deceptive body language, Microgestures, Suspicious body language.

Resources:

Brin, Pablo and Oli Richard. Body Posture Effects On Self-Evaluation: A self-Validation Approach. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2009; 39: 1053–1064.

Givens, David B. (1977). “Shoulder Shrugging: A Densely Communicative Expressive Behavior.” In Semiotica (Vol. 19:1/2), pp. 13-28.

Katza, Carmit; Irit Hershkowitz; Lindsay C. Malloya; Michael E. Lamba; Armita Atabakia and Sabine Spindlera. Non-Verbal Behavior of Children Who Disclose or do not Disclose Child Abuse in Investigative Interviews. Child Abuse & Neglect. 2012. 36: 12-20.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/reading-nonverbal-behaviour-child-abuse-cases-encourage-children-divulge-information-truth-telling/

Marsh, Abigail A; Henry H. Yu; Julia C. Schechter and R. J. R. Blair. Larger than Life: Humans’ Nonverbal Status Cues Alter Perceived Size. PLoS ONE. 2009. 4(5): e5707. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005707. http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/large-life-nonverbal-dominance-affects-perception-size/

Navarro, Joe. 2008. What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People. William Morrow Paperbacks.

Navarro, Joe. A four-domain model for detecting deception: an alternative paradigm for interviewing. The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. 2003. 72(6): 19(6).

Rule, Nicholas, O.; Reginald B. Adams Jr.; Nalini Ambady and Jonathan B. Freeman. Perceptions Of Dominance Following Glimpses Of Faces And Bodies. Perception. 2012; 41: 687-706 doi:10.1068/p7023
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/people-can-read-dominance-split-second

*No Photo, Defensive body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Distancing or moving away, Escape movements, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Intention movements, Negative body language, Rejection body language, Social touching, Suspicious body language

Body Language of The Undershaker Handshake

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of The Undershaker Handshake

Cue: Undershaker Handshake (The)

Synonym(s): Shortshaker Handshake (The)

Description: This handshake is so quick, it’s actually offensive. It lasts merely seconds where the hand is quickly grabbed then released or tossed aside. Sometimes it even lacks any pumping action at all.

In One Sentence: The undershaker is person who covets their own personal space and wants to keep their distance as much as possible.

How To Use it: When you dislike someone, you may try to keep physical contact brief to tell them that it makes you uncomfortable. A quick shake followed by moving backwards, eyes averted, says that you are not willing to interact with them or give them the time of day.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I don’t like what you are selling and I feel like you are trying to take advantage of me so I’m going to drop your hand as quickly as possible so I can get on with my own agenda.”

Variant: See Country Handshake (The), Cold Dead Wet Fish Handshake, Double Gripper Politician Handshake or Double Hander (The), Short Grabber/Finger Grabber Handshake, Oddball Handshake, Palm Up, Palm Down and Palm Even Handshakes, Stiff Arm And Thrust Forward Handshake, Death Grip Handshake, Wrench Forward Handshake, Undershaker Handshake, Wrist Hold Handshake, Wrist Hold Handshake and Upper Arm Grip Handshake, Limp Fish Handshake, Teacup Handshake, Arm Twister Handshake (The), Firm handshake, Fist Bumping.

Cue In Action: The door-to-door salesman managed to make his way inside the house with a slick sales pitch, but the more the homeowner learned the more he disliked the idea. He didn’t know how to get out of the deal as he had already agreed to a sample. When finalizing, the salesman put his hand out to shake and being polite the homeowner did, but he released after just one pump and tossed the shady salesman’s hand aside abruptly.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Someone who shakes hands like this is showing indifference and suspicion.

It is common when someone feels that you are trying to sell them something they aren’t at all interested in buying, or trying to get them to do something they aren’t willing to do.

Other times they are trying to signal that you are intruding on their ground and that no agreement will be made. It’s probably best to respect their wishes, as their initial impression shows that you have come on far too strong.

Other times the undershaker is demonstrating his high need for personal space or lives in a location where physical contact isn’t normal.

Cue Cluster: Some who uses the undershaker handshake will give clues that he does not want to be there. He will turn his head and torso away, move his feet toward the door, will keep his head nods brief, if he nods at all, will take a step back and will only feign listening. This person wants to leave.

Body Language Category: Defensive, Dislike (nonverbal), Distancing or moving away, Escape movements, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Intention movements, Negative body language, Rejection body language, Suspicious body language, Social touching.

Resources:

Aström, J ; Thorell, L H ; Holmlund, U ; D’Elia, G. Handshaking, personality, and psychopathology in psychiatric patients, a reliability and correlational study. Perceptual and motor skills 1993, Vol.77(3 Pt 2): 1171-86.

Beaulieu, Catherine. Intercultural Study of Personal Space: A Case Study. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 2004 34(4):794-805.

Chaplin William F.; Phillips Jeffrey B; Brown Jonathan D.; Clanton Nancy R.; Stein Jennifer L.; 2000. Handshaking, gender, personality, and first impressions Journal of personality and social psychology. 79(1): 110-117.

Dolcos, Sanda ; Sung, Keen ; Argo, Jennifer J ; Flor-Henry, Sophie ; Dolcos, Florin. The power of a handshake: neural correlates of evaluative judgments in observed social interactions. Journal of cognitive neuroscience. 2012 24(12): 2292-305.

Dolphin, Carol Zinner. Beyond hall: Variables in the use of personal space in intercultural transactions. Howard Journal of Communications. 1988. 1(1): 23-38.

Fisher, J; Rytting, M and Heslin, R. 1976. Hands touching hands: affective and evaluative effects on interpersonal touch, Sociometry 39: 416–421.

Frumin, Idan; Ofer Perl; Yaara Endevelt-Shapira; Ami Eisen; Neetai Eshel; Iris Heller; Maya Shemesh; Aharon Ravia; Lee Sela; Anat Arzi and Noam Sobel. A Social Chemosignaling Function for Human Handshaking. eLife 2015. 4:e05154
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05154.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/shake-hands-share-human-scent-curious-case-hand-sniffing-body-language/

Greenberg, Carl I. ; Firestone, Ira J. Greenwald, Anthony G. (editor). Compensatory responses to crowding: Effects of personal space intrusion and privacy reduction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1977. 35(9): 637-644.

Graziano, Michael S.A. and Cooke, Dylan F. Parieto-frontal interactions, personal space, and defensive behavior. Neuropsychologia. 2006. 44(6): 845-859.

Gueguen, Nicolas. Handshaking and Compliance With a Request – A Door-to-door Setting. Social Behavior and Personality. 2013. 41(10): 1585-1588.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/handshakes-lead-compliance-study/

Greenbaum, Paul ; Rosenfeld, Howard. Varieties of touching in greetings: Sequential structure and sex-related differences. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1980. 5(1): 13-25.

Holt, Daphne J ; Cassidy, Brittany S ; Yue, Xiaomin ; Rauch, Scott L ; Boeke, Emily A ; Nasr, Shahin ; Tootell, Roger B H ; Coombs, Garth. Neural correlates of personal space intrusion. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 2014. 34(12): 4123-34.

Hiemstra, Kathleen M. Shake My Hand: Making the Right First Impression in Business With Nonverbal Communications.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included). Business Communication Quarterly. 1999. 62(4): 71.

Jeffrey D. Fisher; Marvin Rytting; Richard Heslin. 1976. Hands Touching Hands: Affective and Evaluative Effects of an Interpersonal Touch. Sociometry, 39(4): 416-421.
Okken, Vanessa ; Van Rompay, Thomas ; Pruyn, Ad. Room to Move: On Spatial Constraints and Self-Disclosure During Intimate Conversations. Environment and Behavior. 2013. 45(6): 737-760.

Lipsitz, Rebecca (2000). “A Gripping Start.” In Scientific American (September), p. 32.

Morris, Desmond (1994). Bodytalk: The Meaning of Human Gestures (New York: Crown Publishers).

Mcelroy, James C. ; Morrow, Paula C. Personal space, personal appearance, and personal selling. Psychological Reports. 1994 74(2): 425(2).

Mcgurk, Barry J. ; Davis, John D. ; Grehan, John. Assaultive behavior personality and personal space. Aggressive Behavior. 1981. 7(4): 317-324.

Pease, Barbara and Allan Pease. 2006. The Definitive Book of Body Language Hardcover. Bantam.

Sanda Dolcos; Keen Sung; Jennifer J. Argo; Sophie Flor-Henry and Florin Dolcos. The Power of a Handshake: Neural Correlates of Evaluative Judgments in Observed Social Interactions. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 24; 12: 2292–2305.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/handshake-open-body-language-powerful-nonverbal-effect-brain/

Stewart, Greg L. ; Dustin, Susan L. ; Barrick, Murray R. ; Darnold, Todd C. Zedeck, Sheldon (editor). Exploring the Handshake in Employment Interviews. Journal of Applied Psychology. 2008. 93(5): 1139-1146.

Spezialetti, Brian D. Do’s and don’ts for winning the job interview. (laboratory technicians). Medical Laboratory Observer. 1995. 27(7): 51-53.

Wesson, David A. The handshake as non-verbal communication in business. (marketing technique). Marketing Intelligence & Planning. 1992. 10(9): 61(6).

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Adaptors, Amplifier, Crotch display, Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI)

Body Language of Uncrossing and Re-Crossing Legs

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Uncrossing and Re-Crossing Legs

Cue: Uncrossing and Re-Crossing Legs.

Synonym(s): Re-Crossing The Legs, Thigh Exposure.

Description: When the legs are uncrossed and re-crossed in the presence of men.

In One Sentence: Uncrossing and re-crossing the legs is a female sexual signal aimed to arouse or to make the body more comfortable.

How To Use it: Women can use the cue most effectively. In a dating context, slowly uncrossing then re-crossing the legs whilst making eye contact, is a powerful message few men will mistake for general affect. As the cue is normally used to make the body more comfortable, women may wish to repeat the cue and pause slightly with the legs open. To add even more allure add eye contact with a slight lick of the lips to accompany the movement.

The cue is most sexual with a skirt, particularly a short one. However, it can also work with pants as there is more freedom to sitting with legs open when everything is covered. Teasing can be done when in a private location by exposing the underwear either briefly or fully. If you wish to be sexually obvious, the cue without underwear is your answer.

If women wish to avoid appearing sexual, keep the hand on the lap while re-crossing, avoid eye contact, and do the movement quickly and efficiently without any notable pause.

Context: a) General b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m uncomfortable and need to adjust my sitting position.” b) “I’m sexually available and wish to demonstrate my inner thigh to arouse through a quick flash and tease.”

Variant: See Leg Crossing and Leg Crossing Direction, European Leg Cross, Leg Spreading.

Cue In Action: a) She quickly uncrossed and re-crossed her legs with her hands over her lap. She was trying to maintain her comfort by shifting her body into a new position. b) She made eye contact with an attractive man, dropped her head and lowered her eyes, smirked, uncrossed her legs to reveal the skin of her thigh, wiggled to the music, then re-crossed her legs and took a sip of her drink.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Crossing and uncrossing the legs in the presence of men, especially if done slowly is a demonstration of interest or availability. It becomes particularly salient if the inner thigh is exposed or the legs are momentarily left uncrossed.

Leaving the legs uncrossed altogether, while sitting or standing, or massaging them so as to draw attention to them, can add intensity to the sexual invitation.

Another leg crossing variation happens when the leg is tucked under the body and sat on with the knee pointing toward her interest. This also leaves the inside of the thigh exposed and is particularly alluring when wearing a skirt – especially a short one!

Other times, leg crossing and re-crossing has no meaning at all and simply serves to make the body more comfortable. This is the case when men uncross and re-cross their legs. When done by men, it almost always means that he is shifting to increase his comfort.

Cue Cluster: In order for the cue to have meaning it should be accompanied by other sexual cues such as flirty up-cast eye contact, head lowered, shoulders rounded, wrist exposure and so forth. The more cues in cluster, the more salient the sexual message. When the uncross and re-cross cue is not a sexual message, then eye contact will be avoided, the legs will be held tightly together, the motion will be done subtly so as to avoid detection and hands will be firmly planted over the mid-section to hide the skin from view.

Body Language Category: Adaptors, Amplifier, Courtship display, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI).

Resources:

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Cameron C., S. Oskamp and W. Sparks. 1978. Courtship American style: newspaper
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*No Photo, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Idiosyncratic body language, Leaked or involuntary body language, Microgestures, Nervous Body Language, Stressful body language

Body Language of Twitching

by Chris • October 29, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Twitching

Cue: Twitching.

Synonym(s): Flinching, Nervous Twitch.

Description: A sudden short burst of movement.

In One Sentence: Twitching signals nervousness or is simply a response to an underlying neurological condition.

How To Use it: Twitching is not well received by others as it indicates one is not able to properly control one’s body. Therefore, where possible, one should avoid or suppress the signal.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m twitching because I have an underlying neurological condition.” b) “I’m suddenly twitching because something has triggered a stress response.”

Variant: See Jerky Movements.

Cue In Action: a) He habitually twitched and jerked his legs and arms – it was normal for him and most learned to just ignore it. b) When she suggested that he shovel the driveway, his arm twitched. It was a sign that he wasn’t interested in clearing it again for the third time that day.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Sometimes referred as a nervous twitch, a sudden short burst of movement or flinch can be due to a variety of reasons.

Twitching can be due to sudden or sustained stress, but more often than not, it is due to a random firing of neurons, or underlying medial disease and therefore has no meaning at all.

When it is due to stress, it is likely person specific meaning they have a tendency to twitch when under stress. When twitching happens suddenly, it can refer back to a trigger due to stress and is therefore laden with meaning and significance.

Often, when twitching occurs regularly, it is a signal that it is simply idiosyncratic and has no meaning at all. Therefore, a body language reader must establish an underlying baseline before reading twitching for meaning.

Cue Cluster: Twitching is a relatively difficult cue to read unless it’s been established as a baseline indicator. Look for other cues to indicate stress such as excessive perspiration, touching the face or neck, scratching, pulling at the ears, smoothing out clothing and so forth.

Body Language Category: Arousal, Autonomic signal, Idiosyncratic body language, Leaked or involuntary body language, Microgestures, Nervous body language, Stressful body language.

Resources:

Azrin, N.H. ; Nunn, R.G. Habit-reversal: A method of eliminating nervous habits and tics. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 1973. 11(4): 619-628.

Bracha, H. S. (2004). Freeze, flight, fight, fright, faint: Adaptionist perspectives on the acute stress response spectrum. CNS Spectrums, 9, 679–685.

Cannon, W. B. (1929). Bodily changes in pain, hunger, fear and rage (2nd ed.). New York: Appleton, Century, Crofts.

Cath, Danielle C ; Spinhoven, Philip ; Hoogduin, Cees A.L ; Landman, Andrea D ; van Woerkom, Theo C.A.M ; van de Wetering, Ben J.M ; Roos, Raymund A.C ; Rooijmans, Harry G.M. Repetitive behaviors in Tourette’s syndrome and OCD with and without tics: what are the differences? Psychiatry Research. 2001. 101(2): 171-185.

Diniz, Juliana B. ; Rosario-Campos, Maria Conceição ; Hounie, Ana Gabriela ; Curi, Mariana ; Shavitt, Roseli Gedanke ; Lopes, Antonio Carlos ; Miguel, Euripedes C. Chronic tics and Tourette syndrome in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research. 2006. 40(6): 487-493.

Dale, Russell C. Post-streptococcal autoimmune disorders of the central nervous system. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 2005. 47(11): 785-791.

Everly, Jr., G. S. & Lating, J. M. (2002). A clinical guide to the treatment of the human stress response (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers

Joubert, C E. Relationship of self-esteem, manifest anxiety, and obsessive-compulsiveness to personal habits. Psychological reports. 1993. 73(2): 579-83.

Huflejt-Łukasik M, Czarnota-Bojarska J (2006) Short Communication: Selffocused attention and self-monitoring influence on health and coping with stress. Stress Health 22: 153–59.

Varley, C K ; Vincent, J ; Varley, P ; Calderon, R Emergence of tics in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treated with stimulant medications. Comprehensive psychiatry. 2001. 42(3): 228-33.

Authoritative body language, Courtship display, Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Intimate touching, Liking, Power play, Tie signals

Body Language of Touching or Increase In Touching

by Chris • October 29, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Touching or Increase In Touching

Cue: Touching or Increase In Touching.

Synonym(s): Increase In Touching, Placing Your Hands On Another, Intentional Touching, Brushing Up Against Someone Intentionally, Touching Intentionally, Touching On Purpose.

Description: Touching between people that suddenly increases, or simply when touching occurs between people.

In One Sentence: Touching or increased touching indicates the desire to create a bond or affiliation in order to receive something, be it material or emotional in nature.

How To Use it: Touch is well researched and has been found to be highly influential when done. Researcher has found that touching can help boost tips, increase the chances of compliance, as well as increase the chances of receiving help. Touching also creates intimacy in relationships from friendships to romantic partners. You should also use touch when you want to strengthen bonds or offer comfort.

Be careful to use touch in appropriate ways. As a general rule, touches further away from the core of the body are more acceptable. For example, touching the forearm or upper arm is more acceptable than touching the torso or small of the back, but in the right circumstances with the right people, this may be acceptable. Touching more intimate such as the breast, buttocks, and genital areas are obviously reserved for sexual relationships. However, in these relationships, can produce high intimacy, though also require a high amount of trust.

A slight touching of a stranger on the upper arm has a very powerful effect on cooperation. The effects of touch have been widely studied. The influence it has on behaviour and requests are conclusive, touching really can help you get what you want from others.

Nonreciprocal touching can serve as a power play between men. For example, in a bar setting, the man who is most at liberty to touch other men will be seen as most dominant, especially if he is not touched in response. This can also work in business where the boss wishes to keep his employees under his leadership.

Context: a) General b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m touching you because I want something from you, want to strengthen our bond, or am sexually interested in you.” a) I’m touching you because I want to comfort you.” b) “I’m touching you because I own you and can do whatever I want.” b) “I’m touching you because I’m sexually interested in you.”

Variant: See Accidental Touching, Head Touch (by others), Touch Reduction.

Cue In Action: a) The boss habitually bumped lightly against the junior manager with a bump of his fist. The gentle tap helped form a bond with him and showed him that they are in agreement and on the right track together.

a) The waitress lightly rubbed her breast up against the patron when reaching for the empty glasses across the table. She had used this technique previously to boost her tips.

b) She lightly brushed off his lapel, as if there was some lint present, then gave him a shoulder massage. Her intensions were becoming obvious to him.

b) She placed her hand over his chest and half hugged him – half rested her head on his shoulder. She did so while making eye contact with the new girl. It was a strong message of ownership.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Territoriality is a big part of the human repertoire. We rarely think about ownership of people, but placing an arm over someone, playfully messing up their hair or guiding them to where we want them to go by placing a hand on their back, as a parent would his child, are just a few ways that we show others that we own and control them.

Touching or an increase in touching likely means that a person is trying to strengthen an affiliation in order to receive something, usually a favour, or create an alliance of some kind. Touching can be a way to offer support and comfort to someone when they are sad or grieving. A mother offering care to her child when they are scared or hurt will often use touch. Alternatively, touching indicates sexual interest in a dating context.

Studies show that touching between men, especially in the workplace, is usually related to power plays and social jostling. An employer will place his hand on the shoulder or back of an employee to reaffirm his status while offering encouragement. Such displays are inappropriate in reverse and wouldn’t usually be tolerated.

Touching between men and women often defines sexual interest. When women touch each other, it is often done out of friendship or to extend sympathy or formulate bonds. When men touch, it signals friendship, but when it is done unilaterally, it signals dominance. Family members also use touching such as hugs and kisses to display affection. The level of touching that people are willing to accept is different from person-to-person. Touch comfort is also highly cultural.

Cue Cluster: Touching has meaning by itself due to its required level of commitment. However, we should also watch for increased proximity and sexual cues to decide how strong the affiliation is intended. The more cues in cluster the stronger the desire to control another person or access them sexually.

Body Language Category: Authoritative body language, Courtship display, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Intimate touching, Liking, Power play, Tie signals.

Resources:

Argo, J. J., Dahl, D. W., & Morales, A. C. (2006). Consumer contamination: How consumers react to products touched by others. Journal of Marketing, 70(April), 81–94.

Aranguren, Martin. “Nonverbal interaction patterns in the Delhi Metro: interrogative looks and play-faces in the management of interpersonal distance.” Interaction Studies. 2016. 16(1) forthcoming.

Aranguren, Martin and Stephane Tonnelat. Emotional Transactions in the Paris Subway: Combining Naturalistic Videotaping, Objective Facial Coding and Sequential Analysis in the Study of Nonverbal Emotional Behavior. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2014. 38:495–521. DOI 10.1007/s10919-014-0193-1
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/seriously-stop-touching-use-nonverbal-signaling-manage-unwanted-touching-busy-public

Bailenson, J.N. & Yee, N. (in press). Virtual interpersonal touch: Haptic interaction and copresence in collaborative virtual environments. International Journal of Multimedia Tools and Applications.

Bohm. 1997. Effects of interpersonal touch, degree of justification, and sex of participant on compliance with a request. The Journal of social psychology. 137: 460-469.

Crusco, A. and C. Wetzel. 1984. The midas touch: the effects of interpersonal touch on restaurant tipping, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 10: 512–517.

Dickinson, Amy. Block That Hug: The rules on touching children have changed for parents who volunteer as coaches or tutors.(Personal Time/Your Family)(Brief Article). Time. 2000. 155(14): 142.

Debrot, Anik ; Schoebi, Dominik ; Perrez, Meinrad ; Horn, Andrea B. Touch as an interpersonal emotion regulation process in couples’ daily lives: the mediating role of psychological intimacy. Personality & social psychology bulletin. 2013. 9(10): 1373-85.

Derlega, Valerian ; Lewis, Robin ; Harrison, Scott ; Winstead, Barbara ; Costanza, Robert. Gender differences in the initiation and attribution of tactile intimacy. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1989. 13(2): 83-96.

Derlega, Valerian J. ; Catanzaro, Diane ; Lewis, Robin J. Lisak, David (editor). Perceptions About Tactile Intimacy in Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Pairs Based on Research Participants’ Sexual Orientation. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 2001, Vol.2(2), pp.124-132

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Feldman, R., Singer, M.,& Zagoory, O. (2010). Touch attenuates infants’ physiological reactivity to stress. Developmental Science, 13(2), 271–278.

Fromme, Donald ; Jaynes, William ; Taylor, Deborah ; Hanold, Elaine ; Daniell, Jennifer ; Rountree, J. ; Fromme, Marie. Nonverbal behavior and attitudes toward touch. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1989. 13(1): 3-14.

Floyd, Kory. All Touches are not Created Equal: Effects of Form and Duration on Observers’ Interpretations of an Embrace. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1999. 23(4): 283-299.

Guéguen, Nicolas. Nonverbal encouragement of participation in a course: the effect of touching Social Psychology of Education. 2004. 7: 89–98.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/a-touching-way-to-encourage/

Gueguen, Nicolas; Sebastien Meineri and Virginie Charles-Sire. Improving Medication Adherence by Using Practitioner Nonverbal Techniques: A Field Experiment on the Effect of Touch. Journal of Behavioral Medice. 2010. 33:466–473
DOI 10.1007/s10865-010-9277-5
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Amplifier, Anger body language, Disapproval cues, Disengagement body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Distancing or moving away, Emotional body language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD)

Body Language of Touch Reduction

by Chris • October 29, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Touch Reduction

Cue: Touch Reduction.

Synonym(s): Reduced Touching.

Description: Touching between two people is either stopped abruptly or stopped gradually over time.

In One Sentence: Touch reduction indicates a difference of opinion or anxiety.

How To Use it: When you wish to send the signal that you disapprove, create space between you and the person you object to. This can easily be done through touch reduction, especially if it is done suddenly. Reducing touch is especially potent between couples and family members, as touching is usually much more frequent in these close associations. During a disagreement, pulling the hands inward and away from your partner tells them that you want them to change their stance on matters. Reducing or eliminating touching is the nonverbal signal for emotional withdrawal. Therefore, the signal is considered an honest marker for your thoughts and feelings.

Context: a) General b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: “I’m not in agreement with you. I’m putting up and maintaining space between the both of us serving to demonstrate nonverbally our differences of opinion.”

Variant: See Arm Withdrawal or Leg Withdrawal, Touching or Increase In Touching.

Cue In Action: a) Mom wanted her son to stop being so rambunctious, but he wouldn’t listen. Then the inevitable happened – he fell and skinned his knee. Ordinarily she would comfort him immediately, but she refused. She displayed her disapproval nonverbally. b) Instead of sitting tightly together on the same side of the sofa and snuggle as they usually would, the couple sat at opposite ends. They had a tiff and didn’t want to be close to one another.

Meaning and/or Motivation: It should be noted that ‘touch reduction’ is also a sudden change in ‘touch frequency.’ Couples have even been shown to draw away from each other when they are generally unhappy with their relationship.

Touch reduction is usually accompanied with stressful situations therefore signaling anxiety. We may see touch reduction during intense interrogation and may accompany compelling or damning information.

Closeness can also be useful when assessing someone because it will invoke distancing desires. When talking with a spouse or child, sit as close to them as you are accustomed to. Then take up serious matters. If someone is hiding something, they will usually push away or even stand up looking for ways to exit or change the subject. Holding the hand of a child can be particularly useful when discussing matters of dishonesty. If they wish to exit the discussion, they will try to tug their hand away [note: trying to withdraw is not a signal of culpability, but it is a signal of anxiety through a desire for distance].

Liars rarely touch others when they lie to them as this is a natural part of the fight or flight response. During intense interactions the subconscious mind does not respond well to intimacy caused by touching. This can prove helpful in intimate relationships, with family members or children since touching is a normal part of everyday life. Any form of touch reduction can signal that a person is at odds with another and that they might be hiding something.

If touch isn’t normal, for example, between strangers or acquaintances, then measuring touch reduction won’t be possible. In this case, look for distancing behaviours instead such as arm withdrawal or leaning away, especially in the torso, as these are also forms of distancing.

Cue Cluster: Touch reduction is usually accompanied by leaning away, ventral denial, head back or away, eyes averted, reduction in movement or freezing behaviour, reduction in verbal communication and so forth.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Anger body language, Disengagement body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Disapproval cues, Distancing or moving away, Emotional body language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD).