Author: Chris

Appease, Nonthreatening body language, Stressful body language

Body Language of The Artificial Smile or Fake Smile

by Chris • October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of The Artificial Smile or Fake Smile

Cue: Artificial Smile

Synonym(s): Pretend Smile, Fake Smile, Phony Smile, False Smile.

Description: A feigned smile where the orbicularis oculi muscles surrounding the eyes play no part and the lips are only stretched across the face with the help of the zygomatic muscles surrounding the mouth. The tell-tale cue is the fake smile is the lack of “crows feet.” The teeth are often bared, with a tense jaw and the lips show asymmetry.

In One Sentence: A fake smile, where the eyes play no part, shows others that one is not sincere in their happiness.

How To Use it: Use the fake smile to appease others whilst remaining polite. This is the smile used to fake your way through a photograph. The fake smile is often naturally occurring and you may wish to do it to show that you are not really on board with another person or their ideas. A fake smile is a great way to show people that you can be cooperative, but also apathetic to the situation at hand.

Context: General

Verbal Translation: “I acknowledge you are there, but I’m not exactly brimming with joy to see you.” I’m putting on a fake smile just to appease other people so they leave me alone.”

Variant: See 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.

Cue In Action: a) A group of friends flash an artificial smile while posing for a photograph. b) When two strangers pass on the sidewalk, they each perform a fake smile to acknowledge each other. c) While being caught in a lie, the lips of the liar are stretched across his face to cover up his stress. d) It was obvious her statement wasn’t to be believed because it was followed by a fake smile.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Fake smiles are appeasement gestures done to show other people that we’re not threat and mean no harm, but that we aren’t experiencing real joy or happiness. Thus, the fake smile is not genuine.

Artificial smiles can also indicate that a person isn’t telling the truth. For example, the statement “He’s a great boss, I’d switch companies and follow him anywhere if he left” that is followed by a fake smile indicates that the entire statement is false.

Cue Cluster: The fake smile is a sand-alone cue and need no supporting cues to have meaning. Fake smiles can be accompanied by averted eyes, arm crossing, arms in pockets and various other closed body language.

Body Language Category: Appease, Nonthreatening body language, Stressful body language.

Resources:

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/facebook-smile-predicts-life-satisfaction/

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/?preview=true

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.

Centorrino, Samuele, 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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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.

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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
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*No Photo, Automatic gesture, Excited body language, Expansive movements, Gravity defying body language, High confidence body language

Nonverbal Meaning of Arms Up Posture

by Chris • October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments

Nonverbal Meaning of Arms Up Posture

Cue: Arms Up Posture.

Synonym(s): V-posture, Victor Stance.

Description: a) It is done usually quickly and short in duration where the arms are thrust stiffly upward into the sky.

In One Sentence: Arms up is an expansive posture often associated with victory and is used by people to demonstrate their desire to be noticed and acknowledged for successes.

How To Use it: Use this posture to claim accolades in dominance encounters. This posture is effectively used in sports to show that one has scored a goal and is to be identified as a person to be admired. Use this posture when you wish to claim the pride, dominance, and leadership that come with winning.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m right here and I scored a goal, that was me that did it. I’m right here!”

Variant: See Arms Forward.

Cue In Action: a) After scoring a goal, the hockey player quickly shot his arms up in celebration. b) To grab the attention of the teacher, the student raised her hand to ask a question – she wanted to be noticed.

Meaning and/or Motivation: A gravity defying nonverbal cue done in triumph or victory such as winning a match or scoring a goal. It is done usually quickly and short in duration where the arms are thrust stiffly upward into the sky so as to draw as much attention to the victor as possible.

Alternatively, arms go up to draw attention if one does not want to disrupt others in a large group but otherwise, wants to interject with a question or statement.

Cue Cluster: Arms up can be accompanied with loud screams of excitement, jumping up and down to defy gravity further, fist pumping, dancing, etc.

Body Language Category: Gravity defying body language, Automatic gesture, Expansive movements, High confidence body language, Excited body language.

Resources:

Tracy, J. L., & Matsumoto, D. (2008). The spontaneous expression of pride and shame: Evidence for biologically innate nonverbal displays. Proceedings from the National Academy of Sciences, 105(33), 11655–11660.

Tracy, J. L., & Robins, R. W. (2007). The prototypical pride expression: Development of a nonverbal behavior coding system. Emotion, 7(4), 789–801.

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/culture-nonverbal-triumph/

Confident body language, Defensive body language, Expansive movements, High confidence hand displays, Honest body language, Hostile body language, Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Intention movements, Open body language, Threat displays

Body Language of Arms Forward

by Chris • October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Arms Forward

Cue: Arms Forward

Synonym(s): Jesus Pose.

Description: A body position where the hands come forward in front of the body.

In One Sentence: Arms forward signals that attention is in the front of the body and one wishes to bring or repel that attention toward or away from themselves respectively.

How To Use it: Use the arms forward posture to welcome a crowd like a big embrace (the Jesus Pose). The hands may be used in an up and down motion to help emphasis elements in speech. The hands flipped upward can be used to show that one is offering and idea, turned down, to show that one is authoritative and fixed on a point of view, or turned palm out, to repel ideas or people. Therefore, it is the orientation of the palms coupled with the relative movement that dictates your use of the arms forward posture. The embodiment of the gesture is thought to activate certain emotions in people. Pulling toward or pushing away, for example, even without acting on an object, bring to consciousness relative cognitive perceptions. Thus, use your arms in unison with speech to create congruency between body and mind. People will see this as honesty and integrity.

Context: a) Business b) Courtship c) General

Verbal Translation: “Something at the front of my body requires attention”, “I’m drawing attention to myself.”

Variant: Hands might come forward fists clenched, palms up or down, in a chopping motion. See Baton Gesture, Arms Up Posture.

Cue In Action: a) When presenting at a conference, he raised his arms Jesus-like in front of him like a giant hug to accept the crowd’s adulation. b) She beckoned him to come toward her so she could give him a big hug by raising her arms in front. c) The teacher pushed her palm forward and yelled forcefully, “stop!” The students were getting too rough with one another.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Having the arms forward can mean that a person wishes to hug, to fight if fists are clenched, to repel (a physical attack, or likewise, their opinion) if the palms are facing vertical toward an opponent as if pushing away, begging, if palms are turned upward, and authoritative if palms are turned downward.

Cue Cluster: N/A

Body Language Category: Defensive, Threat displays, Expansive movements, Honest body language, Confident body language, Hostile body language, High confidence hand displays, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Intention movements, Open body language.

Resources:

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Vaidyanathan, R. (1991). Development of forms and functions of negation in the early. tages of language acquisition: A study in Tamil. Journal of Child Language, 18, 51–66. doi:10.1017/S0305000900013295

Willems, R.M., Ozyurek,A., & Hagoort,P.(2007).When language meets action:The neural integration of gesture and speech. CerebralCortex, 17, 2322–2333.

Wieser, Matthias J.; Tobias Flaisch and Paul Pauli. Raised Middle-Finger: Electrocortical Correlates of Social Conditioning with Nonverbal Affective Gestures. 2014. PLoS ONE 9(7): e102937. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0102937
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Wu, Y. C., & Coulson, S.(2005).Meaningful gestures: Electrophysiological indices of iconic gesture comprehension. Psychophysiology, 42, 654–667.

Wang, Lin ; Chu, Mingyuan Neuropsychologia. The role of beat gesture and pitch accent in semantic processing: An ERP study. 2013, Vol.51(13), pp.2847-2855

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*No Photo, Anger body language, Body cross, Clenching and gripping, Closed body language, Defensive body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Hostile body language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Protective reflexes, Stubborn body language

Body Language Reading of Arm Crossed With Thumbs Up

by Chris • October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language Reading of Arm Crossed With Thumbs Up

Cue: Arms Crossed With Thumbs Up

Synonym(s): Thumbs Up Arm Cross.

Description: The arms fold neatly over the chest with the thumbs point upward.

In One Sentence: Arms crossed with thumbs up show others that a person is confident but also reserved and defensive.

How To Use it: Use the thumbs up posture to show that you are confident and couple this with a defensive arm cross to show that you are uncertain. The thumbs can be flexed upward on occasion, as you find points of agreement. Thumbs up is a positive signal and should be shown in unison with positive speech.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I am cool and in control but still feel defensive, so I’m combining thumbs up, which is positive, and arm crossing, showing I still need a barrier for protection.”

Variant: See Arm Crossing, Arms Crossed With Gripped Arm or Reinforced Arm Cross, Arm Cross With Clenched Fists.

Cue In Action: The boss introduced the new associate to the room. He said “hi” to everyone then crossed his arms with his thumbs up. When asked a question he gesticulated with thumbs up showing that he was confident and in control, but when not speaking tucked his arms together indicating that he felt overexposed.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Crossed arms with thumbs up indicate that a person thinks they have a superior thought process. It is usually expressed by the up-and-coming, cool and in control type.

The meaning and motivation of arm crossing is varied, complex and universal (see variants).

Arms, as they relate to non-verbal meaning, are like shields. They can block and shank ideas from entering just as well as a shield can protect against swords and arrows. Using the arms across the body in a fold is like cutting off access to our core where our heart and lungs are present. The arm crossing usually shows defensiveness and protectiveness, but can also show aggression and anger depending on its variant. Arm crossing simultaneously hold our feelings inside and prevent other people’s feelings from entering. Alternatively, arms crossed indicates that a person is cold. To determine if someone is cold just watch for hands tucked under the armpits, shivering, with legs tightly pressed together.

Cue Cluster: Arm crossing is usually coupled with head up, down or turned away, shoulders oriented away or toward, legs crossed and various negative facial expressions. When arm crossing is combined with a tight-lipped smile or clenched teeth is signifies that a verbal or physical confrontation is immanent.

Body Language Category: Defensive, Hostile body language, Anger, Closed, Dislike (nonverbal), Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Protective reflexes, Stubborn or stubbornness, Body cross, Clenching and gripping.

Resources:

Andric, Michael ; Solodkin, Ana ; Buccino, Giovanni ; Goldin-Meadow, Susan ; Rizzolatti, Giacomo ; Small, Steven L. Brain function overlaps when people observe emblems, speech, and grasping. Neuropsychologia, 2013, Vol.51(8), pp.1619-1629

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Bartolo, A.,Cubelli,R.,DellaSala,S.,&Drei,S.(2003).Pantomimes are special gestures which rely on working memory. Brain and Cognition, 53, 483–494.

Bernardis, P.,& Gentilucci,M.(2006).Speec hand gestures are the same communication system. Neuropsychologia, 44, 178–190.

Buccino, G.,Vogt,S., Ritzl, A., Fink, G .R., Zilles, K., Freund, H. J., et al.(2004).Neural circuits underlying imitation learning of hand actions: Anevent-related fMRI study. Neuron, 42, 323–334.

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Chandler, Jesse ; Schwarz, Norbert. How extending your middle finger affects your perception of others: Learned movements influence concept accessibility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2009. 45(1): 123-128.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/how-extending-the-middle-finger-affects-perception/

Dick, A.S., Goldin-Meadow,S., Hasson,U.,Skipper, J.I., & Small, S.L. (2009). Co- speech gestures influence neural activity in brain regions associated with processing semantic information. Human Brain Mapping, 30, 3509–3526.

DeSteno, D.; Breazeal, C.; Frank, R. H.; Pizarro, D.; Baumann, J.; Dickens, L, and Lee, J. Detecting the Trustworthiness of Novel Partners in Economic Exchange. Psychological Science. 2012. 23, 1549-1556.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/use-body-language-cues-create-trust

Fo¨rster, J. (2004). How body feedback influences consumer’s evaluation of products. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14, 415–425.

Friedman, R. S., & Fo¨rster, J. (2000). The effects of approach and avoidance motor actions on the elements of creative insight. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 477–492.

Friedman, Ron and Andrew J. Elliot. The Effect Of Arm Crossing On Persistence And Performance. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2008; 38, 449–461 (2008).http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/arm-crossing-effect-on-persistence-and-performance/

Fabbri-Destro, M.,& Rizzolatti,G. (2008). Mirror neurons and mirror systems in monkeys and humans. Physiology, 23, 171–179.

Fusaro, M., Harris, P. L., & Pan, B. A. (2012). Head nodding and head shaking gestures in children’s early communication. First Language, 32, 439–458. doi:10.1177/0142723711419326

Goldin-Meadow, S. (1999).The role of gesture in communication and thinking. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 3, 419–429.

Goldin-Meadow, S.(2003). Hearing gesture: How our hands help us think. Cam-bridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Guidetti, M. (2005). Yes or no? How do young children combine gestures and words to agree and refuse. Journal of Child Language, 32, 911–924. doi:10.1017/S0305000905007038

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Hall, Jeffrey A. and Chong Xing. The Verbal and Nonverbal Correlates of the Five Flirting Styles. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2015. 39:41–68. DOI 10.1007/s10919-014-0199-8
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Hubbard, A.L., Wilson, S. M., Callan, D. E., & Dapretto, M.(2009).Giving speech a hand: Gesture modulates activity in auditory cortex during speech perception. Human Brain Mapping, 30, 1028–1037.

Johnson, Richard R. and Jasmine L. Aaron. Adults’ Beliefs Regarding Nonverbal Cues Predictive of Violence. Criminal Justice and Behavior. 2013. 40 (8): 881-894. DOI: 10.1177/0093854813475347.
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Laird, J. D., Wagener, J. J., Halal, M., & Szegda, M. (1982). Remembering what you feel: Effects of emotion on memory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 646–657.

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

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

Riskind, J. H., & Gotay, C. C. (1982). Physical posture: Could it have regulatory or feedback effects upon motivation and emotion? Motivation and Emotion, 6, 273–296.

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Sherzer, Joel The Brazilian Thumbs-Up Gesture. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 1991, Vol.1(2), pp.189-197

Stepper, S., & Strack, F. (1993). Proprioceptive determinants of emotional and nonemotional feelings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 211–220.

Smith-hanen, Sandra S. Osipow, Samuel H. (editor). Effects of nonverbal behaviors on judged levels of counselor warmth and empathy. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 1977. 24(2): 87-91.

Schubert, Thomas W. The Power In Your Hand: Gender Differences In Bodily Feedback
From Making a Fist. Society for Personality and Social Psychology. 2004. 30(6): 757-769. DOI: 10.1177/0146167204263780
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Schubert, Thomas W. and Sander L. Koole. The Embodied Self: Making A Fist Enhances Men’s Power-Related Self-Conceptions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2009; 45: 828–834.
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Tiziano Furlanetto; Alberto Gallace; Caterina Ansuini and Cristina Becchio. Effects of Arm Crossing on Spatial Perspective-Taking. PLoS ONE 9(4): e95748. 2014. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095748
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Vrugt, Anneke, and Ada Kerkstra (1984). “Sex Differences in Nonverbal Communication.” In Semiotica (50-1/2), pp. 1-41.

Wu, Y. C., & Coulson, S.(2005).Meaningful gestures: Electrophysiological indices of iconic gesture comprehension. Psychophysiology, 42, 654–667.

Anger body language, Body cross, Clenching and gripping, Closed body language, Defensive body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Hostile body language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Protective reflexes, Stubborn body language

Body Language Reading of Arms Crossed With Gripped Arm or Reinforced Arm Cross

by Chris • October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language Reading of Arms Crossed With Gripped Arm or Reinforced Arm Cross

Cue: Arms Crossed With Gripped Arm or Reinforced Arm Cross

Synonym(s): Arm Gripping Arm Cross, Reinforced Arm Crossing, Hand Clenched Arm Cross.

Description: The arms fold over the chest and the hands grip the arms tightly, sometimes so strongly, that the knuckles can turn white.

In One Sentence: The reinforced arm cross signals high disagreement, defensiveness, and protectiveness with a desire to maintain space from the outside world of people and ideas.

How To Use it: Use this signal to end a sales pitch or situation by showing just how resistant you are to the ideas presented.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m preparing myself to hear bad news which is why I’m both shielding my body from the outcome, and gripping myself in a tight hug of self restraint.”

Variant: See Arm Crossing, Arm Cross With Clenched Fists, Arms Crossed With Thumbs Up.

Cue In Action: Upon hearing bad news, Mary folded her arms across her chest in defense, but when she found out there was an accident involving her husband, she gripped her arms tightly.

Meaning and/or Motivation: We see the reinforced arm cross when someone is expecting bad news. The body closes itself off and the arms grip in a tight self-hug for comfort. This is a sign of fortifying the arm cross to really shut things out. This variant of arm crossing is a form of self-hugging combined with restraint.

The meaning and motivation of arm crossing is varied, complex and universal (see the variants).

Arms, as they relate to non-verbal meaning, are like shields. They can block and shank ideas from entering just as well as a shield can protect against swords and arrows. Using the arms across the body in a fold is like cutting off access to our core where our heart and lungs are present. The arm crossing usually shows defensiveness and protectiveness, but can also show aggression and anger depending on its variant. Arm crossing simultaneously holds our feelings inside and prevents other people’s feelings from entering. Alternatively, arms crossed indicate that a person is cold. To determine if someone is cold just watch for hands tucked under the armpits, shivering, with legs tightly pressed together.

Cue Cluster: Arm crossing is usually coupled with head up, down or turned away, shoulders oriented away or toward, legs crossed and various negative facial expressions. When arm crossing is combined with a tight-lipped smile or clenched teeth it signifies that a verbal or physical confrontation is immanent.

Resources:

Friedman, Ron and Andrew J. Elliot. The Effect Of Arm Crossing On Persistence And Performance. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2008; 38, 449–461 (2008). http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/arm-crossing-effect-on-persistence-and-performance/

Fo¨rster, J. (2004). How body feedback influences consumer’s evaluation of products. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14, 415–425.

Friedman, R. S., & Fo¨rster, J. (2000). The effects of approach and avoidance motor actions on the elements of creative insight. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 477–492.

Hung, Iris W. and Aparna A. Labroo. From Firm Muscles to Firm Willpower: Understanding the Role of Embodied Cognition in Self-Regulation. Journal of Consumer Research. 2011 37(6): 1046-1064. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/657240
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/firm-muscles-lead-willpower/

Laird, J. D., Wagener, J. J., Halal, M., & Szegda, M. (1982). Remembering what you feel: Effects of emotion on memory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 646–657.

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

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

Riskind, J. H., & Gotay, C. C. (1982). Physical posture: Could it have regulatory or feedback effects upon motivation and emotion? Motivation and Emotion, 6, 273–296.

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

Richmond, Virginia P., James C. McCroskey and Steven K. Payne (1991). Nonverbal Behavior in Interpersonal Relations (2nd Ed., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall).

Stepper, S., & Strack, F. (1993). Proprioceptive determinants of emotional and nonemotional feelings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 211–220.

Smith-hanen, Sandra S. Osipow, Samuel H. (editor). Effects of nonverbal behaviors on judged levels of counselor warmth and empathy. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 1977. 24(2): 87-91.

Vrugt, Anneke, and Ada Kerkstra (1984). “Sex Differences in Nonverbal Communication.” In Semiotica (50-1/2), pp. 1-41.

Confident body language, Dominant body language, Expansive movements, High confidence body language, Hostile body language, Ready posture, Threat displays

Body Language of Arms Akimbo

by Chris • October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Arms Akimbo

Cue: Arms Akimbo

Synonym(s): Hands Akimbo, Hands On Hips, Fists On Haunches, Pot With Two Handles, “Captain Morgan stance” (The), Straddle Stance, Super Man Stance, Wonder Women Stance, Amy Cuddy Pose (The).

Description: The hands are placed on each hip making the elbows flair out.

In One Sentence: Arms akimbo is an expansive posture used to make the body appear larger and taking up more space thereby creating dominance.

How To Use it: Use this posture to boost your confidence before an important presentation. Research has found that expansive postures such as this one helps boost testosterone and simultaneously lowers the stress hormone cortisol. Likewise, the posture makes the body appear larger and therefore, increases the perception of dominance. Arms akimbo also shows an eagerness to get down to business as it is classified as a “ready posture.” Dominant postures are important when you want to take a leadership role and are prepared to accept the responsibility which comes with authority.

Context: a) Social b) Dating

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m much bigger than I appear, so you must respect me when I puff out like this.” “There are issues here”, “Things are not right”, “I’m standing my ground” or b) “I’m a virile male so check me out!”

Variant: The “Captain Morgan stance” was made popular by a widespread media advertising campaign depicting regular people in the posture. It includes one leg propped up, opening the legs and “exposing the genitals,” with one hand place on the thigh, and the other hand left lose or placed on the hips. This is a dominant, full peacock gesture, as it exposes the genital area for all to view and puffs out the chest, head held high. The aim of the posture is to claim the right to space and soak in the admiration of others.

Alternatively, one hand might be placed on the hips with the other hand gesturing. The thumbs might also be tucked into the belt or into belt loops serving to “frame the genitals.” Women usually aim their fingers backwards to point to their backside rather than their crotch.

Another variant, the straddle stance, is a stable standing position where the legs are straight, and set at, or slightly wider than shoulder width. The weight is bore by both feet evenly. It is normal for men rather than women to hold this stance. It is a display of dominance and confidence, and that a person is “standing their ground.”

Cue In Action: a) Mom is in a good mood until her 6 year old is caught eating sweets from the cupboard. Mom strides to her child, puts her hands on her hips, then begins ecturing him about the harms of junk food. Mom went over to junior, put her hands on her hips, then began lecturing him with a lesson about junk food. b) To make Dave stand out on a dating show, he put his arms on his hips when he stood next to the other contestants.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Having the hands on the hips has roots in evolution. It makes the body take up more space, just like a peacock, and hence appear larger which can be attractive to other men who seek leadership or to women seeking a healthy mate. While in the stance, all the fingers also curl inward so that they point toward the crotch. This draws attention toward the genitals, which punctuates the point even further.

Women will also hold the arms akimbo posture, although more rarely, as it can be seen as assertive (as it draws attention to the genital area by pointing). When women do hold the posture, they usually hold their hands on their hips and point their fingers to their buttocks. Pointing therefore, puts emphasis on our best assets as we state our case! Having the fingers pointed backwards, as women do, is also a more inquisitive, rather than authoritarian, posture. It says, “We have issues.”

The hands-on-hips is also a ready posture when it does not accompany more dominant cues in the cluster. In this case, it appears like a runner at the gate prepared to jump at an opportunity.

Cue Cluster: The cue cluster accompanying the hands-on-hips also includes an upright posture, chin up, chest out and the legs at slightly wider than shoulder width. We may see other dominant gesture such as “batoning” (see Batoning) and finger pointing.

Body Language Category: Ready posture, Confident, Dominant body language, Expansive movements, High confidence body language, Threat displays, Hostile body language.

Resources:

Allen, Jill; Sarah J. Gervais and Jessi L. Smith. Sit Big to Eat Big: The Interaction of Body Posture and Body Concern on Restrained Eating. Psychology of Women Quarterly 2013. 37(3): 325-336. DOI: 10.1177/0361684313476477pwq.sagepub.com
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/sit-big-to-eat-big-how-constrictive-postures-reduce-food-consumption/

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Briñol, P., Petty, R. E., & Wagner, B. (2009). Body posture effects on self-evaluation: A self-validation approach. European Journal of Social Psychology, 39, 1053–1064.

Bartholomewn, Morgan E.; Sheri L. Johnson. Nonverbal Dominance Behavior Among Individuals at Risk for Mania. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2014. 159: 133-138.
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Stanton, Steven J. The Essential Implications of Gender in Human Behavioral Endocrinology Studies. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. 2011. 5(9): 1-3. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2011.00009
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/a-critical-commentary-on-amy-cuddys-power-posing/

Sturman, Edward D. Invluntary Subordination and Its Relation to Personality, Mood,
and Submissive Behavior. Psychological Assessment. 2011. 23(1): 262-276 DOI: 10.1037/a0021499
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/nonverbal-submission-men-women-depression-critical-examination-use-disuse-submission/

Stepper, S., & Strack, F. (1993). Proprioceptive determinants of emotional and nonemotional feelings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 211–220.

Strelan, P., Weick, M., & Vasiljevic, M. (2013). Power and revenge. British Journal of Social Psychology, 53, 521–540.

Tiedens, L. Z., & Fragale, A. R. (2003). Power moves: Complementarity in dominant and submissive nonverbal behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84,
558–568.

Tomi-Ann, Roberts and Yousef Arefi-Afshar. Not All Who Stand Tall Are Proud: Gender Differences in the Proprioceptive Effects of Upright Posture. Cognition and Emtion. 2007. 21(4):714-727.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/do-women-benefit-from-power-posing-study-suggests-not/

Tracy, J. L., & Robins, R. W. (2007). The prototypical pride expression: Development of a nonverbal behavior coding system. Emotion, 7(4), 789–801.

Tiedens, Larissa Z. and Alison R. Fragale. Power Moves: Complementarity in Dominant and Submissive Nonverbal Behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2003, 84(3): 558–568.

Welker, K. M., Oberleitner, D. E., Cain, S., & Carré, J. M. (2013). Upright and left out: Posture moderates the effects of social exclusion on mood and threats to basic needs. European Journal of Social Psychology, 43, 355–361.

Yap, Andy J. Abbie S. Wazlawek, Brian J. Lucas, Amy J. C. Cuddy, Dana R. Carney. The Ergonomics of Dishonesty: The Effect of Incidental Posture on Stealing, Cheating, and Traffic Violations, 24(11); 2281-2289.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-posture-physical-environment-determine-feelings-and-behaviour-study/

*No Photo, Disengagement body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Escape movements, Stressful body language

The Hidden Meaning of Arm Withdrawal or Leg Withdrawal Body Language

by Chris • October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Hidden Meaning of Arm Withdrawal or Leg Withdrawal Body Language

Cue: Arm Withdrawal or Leg Withdrawal

Synonym(s): Distancing, Pulling Arms or Legs In, Drawing Arms Or Legs In, Flexation Withdrawal.

Description: When the arms are suddenly pulled inward toward the body rather than away in order to create more distance between oneself and another. There will be times that distancing behaviours are not terribly dramatic.

In One Sentence: Drawing the arms or legs inward shows that a person is not engaged in another person or the topic, and at times, even withdrawn from a person or their ideas.

How To Use it: Pull the arms and legs away from people and their ideas when you wish to demonstrate disagreement. By coupling arm withdrawal in close or even immediate connection to specific spoken words you will tell others that you disagree with them nonverbally. This can be useful in any context including between friends, colleagues or lovers.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I disagree and want to get away but that would be too overt or prohibited at the moment, so I’m just going to do by pull my arms or legs away to make me feel like I’m escaping.”

Variant: See Blading Body Language, Body Angling or Ventral Displays.

Cue In Action: During a meeting over coffee, everything was fine until Dave told a sexist joke at which point Jill pull her arms onto her side of the table in disgust and turned her head away.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Arm and leg withdrawal indicates a lack of agreement or a difference of opinion. It can also indicate stress and anxiety. Even just a few inches of withdrawal can tell us that ideas and the people that voice them are diverging. When the legs or arms are suddenly withdrawn it can be a good indicator that what has been said is offensive or disagreeable to the other party.

When the feet or legs of couples are pulled in rather than neutral or extended toward each other, it can signal that the relationship isn’t going well.

Cue Cluster: Arm withdrawal is often coupled with leaning away, facing away, torso and feet turned toward an exit, disgusted or bored facial expression and postures.

Body Language Category: Stressful body language, Disengagement, Dislike (nonverbal), Escape movements.

Resources:

Arduino, P. J., & Gould, J. L. (1984). Is tonic immobility adaptive? Animal Behavior, 32, 921–923.

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

Burgess, A. W., & Holmstrom, L. L. (1976). Coping behavior of the rape victim. American Journal of Psychiatry,
133, 413–418.

Broth, Mathias and Lorenza Mondada. Walking Away: The Embodied Achievement of Activity Closings in Mobile Interaction. Journal of Pragmatics. 2013. 47: 41-58.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/nonverbally-negotiate-conversation-walking-away/

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

Estes, Zachary Estes and Michelle Verges. Freeze or flee? Negative stimuli elicit selective responding. Cognition. 2008. 108(2): 557-565.

Fo¨rster, J. (2004). How body feedback influences consumer’s evaluation of products. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14, 415–425.

Friedman, R. S., & Fo¨rster, J. (2000). The effects of approach and avoidance motor actions on the elements of creative insight. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 477–492.

Fyer, M. R., Uy, J., Martinez, J., & Goetz, R. (1987). CO2 challenge of patients with panic disorder. American
Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1080–1082.

Galliano, G., Noble, L. M., Travis, L. A., & Puechl, C. (1993). Victim reactions during rape/sexual assault: A preliminary study of the immobility response and its correlates. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 8, 109–114.

Gallup, G. G. (1977). Tonic immobility: The role of fear and predation. Psychological Record, 27, 41–61.

Gillis, M. M., Haaga, D. A., & Ford, G. T. (1995). Normative values for the beck anxiety inventory, fear questionnaire, Penn state worry questionnaire, and social phobia and anxiety inventory. Psychological
Assessment, 7, 450–455.

Heidt, J. M., Marx, B. P., & Forsyth, J. P. (2005). Tonic immobility and childhood sexual abuse: A preliminary report evaluating the sequela of rape-induced paralysis. Behavior Research and Therapy, 43, 1157–1171.

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/

Kalin, N. H., Shelton, S. E., Rickman, M., & Davidson, R. J. (1998). Individual differences in freezing and
cortisol in infant and mother rhesus monkeys. Behavioral Neuroscience, 112, 251–254.

Liebowitz, M. R., Gorman, J. M., Fyer, A. J., Dillon, D. J., & Klein, D. F. (1984). Effects of naltrexone on patients with panic attacks. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 995–997.

Laird, J. D., Wagener, J. J., Halal, M., & Szegda, M. (1982). Remembering what you feel: Effects of emotion on memory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 646–657.

Mattick, R. P., & Clarke, J. C. (1998). Development and validation of measures of social phobia scrutiny fear and social interaction anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 455–470.

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

Reiss, S., Peterson, R. A., Gursky, D. M., &McNally, R. J. (1986). Anxiety sensitivity, anxiety frequency, and the prediction of fearfulness. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 1–8.

Riskind, J. H., & Gotay, C. C. (1982). Physical posture: Could it have regulatory or feedback effects upon motivation and emotion? Motivation and Emotion, 6, 273–296.

Stepper, S., & Strack, F. (1993). Proprioceptive determinants of emotional and nonemotional feelings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 211–220.

Sagliano, Laura ; Cappuccio, Angela ; Trojano, Luigi ; Conson, Massimiliano. Approaching threats elicit a freeze-like response in humans. Neuroscience Letters. 2014. 561: 35-40.

Schmidt, Norman B. ; Richey, J. Anthony ; Zvolensky, Michael J. ; Maner, Jon K. Exploring human freeze responses to a threat stressor. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. 2008. 39(3): 292-304.

Schmidt, N. B., & Joiner, T., Jr. (2002). Structure of the anxiety sensitivity index: Psychometrics and factor structure in a community sample. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 16, 33–49.

Schmidt, N. B., Miller, J., Lerew, D. R., Woolaway-Bickel, K., & Fitzpatrick, K. (2002). Imaginal provocation of
panic in patients with panic disorder. Behavior Therapy, 33, 149–162.

Schmidt, N. B., & Telch, M. J. (1994). Role of fear of fear and safety information in moderating the effects of voluntary hyperventilation. Behavior Therapy, 25, 197–208.

Suarez, S. D., & Gallup, G. G. (1979). Tonic immobility as a response to rape in humans: A theoretical note. The Psychological Record, 29, 315–320.

Zvolensky, M. J., & Eifert, G. H. (2001). A review of psychological factors/processes affecting anxious responding during voluntary hyperventilation and inhalations of carbon dioxide-enriched air. Clinical Psychology Review,
21, 375–400.

Zeinstra, Gertrude G.; M.A. Koelen; D. Colindres ; F.J. Kok; C de Graaf. Facial Expressions in School-Aged Children are a Good Indicator of ‘Dislikes’, but not of ‘Likes.’ Food Quality and Preference. 2009. 20: 620-624.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/read-kids-dislike-food-facial-expressions-accurate-detecting-dislike-not-like-children/

*No Photo, Anger body language, Authoritative body language, Dominant body language, Hostile body language, Threat displays

The Hidden Meaning of The Arm Twister Handshake

by Chris • October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Hidden Meaning of The Arm Twister Handshake

Cue: Arm Twister Handshake

Synonym(s): N/A

Description: In the arm twister handshake, an otherwise ordinary handshake turns sour by being twisted underneath into the submissive palm up position.

In One Sentence: The arm twister handshake is a resistance to submission and represents the struggle to avoid having the hand turned palm up.

How To Use it: Twist the arm back to level when facing a habitual palm down handshakers to put him in his place. This is a high risk maneuver because it will be obvious to the palm-down shaker that will be no longer permitted unfettered dominance.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “We started the handshake off evenly with palm vertical, but I’m taking charge of this now and I’m going to wrench your hand until I get palm up dominance and authority.”

Variant: Sometimes a dominant handshaker will also offer their palm facing upwards almost vertically making it nearly impossible to gain the upper hand position. 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 boss has had problems with one of his employees who has continuously undermined his leadership. The time the boss wanted to make it clear that he wasn’t going to put up with the disrespect of his employee so when they shook hands he twisted his arm over and pull him into his personal space to show him he was in charge.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Someone who does this is absolutely committed to being on top and dominating the other person.

Cue Cluster: The arm twister handshake can be combined with other dominant body language such as standing over another person, pulling a person into their personal space, placing a hand on the shoulder and gripping the hand more firmly than ordinary.

Body Language Category: Dominant body language, Hostile body language, Anger, Threat displays, Authoritative body language.

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.

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.

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/

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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/

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).

Defensive body language, Escape movements, Fearful body language, Negative body language, Stressful body language

Body Language of Arm Freezing Behaviour or Leg Freezing Behaviour

by Chris • October 17, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Arm Freezing Behaviour or Leg Freezing Behaviour

Cue: Arm Freezing Behaviour or Leg Freezing Behaviour.

Synonym(s): Flight or Fight Response, Leg Freezing Behaviour.

Description: Arm freezing refers to the sudden reduction or elimination of movement in the arms or hands such as gesticulation, due to stress or fear.

When hands or arms freeze, the hands can be stuffed into the pockets, be hidden under the table or be placed palm down on the table or held tightly on the lap in order to reduce gesticulation. Additionally, the hands may be coupled hand-in-hand on the lap, fingers entwined and placed on the table, or seem to be praying near chest level.

The cue is especially salient when they seem to freeze suddenly – especially when something particularly damning or incriminating, or something that can be the source of discomfort has occurred.

In One Sentence: Hand freezing is to “hide in plain sight” and indicates that one is fearful.

How To Use it: Use arm freezing behaviour to show others that you are in disagreement with what they are saying. The hands can also be frozen to feign fear. This can be effective in bluffing in poker.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m scared and I’m going to stop moving so I can try to escape detection and hide in plain sight.”

Variant: See Hands In Pockets, Feet Wrapped Around Legs Of Chair.

Cue In Action: a) A child happily plays on the kitchen floor with a truck set when a close relative suddenly appears – the child freezes. In children, a sudden freeze response can indicate the presence of abusive parents or relatives. b) The boss suddenly walks in the room and sees you playing video games on company time – your hands lock up and you can’t click to a new screen.

Meaning and/or Motivation: A fear driven or high stress response.

Hands can suddenly change in terms of use as illustrators and seem to pause, stop or slow in their rate of use. Sudden cessation of gesticulation can indicate a freeze response due to being caught in a lie, especially when the context warrants it. This is part of the flight or flight response as liars are trying to seem less noticeable. They are “hiding in plain sight” and to do this it is necessary to move less as movement attracts attention.

Reducing expressiveness means fewer “tells” or so the lying mind thinks. When hands or feet that are usually busy, suddenly begin to slow, or become less expressive, it can signal a lack of enthusiasm or confidence for the topic. Whatever happens to the hands, when they suddenly change, we know that something internal has changed and it is usually tied directly to whatever is happening in the moment.

Cue Cluster: Arm and leg freezing is accompanied by other minimizing cues such as head lowered, ducked or down, erection of barriers as well as escape movements such as moving feet toward the door.

Body Language Category: Fearful body language, Stressful body language, Defensive, Escape movements, Negative body language.

Resources:

Arduino, P. J., & Gould, J. L. (1984). Is tonic immobility adaptive? Animal Behavior, 32, 921–923.

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

Burgess, A. W., & Holmstrom, L. L. (1976). Coping behavior of the rape victim. American Journal of Psychiatry, 133, 413–418.

Baxter, James C., and Richard M. Rozelle (1975). “Nonverbal Expression as a Function of Crowding During a Simulated Police-Citizen Encounter.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 32(1): 40-54.

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

Estes, Zachary Estes and Michelle Verges. Freeze or flee? Negative stimuli elicit selective responding. Cognition. 2008. 108(2): 557-565.

Fyer, M. R., Uy, J., Martinez, J., & Goetz, R. (1987). CO2 challenge of patients with panic disorder. American
Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 1080–1082.

Gallup, G. G. (1977). Tonic immobility: The role of fear and predation. Psychological Record, 27, 41–61.

Kalin, N. H., Shelton, S. E., Rickman, M., & Davidson, R. J. (1998). Individual differences in freezing and
cortisol in infant and mother rhesus monkeys. Behavioral Neuroscience, 112, 251–254.

Liebowitz, M. R., Gorman, J. M., Fyer, A. J., Dillon, D. J., & Klein, D. F. (1984). Effects of naltrexone on patients with panic attacks. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 995–997.

LeDoux, Joseph (1996). The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life (New York: Simon & Schuster).

McGrew, W. C. (1972). “Aspects of Social Development in Nursery School Children with Emphasis on Introduction to the Group.” In N. G. Blurton Jones, ed., Ethological Studies of Child Behaviour (Cambridge: University Press), pp. 129-56.