Category: Adornments

Body Language of Unkept or Dowdiness

Body Language of Unkept or Dowdiness

No picCue: 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Description: A nonverbal term referring to a person’s dress that is wrinkled but otherwise fairly clean, shapeless, outdated, bland, messy, unflattering, out-of-date, out of style and well worn.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:

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Body Language of Office Artifacts or Office Props

Body Language of Office Artifacts or Office Props

No picCue: Office Artifacts

Synonym(s): Office Props, Personal Artifacts, House Decoration, Decoration (of Space).

Description: Office artifacts include any objects that take up space in the place of work including photographs, plaques, trophies, certificates, memorabilia, piles of paper, books, and so forth.

In One Sentence: Office artifacts are ways that people express their personalities and values.

How To Use it: Upon entering an office, it is known the objects and decoration they contain, will make an impression. Presumably, this is understood by most people. Therefore, you should take care that your office is accurately reflecting the impression you wish to make.

Use the decoration and props in your office to create whatever impression you seek. Those whom wish to be taken as scholarly, for example, should decorate their office with books and diplomas. If one wishes to be seen as a family man, the office should have photographs of family and crafts made by kids. To be seen as worldly, the office should be decorated with various exotic props from around the world.

Context: a) General b) Business.

Verbal Translation: “My space is an extension of myself. I decorate it in a way that reflects my thoughts and beliefs.”

Variant: People also decorate their bodies with fashion and art including tattoos. Clothing, like office artifacts are extensions of the body and things people actively choose in order to reflect their personal thoughts and beliefs. Personal artifacts include fancy or expensive vehicles, or cheap ones, as well as large expansive houses, or bachelor pads. The things we keep in our company reflect how we think and what we value. See Adornments and Bodifications (personal decoration).

Cue In Action: a) Her house was a marvel of exquisite art, furniture and statues. She had excellent taste and could appreciate the riches of life. b) To appear intelligent, the lawyer stood in front of a full library of encyclopedia during his television commercial. He promised to extract large sums of money due to injury claims.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Office artifacts can be used to display status such as the use of trophies, plaques, certificates or interests such as model cars, sports memorabilia or pictures hung on walls such a nature or fishing adventures.

Lawyers are usually portrayed in front of a large library of books which is a nonverbal signal of the mountain of knowledge that “backs them.” When the President makes an important announcement he habitually stands next to the flag or at his desk surrounded by books to appear more trustworthy and intelligent.

Houses that contain family images show others that they are close knit, while a bachelor pad which is more or less un-kept shows that its owner is carefree. Our houses and what they contain reflect our values.

Cue Cluster: Depending on the context, cues will appear either dominant or submissive. For example, a student might appear submissive if the contents of his dorm room are modest if he finds that an attractive girl has noticed. A doctor will act smug should he find that you have noticed his certificates and diplomas.

Body Language Category: Adornments, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Power play.

Resources:

Axelsson, A. (2002). The digital divide: Status differences in virtual environments. In R. Schroeder (Ed.), Social life of avatars: Presence and interaction in shared virtual environments (pp. 188–204). New York, NY: Springer.

Ambady, N., & Rosenthal, R. (1992). Thin slices of expressive behavior as predictors of interpersonal consequences: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 111, 256–274.

Baumeister, R. F. (1982). A self-presentational view of social phenomena. Psychological Bulletin, 91, 3–26.

Blackman, M. C., & Funder, D. C. (1998). The effect of information on consensus and accuracy in personality judgment. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 34, 164–181.

Burroughs, J. W., Drews, D. R., & Hallman, W. K. (1991). Predicting personality from personal possessions: A self-presentational analysis. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6, 147–163.

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Ellison, N., Heino, R., & Gibbs, J. (2006). Managing impressions online: Selfpresentation processes in the online dating environment. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(2). Article 2.

Gillath, Omri ; Bahns, Angela J. ; Ge, Fiona ; Crandall, Christian S. Shoes as a source of first impressions. Journal of Research in Personality. 2012. 46(4): 423-430.

Gosling, Samuel D. ; Craik, Kenneth H. ; Martin, Nicholas R. ; Pryor, Michelle R. The Personal Living Space Cue Inventory: An Analysis and Evaluation. Environment and Behavior. 2005. 37(5): 683-705.

Gosling, S. D., Craik, K. H., Martin, N. R.,&Pryor,M. R. (2005). Material attributes of personal living spaces. Home Cultures, 2, 51-88.

Gosling, Samuel, D.; Sei Jin Ko, Thomas Mannarelli; Margaret E. Morris. A Room with a Cue: Personality Judgments Based on Offices and Bedrooms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2002. 82(3): 379-398. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.82.3.379
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Laumann, E. O., & House, J. (1970). Living room styles and social attributes: The patterning of material artifacts in a modern urban community. Sociology and Social Research, 54, 321-342.

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

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Taylor, T. L. (2002). Living digitally: Embodiment in virtual worlds. In R. Schroeder (Ed.), The Social Life of Avatars; Presence and Interaction in Shared Virtual Environments (pp. 40–62). London: Springer-Verlag.

Vazire, S., & Gosling, S. D. (2004). E-Perceptions: Personality impressions based on personal websites. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 123–132. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.87.1.123.

Wohn, Donghee Yvette ; Wash, Rick. A virtual “Room” with a cue: Detecting personality through spatial customization in a city simulation game. Computers in Human Behavior. 2013. 29(1): 155-159.

Wall, Helen J. ; Taylor, Paul J. ; Dixon, John ; Conchie, Stacey M. ; Ellis, David A. Rich contexts do not always enrich the accuracy of personality judgments. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2013. 49(6): 1190-1195.

Body Language of High Heels

Body Language of High Heels

BodyLanguageProjectCom - High Heels Body Language 1Cue: High Heels Body Language.

Synonym(s): Stilettos Body Language.

Description: A type of footwear worn by women where the heel is raise higher than the toe.

In One Sentence: High heels are a super normal nonverbal cue signaling the desire for sexual power and appeal.

How To Use it: High heels are advantageous to women. High heels should be used to attract taller more desirable men. While men are not overly concerned with taller women, research shows that men and women tend to pair relatively. That is, in most relationships, men are normally about 2” taller than women and overall. This may be because, given the choice, men, like women, prefer their counterpart to be tall. Therefore, like short men, short women find it difficult to compete with taller counterparts in dating.

High heels work to make women more attractive because they seem to elongate the legs and at the same time make them appear more toned. Women can use high heels to create the illusion of fitness as they work to thrust the hips forward and protrude the breast.

Sexualizing the body is double edged, however, as it will create a desire in men to take part in benevolent sexism, but will also reduce women’s perceived competence. Thus, high heels should be coupled with conservative dress to preserve the image of professionalism.

The height advantage can also work to a woman’s benefit in a business context by stepping them up to the average height of men and therefore eliminating the dominance advantage that height brings. Further, aiming the heel toward men while sitting, legs cross, toward that whom a woman feels discontent, is akin to striking with a dagger – a power-play.

Context: a) Business b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: “I’m trying to make my legs appear sexy and alluring to gain an advantage over men and women by hyper sexualizing my female features as well as to gain a height advantage over others.”

Variant: Women sometimes use their high heels as daggers especially while sitting where they can be aimed squarely at potential “prey.” See Adornments and Bodifications, Dressing Sexy.

Cue In Action: a) The female boss always made a point of wearing high spikes so she could stand over her employees. None of the female employees dared best her with anything taller. b) Whilst still out of sight, men on the quiet walkway waited with eager anticipation as they heard the unmistakable sound of stilettos. Each step produced a click-and-clock. It was only a matter of time before the object of their attention would reveal itself – an alluring woman.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The high heel is a type of shoe worn by women in effort to draw attention to their sexuality. The high heel lifts the butt by contracting it, tilts the pelvis forward, arches the back thus protruding the chest and breast, makes the legs appear longer, toned and produces a tight flexed calf muscle.

The high heel emphasizes women’s already long legs and hyper-sexualizes them and also gives women the illusion of slimness, virility, youth and hence fertility, by imitating the leg proportions of girls in their upper teens and early twenties. The stiletto also creates the illusion of smaller feet which is universally deemed submissive and ladylike.

Women will use heels during dating and courtship as well as in business in order to fix the height gap between them, and the men in their association, which points to their function as a power play.

Cue Cluster: The high heel is usually accompanied with confident postures as the high heel commands attention. Expect to see an upright posture, head held high, confident and relaxed facial expression, business or club attire, usually skirts, or business pants. Tall boots with high heels over jeans have recently become fashionable.

Body Language Category: Adornments, Courtship displays, Confident body language, Gravity defying body language, High confidence body language, Masked emotions, Power play.

Resources:

Abbey, A., and Melby, C. (1986). The effects of nonverbal cues on gender differences in perceptions of sexual intent. Sex Roles, 15, 283-298.

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Cari D. Goetz; Judith A. Easton; David M.G. Lewis; David M. Buss. Sexual Exploitability: Observable Cues And Their Link To Sexual Attraction. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2012; 33: 417-426.
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Durante, Kristina M ; Li, Norman P ; Haselton, Martie G. Changes in women’s choice of dress across the ovulatory cycle: naturalistic and laboratory task-based evidence. Personality & social psychology bulletin. 2008 34(11): 1451-60.

Etcoff, N. L., Stock, S., Haley, L. E., Vickery, S. A., & House, D. M. (2011). Cosmetics as a feature of the extended human phenotype: Modulation of the perception of
biologically important facial signals. PLoS One, 6, e25656.

Fink, Bernhard; Nadine Hugill and Benjamin P. Lange. Women’s Body Movements Are a Potential Cue to Ovulation. Personality and Individual Differences. 2012. 53: 759-763.
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Gunns, Rebekah E; Lucy Johnston; and Stephen M. Hudson. Victim Selection And Kinematics: A Point-Light Investigation Of Vulnerability To Attack. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2002. 26(3): 129-158.
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Guéguen, Nicholas. High Heels Increase Women’s Attractiveness. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2014. DOI 10.1007/s10508-014-0422-z
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Guéguen Nicolas. Gait and menstrual cycle: ovulating women use sexier gaits and walk slowly ahead of men. Gait Posture. 2012; 35(4): 621-4.
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Grammer, Karl, LeeAnn Renninger and Bettina Fischer. Disco Clothing, Female Sexual Motivation, and Relationship Status: Is She Dressed to Impress? The Journal of Sex Research. 2004. 41(1): 66-74.
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Givens D. The nonverbal basis of attraction: Flirtation, courtship, and seduction. Psychiatry. 1978. 41: 346.

Goetz, Cari D.; Judith A. Easton; David M.G. Lewis; David M. Buss. Sexual Exploitability: Observable Cues And Their Link To Sexual Attraction. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2012; 33: 417-426.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/victim-blaming-or-useful-information-in-preventing-rape-and-sexual-exploitation/

Goetz, Cari D.; Judith A. Easton; Cindy M. Meston. The Allure of Vulnerability: Advertising Cues to Exploitability as a Signal of Sexual Accessibility. Personality and Individual Differences. 2013. 62: 121-125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.02.019
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/allure-sexual-vulnerability-move/

Haselton, M. G., M. Mortezaie, E. G. Pillsworth, A. Bleske-rechek, and D. A. Frederick. 2007. Ovulatory shifts in human female ornamentation: near ovulation, women dress to impress. Hormones and Behavior. 51(1): 40-45.

Kozlowski, L. T., & Cutting, J. E. (1977). Recognizing the sex of a walker from a dynamic point-light display. Perception and Psychophysics, 21, 575–580.

Lynch, A. Expanding the Definition of Provocative Dress: An Examination of Female Flashing Behavior on a College Campus. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal. 2007. 25(2): 184-201.

Moore, Monicam. Human Nonverbal Courtship Behavior—A Brief Historical Review. Journal of Sex Research. 2010 47(2-3): 171-180.

Moore, Monica. Courtship Signaling and Adolescents: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. Journal of Sex Research. 1995. 32(4): 319-328.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/girls-just-want-to-have-fun-the-origins-of-courtship-cues-in-girls-and-women/

Moore, Monica. M. Nonverbal Courtship Patterns in Women: Context and consequences. Ethology and Sociobiology. 1985. 6:237- 247.

Moore, M. M. Courtship Communication and Perception. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 2002. 94(1): 97-105. doi:10.2466/PMS.94.1.97-105.

Moore, M. M. and D. L. Butler. 1989. Predictive aspects of nonverbal courtship behavior in women. Semiotica 76(3/4): 205-215.

Miller, G., Tybur, J. M., & Jordan, B. D. Ovulatory cycle effects on tip earning by lap dancers: Economic evidence for human estrus. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2007. 28: 375-381.

Montepare, J. M., Goldstien, S. B., & Clausen, A. (1987). The identification of emotions from gait information. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 11, 33–42.

Morris, Paul H.; Jenny White, Edward R. Morrison and Kayleigh Fisher. High Heels As Supernormal Stimuli: How Wearing High Heels Affects Judgements of Female Attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2013. 34: 176-181.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/high-heels-supernormal-body-language-signal

Opila-Correia, K. A. (1990). Kinematics of high-heeled gait. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 71, 304–309.

Roether, C. L., Omlor, L., Christensen, A., & Giese, M. A. (2009). Critical features for the perception of emotion from gait. Journal of Vision, 9(6), 1–32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1167/9.6.15.

Schneider, Sabrina ; Christensen, Andrea ; Hau[sz]inger, Florian B. ; Fallgatter, Andreas J. ; Giese, Martin A. ; Ehlis, Ann – Christine. Show me how you walk and I tell you how you feel — A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study on emotion perception based on human gait. Neuroimage. 2014. 85: 380(11).

Sakaguchi, Kikue and Toshikazu Hasegawa. Person Perception Through Gait Information And Target Choice For Sexual Advances: Comparison Of Likely Targets In Experiments And Real Life. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2006; 30:63-85. DOI 10.1007/s10919-006-0006-2
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/dont-walk-like-youre-asking-targets-sexual-approach-based-walking-style-personality-study/

Smith, E. O. (1999). High heels and evolution: Natural selection, sexual selection and
high heels. Psychology, Evolution and Gender, 30, 245–277. Smith, E. O., & Helms, W. S. (1999). Natural selection and high heels. Foot and Ankle International, 20, 55–57.

Walter, K. D., Brownlow, S., Ervin, S. L., & Williamson, N. (1998). Something in the way she moves: The influence of shoe altered gait on motion and trait impressions of women. PSI CHI Journal of Undergraduate Research, 3, 163–169.

Body Language of The Face Frame

Body Language of The Face Frame

No picCue: Face Frame

Synonym(s): Make-up, Moving Hands Around The Face.

Description: An active or subconscious gesture used to draw the attention of others toward the face. It might be done with make-up, moving the hands around the face, pointing toward the face, drawing a pen from a piece of paper up to the eyes and so forth.

In One Sentence: The face frame is way to draw the attention of others to our face.

How To Use it: Use the face frame when you want other’s to notice you for your outer appearance. Women should frame their faces in a dating context or when they wish to be seen as friendly or docile and therefore in need of care and protection. The effect is pronounced in women with scarves and make-up and work well in a dating context. Men can frame their faces, as can women, by bringing pens and papers to the sides of their faces such as while presenting in business. This is helpful in creating a more human element in a presentation and serves to make our faces more memorable.

Context: a) General b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: “I’m drawing attention toward my face because I want you to notice it.”

Variant: Face Platter.

Cue In Action: a) The rock star put on white face paint and heavy dark make-up around his eyes, so people would notice him. b) She took the time to reapply her make up before coming home from work so she looked refreshed for her husband.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Just like women wear low cut shirts that draw attention to their breasts, women can use various means to draw attention to their face – if they want others to notice. Many women wear make-up, sometimes heavy make-up for this reason.

Heavy or bright lipstick is designed to emphasis the lips for example. When women take part in dance or sing on stage, they will usually wear plenty of make-up and large false eyelashes in order to showcase their faces to a large and distant audience. The make-up is meant to overcome the deficit that distance plays.

Women who are less attractive will also tend to wear additional make-up. Make-up that
is odd or unique is also aimed at drawing attention and to stand out from other people.

Moving the pen or index finger around the face is another way to draw attention up toward the face as the eyes tend to follow the path of moving objects.

Cue Cluster: N/A

Body Language Category: Adornments.

Resources:

Borkenau, P. (1991). Evidence of a correlation between wearing glasses and personality. Personality and Individual Differences, 12, 1125-1128. doi:10.1016/0191-8869(91)90074-L

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.

Charles v. Ford, Lies! Lies! Lies!: The Psychology of Deceit (Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc., 1996), 200.

Dimond, Stuart ; Harries, Rashida. Face touching in monkeys, apes and man: Evolutionary origins and cerebral asymmetry. Neuropsychologia. 1984. 22(2): 227-233.

Edwards, K. (1987). Effects of sex and glasses on attitudes toward intelligence and attractiveness. Psychological Reports, 60, 590.

Guéguen, Nicolas. Makeup and Menstrual Cycle: Near Ovulation, Women Use More Cosmetics. The Psychological Record. 2012, 62, 541-548.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/women-use-makeup-fertile/

Guéguen, Nicolas. Brief Report: The Effects of Women’s Cosmeticson Men’s Approach: An Evaluation in a Bar North American Journal of Psychology. 2008. 10 (1): 221-228.

Guéguen, Nicolas and Céline Jacob. Lipstick And Tipping Behavior: When Red Lipstick Enhance Waitresses Tips. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2012; 31: 1333– 1335.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/men-prefer-women-who-dress-in-red-and-wear-red-lipstick-how-to-earn-more-tips-or-favours-from-men/

Guéguen, Nicolas. Hair color and wages: Waitresses with Blond Hair Have More Fun. The Journal of Socio-Economics. 2012. 41: 370-372.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/research-says-blondes-fair-better-tips-courtship-donations-spontaneous-helping/

Guéguen, Nicolas. Hair Color and Courtship: Blond Women Received More Courtship Solicitations and Redhead Men Received More Refusals. Psychol Stud. 2012. 57(4):369–375. DOI 10.1007/s12646-012-0158-6

Guéguen, Nicolas. Brief Report: Women’s Hair Color and Donations: Blonds Receive More Money. North American Journal of Psychology. 2011. 13(3): 367-372.
Guéguen, Nicolas. The Sweet Color of an Implicit Request: Women’s Hair Color and Spontaneous Helping Behavior. Social Behavior and Personality. 2012. 40(7): 1099-1102.

Holme, S. A., Beattie, P. E., & Fleming, C. J. (2002). Cosmetic camouflage advice improves quality of life. British Journal of Dermatology, 147, 946-949.

Harris, M. B., Harris, R. J., & Bochner, S. (1982). Fat, four-eyed, and female: Stereotypes of obesity, glasses, and gender. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 12, 503-516. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.1982. tb00882.x

Harris, M.B. (1991). Sex differences in stereotypes of spectacles. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 21, 1659–1680. doi 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1991.tb00497.x

Hasart, J. K.,&Hutchinson, K. L. (1993). The effects of eyeglasses on perceptions of interpersonal-attraction. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 8, 521–528.

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

Jones, Alex L.; Robin S. S. Kramerb and Robert Warda. Miscalibrations in Judgements of Attractiveness With Cosmetics. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 2014. 64(1): 12060-2068. DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2014.908932.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/dont-cake-makeup-study-finds-less-makeup-best/

Jones, Alex L and Robin S. S. Kramer. Facial Cosmetics Have Little Effect on Attractiveness Judgments Compared With Identity. 2015. In Press. doi:10.1068/p7904
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/ditch-makeup-cosmetics-play-small-role-overall-beauty-study/

Kyle, D. J., & Mahler, H. I. (1996). The effects of hair colour and cosmetic use on perceptions of a female’s ability. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 20, 447-455.

Lundberg, J. K., & Sheehan, E. P. (1994). The effects of glasses and weight on perceptions of attractiveness and intelligence. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 9, 753–760.

Leder, Helmut ; Forster, Michael ; Gerger, Gernot. The Glasses Stereotype Revisited: Effects of Eyeglasses on Perception, Recognition, and Impression of Faces. Swiss Journal of Psychology. 2011. 70(4): 211-222.

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/

Mohiyeddini, Changiz ; Semple, Stuart. Displacement behaviour regulates the experience of stress in men. Stress. 2013. 16(2): 163-171.

Nash, Rebecca; George Fieldman; Trevor Hussey; Jean-Luc Le Ve Que and Patricia Pineau. Cosmetics: They Influence More Than Caucasian Female Facial Attractiveness
Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 2006. 36(2):493-504.

Porcheron, Aurélie; Emmanuelle Mauger; Richard Russell. Aspects of Facial Contrast Decrease with Age and Are Cues for Age Perception. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (3): e57985 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057985.

Russell, Richard. (2010) Why cosmetics work. In Adams, R., Ambady, N., Nakayama, K., & Shimojo, S. (Eds.) The Science of Social Vision. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 186-203

Regan, Pamela C. Cinderella Revisited: Women’s Appearance Modification as a Function of Target Audience Sex and Attractiveness. Social Behavior and Personality. 2011. 39(4): 563-576. DOI 10.2224/sbp.2011.39.4.563
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/women-wear-makeup-meeting-attractive-people/

Stillman, Jerijaynew. ; Hensley, Waynee. She wore a flower in her hair: The effect of ornamentation on nonverbal communication. Journal of Applied Communication Research. 1980. 8(1): 31-39.

Terry, R. L. (1993). How wearing eyeglasses affects facial recognition. Current Psychology, 12, 151–162. doi 10.1007/ BF02686820

Terry,R. L.,&Hall, C. A. (1989). Affective responses to eyeglasses: Evidence of a sex difference. Journal of American Optometrist Association, 60, 609–611.

Terry, R. L., & Kroger, D.L. (1976). Effects of eye correctives on ratings of attractiveness. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 42, 562. doi 10.2466/PMS.42.2.562

Body Language of Dressing Sexy

Body Language of Dressing Sexy

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Dressing Sexy 1Cue: Dressing Sexy

Synonym(s): Sexy Dress, Provocative Dress, Short Skirts, Tight Jeans, Revealing Dress, Cleavage Display, Overt Dress, Slutty Dress.

Description: A primarily female cue where women dress provocatively with short skirts, tight jeans or shirts, low-cut blouse and/or, high heels. Men may also dress sexy, with similar underlying meaning, but it is not as salient.

In One Sentence: Dressing sexy is universally perceived by others as a signal of health, virility, and a want to be desired.

How To Use it: The use of sexy dress is one which should be used cautiously. Sexy dress can be used by either men or women to gain sexual attention from others. Dressing sexy for men and women, however, differs. Women have more liberty in their sexy dress, but men and women both share common features. When dressing sexy, aim to emphasis the features that best showcase your strongest features. Men should show their masculinity with displays of abs, chest, biceps broad shoulders or buttocks. This can be done with a tight shirt or even shirtless as well as with a well fitted suit. Women can dress sexy by showing their legs, breasts and buttocks. A tight fitting top, low cut blouse, short skirt, heels and so forth are ways which women can draw eyes to their bodies.

Note that the use of sexy dress is entirely option, and can often create issues with objectification. To draw attention to parts of the sexual body is to reduce one’s self to parts. As long as one is aware of how one is perceived, then dressing sexy can be used to accomplish desired goals. No matter how one dresses, it is very important to understand that one is nearly always in charge of how one is perceived. If one does not wish to be objectified then one should hide visual sexuality and instead emphasis other more abstract qualities including intelligence, kindness and personality. As nonverbal signals are strong, and people being what they are, they will always reduce people to their lowest common denominator.

Research shows that dressing sexy is highly frowned upon in business settings as it often reduces perceptions of competence. However, dressing sexy might lead to better treatment and higher tips in low ranking service jobs.

Sexy dress is known to produce benevolent sexism where men and women are willing to perform services in order to be near a sexy counterpart.

Finally, dressing sexy can also create issues with same-sex competitors who will be quick to dismiss your sexiness as they seek to diminish your sexual power over them and their significant others.

Context: a) Dating b) Business c) General (alternative explanation)

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m sexually receptive and am searching for sexual invitation.” b) “I’m sexual in nature and looking for favours and chivalry from men in the workplace and for men, due to my high attractiveness, to do the work for me or treat me favourably.” c) “I feel comfortable in sexy clothing as it suits my style and personality even though I don’t consciously want additional sexual attention otherwise.”

Variant: See Unkept or Dowdiness.

Cue In Action: a) She was in a great mood, full of energy. As she searched through her clothing, she tried to match her mood to her attire. Overlooking dumpy sweatpants and lose sweatshirt, she chose instead a short fitting skirt and heels with a low cut blouse. She was nearing ovulation, but her sexual cycle never crossed her mind, she was just following her emotions. b) She tried to dress professionally, but her look tended to arouse attraction from other men. This frequently got her trouble with the boss as it distracted the clients as well as the other employees. The women became quite catty and talked behind her back. The men, on the other hand, either did extra favours for her, didn’t take her skill-set seriously, or did their best to remain professional despite her dress.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Dressing sexy is not a sexual invitation by itself, but it does give us clues to the intensions and attitudes present. In most cases, overt cleavage, short skirts and heavy make-up tell us that women are available and sexually receptive.

Women who dress sexily all the time appear might make sexy attire a non-cue, but one must still wonder why they are motivated to dress overtly on a more frequent and often inappropriate context. Often times the overtly dressed baseline tells us that women seek male favours and male chivalry. This often goes hand-in-hand with flirty behaviour and casual sexual suggestions.

If, on the other hand, we notice extra dressiness, or extra frills or “ornamentation” we know that a woman is probably feeling sexually receptive. Conversely if we see a lack of dressiness, we know that a woman is particularly down and unreceptive. The research supports this. Women, at around the time of ovulation, will display more sexually. They will break out their high heels, tend to dance more, talk more suggestively, and even walk differently near ovulation.

While women might not be aware of the reason for dressing provocatively. Most women are aware of the signals they give off to men, and therefore shouldn’t be surprised to receive additional attention when they show more skin. From a prowling male perspective therefore, it would pay back in dividends to make note of which women dress provocatively and deviate from their baseline and which women wear more frills and glitz. Tight jeans, elaborate decoration and short skirts, not only signal sexuality, but also interest in sex.

Other times, when women travel in groups, they may be influenced by the decisions of others and therefore dress to fit in, despite their underlying mood. We see this often when groups of women travel to a bar together and dress provocatively to fit into their clique. In these instances, it is important to watch for cues in cluster to determine if women are in fact sexually receptive as indicated by their attire.

Cue Cluster: Dressing sexy, when it is matched to a woman’s sexual cycle will be accompanied by other sexual cues such as grooming, hair tossing, legs uncrossed and re-crossed, neck and wrist exposure, desire for proximity to men, leaning inward, licking the lips, batting the eyes, the parade, exaggeration of the hips by pushing them out, pushing the chest out be keeping the back arched, and so forth.

Body Language Category: Adornments, Amplifier, Arousal, Courtship displays, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI).

Resources:

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Anat Rafaeli; Jane Dutton; Celia V Harquail; Stephanie Mackie-Lewis. Navigating by attire: The use of dress by female administrative employees. Academy of management journal. 1997. 40 (1): 9-45.

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Barber, Nigel. Women’s dress fashions as a function of reproductive strategy. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. 1999. 40(5-6): 459(1).

Bettis, Pamela J. ; Adams, Natalie Guice. Short Skirts and Breast Juts: Cheerleading, Eroticism and Schools. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning. 2006. 6(2): 121-133.

Beiner, Theresa M. Sexy dressing revisited: does target dress play a part in sexual harassment cases? Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy. 2007 14(1): 125(28).

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.

Back, Mitja D. ; Schmukle, Stefan C. ; Egloff, Boris King, Laura (editor). Why Are Narcissists so Charming at First Sight? Decoding the Narcissism–Popularity Link at Zero Acquaintance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2010. 98(1): 132-145.

Cari D. Goetz; Judith A. Easton; David M.G. Lewis; David M. Buss. Sexual Exploitability: Observable Cues And Their Link To Sexual Attraction. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2012; 33: 417-426.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/victim-blaming-or-useful-information-in-preventing-rape-and-sexual-exploitation/

Chowdhary, U. 1988. Instructor’s attire as a biasing factor in students’ ratings of an instructor. Clothing & Textiles Research Journal 6 (2): 17-22.

Cahoon, DD; Edmonds, EM 1989. Male-Female Estimates Of Opposite-Sex 1st Impressions Concerning Females Clothing Styles Bulletin of the psychonomic society. 27(3): 280-281.

Cassidy, Linda ; Hurrell, Rose Marie. The influence of victim’s attire on adolescents’ judgments of date rape. Adolescence. 1995 30(118): 319(5).

Durante, Kristina M ; Li, Norman P ; Haselton, Martie G. Changes in women’s choice of dress across the ovulatory cycle: naturalistic and laboratory task-based evidence. Personality & social psychology bulletin. 2008 34(11): 1451-60.

Edmonds, Ed M.; Cahoon, Delwin D.; Hudson, Elizabeth 1992. Male-female estimates of feminine assertiveness related to females’ clothing styles. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society. 30(2): 43-144.

Farris, Coreen ; Viken, Richard J. ; Treat, Teresa A. Perceived association between diagnostic and non-diagnostic cues of women’s sexual interest: General Recognition Theory predictors of risk for sexual coercion. Journal of Mathematical Psychology. 2010. 54(1): 137-149.

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Forsythe, S., M. F. Drake, and C. E. Cox. 1985. Influence of applicant’s dress on interviewer’s selection decisions. Journal of Applied Psychology 70 (2): 374-378.

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.

Gurung, R. A. R. and C. J. Chrouser. 2007. Predicting objectification: do provocative clothing and observer characteristics matter? Sex Roles: A Journal of Research 57 (1-2): 91-99

Guéguen, Nicholas. High Heels Increase Women’s Attractiveness. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2014. DOI 10.1007/s10508-014-0422-z
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/high-heels-exact-power-men-study-women-wear-heels/

Guéguen, Nicolas. Color and Women Attractiveness: When Red Clothed Women Are Perceived to Have More Intense Sexual Intent. The Journal of Social Psychology, 2012; 152(3): 261–265.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/men-prefer-women-who-dress-in-red-and-wear-red-lipstick-how-to-earn-more-tips-or-favours-from-men/

Guéguen, Nicolas. The Effect Of Women’s Suggestive Clothing On Men’s Behavior And Judgment: A Field Study. Psychological Reports. 2011. 109; 2: 635-638.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/sexy-clothing-source-power-women/

Guéguen, Nicolas. Color and Women Hitchhikers’ Attractiveness: Gentlemen Drivers Prefer Red. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 2012; 37 (1): 76-78.

Glick, Peter; Sadie Larsen, Cathryn Johnson, and Heather Branstiter. Evaluations Of Sexy Women In Low – And High-Status Jobs. Psychology of Women Quarterly. 2005. 29: 389–395.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/women-should-avoid-sexy-dress-for-high-status-jobs-says-research/

Grammer, Karl, LeeAnn Renninger and Bettina Fischer. Disco Clothing, Female Sexual Motivation, and Relationship Status: Is She Dressed to Impress? The Journal of Sex Research. 2004. 41(1): 66-74.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/is-she-dressed-for-success-how-women-adorn-during-courtship/

Gillath, Omri; Angela J. Bahns; Fiona Ge and Christian S. Crandall. Shoes as a source of first impressions. Journal of Research in Personality. 2012; 46: 423-430.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/shoes-as-a-reliable-cue-to-personality-study/

Garot, Robert ; Katz, Jack. Provocative Looks: Gang Appearance and Dress Codes in an Inner-City Alternative School. Ethnography, 2003, Vol.4(3), pp.421-454

Gunns, Rebekah E; Lucy Johnston; and Stephen M. Hudson. Victim Selection And Kinematics: A Point-Light Investigation Of Vulnerability To Attack. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2002. 26(3): 129-158.
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Guéguen, Nicholas. High Heels Increase Women’s Attractiveness. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2014. DOI 10.1007/s10508-014-0422-z
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/high-heels-exact-power-men-study-women-wear-heels/

Graff, Kaitlin ; Murnen, Sarah ; Smolak, Linda. Too Sexualized to be Taken Seriously? Perceptions of a Girl in Childlike vs. Sexualizing Clothing. Sex Roles. 2012. 66(11): 764-775.

Hernandez, Jillian. “Miss, you look like a Bratz Doll”: on chonga girls and sexual-aesthetic excess.(Report). NWSA Journal. 2009 21(3): 63(28).

Haselton, M. G., M. Mortezaie, E. G. Pillsworth, A. Bleske-rechek, and D. A. Frederick. 2007. Ovulatory shifts in human female ornamentation: near ovulation, women dress to impress. Hormones and Behavior. 51(1): 40-45.

Koukounas, Eric ; Letch, Nicolem. Psychological Correlates of Perception of Sexual Intent in Women. The Journal of Social Psychology. 2001. 141(4): 443-456.

Keiierman, Joan M. and James D. Laird. The Effect of Appearance on Self Perception. Journal of Personality. 1982; 50: 3.
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Karagiorgakis, Aris and Danielle Malone. The Effect of Clothing and Method of Payment on Tipping in a Bar Setting. North American Journal of Psychology. 2014. 16(3): 441-452.
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Koukounas, Eric ; Letch, Nicolem. Psychological Correlates of Perception of Sexual Intent in Women. The Journal of Social Psychology. 2001. 141(4): 443-456.

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).

Lynch, A. Expanding the Definition of Provocative Dress: An Examination of Female Flashing Behavior on a College Campus. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal. 2007. 25(2): 184-201.

Morris, Paul H.; Jenny White, Edward R. Morrison and Kayleigh Fisher. High Heels As Supernormal Stimuli: How Wearing High Heels Affects Judgements of Female Attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2013. 34: 176-181.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/high-heels-supernormal-body-language-signal

Morris, T. L., J. Gorham, S. H. Cohen, and D. Huffman. 1996. Fashion in the classroom: effects of attire on student perceptions of instructors in college classes. Communication Education 45(2): 135.

Mahmuda, Yusr and Viren Swami. The Influence of the Hijab (Islamic Head-Cover) on Perceptions of Women’s Attractiveness and Intelligence. Body Image. 2010. 7: 90-93.
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Mcginley, Ann C. Babes and beefcake: exclusive hiring arrangements and sexy dress codes. Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy. 2007 14(1): 257(27).

Markey, Patrick ; Markey, Charlotte. Changes in women’s interpersonal styles across the menstrual cycle. Journal of Research in Personality. 2011. 45(5): 493-499.

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

Parks, Kathleen ; Scheidt, Douglas. Male Bar Drinkers’ Perspective on Female Bar Drinkers. Sex Roles, 2000, Vol.43(11), pp.927-941.

Parsons, Charles K. ; Liden, Robert C. Guion, Robert (editor). Interviewer perceptions of applicant qualifications: A multivariate field study of demographic characteristics and nonverbal cues. Journal of Applied Psychology. 1984 69(4): 557-568.

Regan A. R. Gurung & Carly J. Chrouser. Predicting Objectification: Do Provocative Clothing and Observer Characteristics Matter? Sex Roles, 2007; 57: 91–99.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/dont-want-to-be-objectified-then-dont-wear-sexy-clothing-says-research/

Richards, Lynne ; Mcalister, Laurie. Female Submissiveness, Nonverbal Behavior, and Body Boundary Definition. The Journal of Psychology. 1994 128(4): 419-424.

Rehman, Shakaib U. ; Nietert, Paul J. ; Cope, Dennis W. ; Kilpatrick, Anne Osborne. What to wear today? Effect of doctor’s attire on the trust and confidence of patients
The American Journal of Medicine. 2005 118(11): 1279-1286.

Starr, Christine ; Ferguson, Gail. Sexy Dolls, Sexy Grade-Schoolers? Media & Maternal Influences on Young Girls’ Self-Sexualization. Sex Roles. 2012. 67(7): 463-476.

Synovitz, Lindab. ; Byrne, T. Jean. Antecedents of Sexual Victimization: Factors Discriminating Victims From Nonvictims. Journal of American College Health. 1998. 46(4): 151-158.

Sandlund, Chris. “PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!”.(employee dress rules)(Brief Article)
Entrepreneur. 2001 29(8): 70.

Peluchette, J. V., K. Karl, and K. Rust. 2006. Dressing to impress: beliefs and attitudes regarding workplace attire. Journal of Business and Psychology 21(1): 45-63.

Vazire, Simine; Laura P. Naumann; Peter J. Rentfrow and Samuel D. Gosling. Portrait of a Narcissist: Manifestations of Narcissism in Physical Appearance. Journal of Research in Personality. 2008. 42: 1439-1447.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/narcissist-written-read-body-language-narcissist/

Body Language of Clothing

Body Language of Clothing

No picCue: Clothing.

Synonym(s): Dress, Fashion, Overdressing, Underdressing, Practical Dressing, Casual Dress, Dressing Casually, Dressing Practically, Attire, Uniform.

Description: The body language associated with ones attire.

In One Sentence: Clothing represents an elective form of nonverbal expression which indicate how a person wishes to be perceived by others.

How To Use it: Using clothing to create a desired impression. When you apply clothing, remember that regardless of your desire, certain character traits will be ascribed to you regardless of your desires. These will be either correct or incorrect. If one wishes to be viewed in one way or another, one should be conscious of how one presents oneself. For example, revealing clothing will result in others believing that you are sexually easy or promiscuous. Wearing heavy clothing during hot weather will lead others to assume that you are prudish. Use clothing to create the impression you wish is complicated and person specific, but one simply needs to understand that one has a high degree of control over the perceptions of others and these can be manipulated with nonverbal displays including fashion. Some experimentation may be required to produce the results you desire.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “My clothing is a reflection of my inner thoughts, feelings and values.”

Variant: See Unkept or Dowdiness, Dressing Sexy.

Cue In Action: a) The teenager usually let his underwear show above his loose pants. He didn’t care what the adults thought about him. b) The teacher sent the girls to the principle if their skirts were too short. c) She was always well put together with expensive gowns and jewelry. d) He didn’t care what people thought of him, he felt that jogging pants were the most comfortable daily attire. e) She made waves with her low cut blouse and ample cleavage.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Clothing is a very potent nonverbal cue as it gives off all sorts of vital information about its wearer. It is a nonverbal language all onto itself. Before we even speak with one another, our clothing creates an image about us, it also tells of our sex, age, occupation, origins, social class, personality and beliefs. Clothing can also tell others where we are going as well as what we are about to do. A business suit for example, indicates that one is conducting business or a summer dress indicates that one is on vacation. In other words, clothing provides context.

As a language, clothing can be conventional or eccentric, clothing can give off signals about whom one wants to be or become. Teenagers place importance on designer clothing so they can impress their friends and fit in, but as we grow older, our shift takes on a more specific role as we tailor our attire to the functions we attend and to the status we want to hold.

Clothing also sets us apart from others in terms of values. The eccentric often have flamboyant clothing to differentiate themselves from others showing that their ideas about life are different than the rest of those around them.

How one ‘wears’ what they wear also gives off indicators of their disposition. For example, the uptight employee that does his collar up to the top, or the laid back employee who fails to properly tighten his neck tie or avoids wearing one at all. Having buttons done up tight as opposed to having an open suite jacket also has meaning. Having un-pressed pants, dirty shoes or even no shoes, at all, provide details of other people’s disposition. Using inappropriately loose or tight clothing can also give us clues as to the nature of the person. Removing a tie midday under a strict dress code indicates that the person is rebellious and defiant. Unbuttoning a blouse to show more cleavage could lead to being labeled easy or a seductress.

Dress plays a big part in first and daily impressions and also provides excellent cues to be read in others.

Over dressing: Someone who is low in confidence but and tries to make up for it by using fashion as a crutch. These people may also be striving for extra attention from others to make up for their insecurities.

Under dressing: A person who feels that outward appearances are of no value or who lacks the desire to conform to social norms.

Practical dresser or practical fashion: A style that is more focused on functionality and utility instead of extravagance. People who wear practical attire are at ease with themselves. Typically they are not self-centered, are willing to go against the grain so as to feel comfortable in their clothing, or are frugal.

Dressing sexy: Someone who wishes to gain attention and power through sex appeal.

Cue Cluster: Watch for congruence between how one dresses and the body language they carry. While someone might overdress, you might find other clues to insecurity. If someone dresses sexy, they may also give off flirtatious cues. Some women might act catty toward, or challenge other women if they are looking for sexual attention from men. Someone who under-dresses, might have a lax attitude or lack the desire to conform. Watch for awkward body language and speech patterns as well as blushing or a desire to exit social gatherings. The practical dresser might have a more casual approach and seem at ease in every situation. When the attire doesn’t match the body language, you have likely spotted a rouse. This person may be trying to fake others through dress.

Body Language Category: Adornments, Amplifier, Courtship display, Elective nonverbal traits, Masked body language, Relaxed body language, Power play.

Resources:

Angela Book, Kimberly Costello and Joseph A. Camilleri Psychopathy and Victim Selection: The Use of Gait as a Cue to Vulnerability. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 2013. 28(11): 2368-2383. DOI: 10.1177/0886260512475315jiv.sagepub.com
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/dont-walk-like-youre-watched-avoid-victimization-nonverbal-behavior/

Anat Rafaeli; Jane Dutton; Celia V Harquail; Stephanie Mackie-Lewis. Navigating by attire: The use of dress by female administrative employees. Academy of management journal. 1997. 40 (1): 9-45.

Abbey, A., Cozzarelli, K., McLaughlin, K., & Harnish, R. (1987). The effects of clothing and dyad sex composition on perceptions of sexual intent: Do women and men evaluate these cues differently? Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 17: 108-126.

Beiner, Theresa M. Sexy dressing revisited: does target dress play a part in sexual harassment cases? Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy. 2007 14(1): 125(28).

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.

Back, Mitja D. ; Schmukle, Stefan C. ; Egloff, Boris King, Laura (editor). Why Are Narcissists so Charming at First Sight? Decoding the Narcissism–Popularity Link at Zero Acquaintance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2010. 98(1): 132-145.

Cassidy, Linda ; Hurrell, Rose Marie. The influence of victim’s attire on adolescents’ judgments of date rape. Adolescence. 1995 30(118): 319(5).

Chowdhary, U. 1988. Instructor’s attire as a biasing factor in students’ ratings of an instructor. Clothing & Textiles Research Journal 6 (2): 17-22.

Cahoon, DD; Edmonds, EM 1989. Male-Female Estimates Of Opposite-Sex 1st Impressions Concerning Females Clothing Styles Bulletin of the psychonomic society. 27(3): 280-281.

Cari D. Goetz; Judith A. Easton; David M.G. Lewis; David M. Buss. Sexual Exploitability: Observable Cues And Their Link To Sexual Attraction. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2012; 33: 417-426.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/victim-blaming-or-useful-information-in-preventing-rape-and-sexual-exploitation/

Chowdhary, U. 1988. Instructor’s attire as a biasing factor in students’ ratings of an instructor. Clothing & Textiles Research Journal 6 (2): 17-22.

Cahoon, DD; Edmonds, EM 1989. Male-Female Estimates Of Opposite-Sex 1st Impressions Concerning Females Clothing Styles Bulletin of the psychonomic society. 27(3): 280-281.

Durante, Kristina M ; Li, Norman P ; Haselton, Martie G. Changes in women’s choice of dress across the ovulatory cycle: naturalistic and laboratory task-based evidence. Personality & social psychology bulletin. 2008 34(11): 1451-60.

Edmonds, Ed M.; Cahoon, Delwin D.; Hudson, Elizabeth 1992. Male-female estimates of feminine assertiveness related to females’ clothing styles. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society. 30(2): 43-144.

Edmonds, Ed M.; Cahoon, Delwin D.; Hudson, Elizabeth 1992. Male-female estimates of feminine assertiveness related to females’ clothing styles. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society. 30(2): 43-144.

Farris, Coreen ; Viken, Richard J. ; Treat, Teresa A. Perceived association between diagnostic and non-diagnostic cues of women’s sexual interest: General Recognition Theory predictors of risk for sexual coercion. Journal of Mathematical Psychology. 2010. 54(1): 137-149.

Forsythe, S. M. 1990. Effect of applicant’s clothing on interviewer’s decision to hire.
Journal of Applied Social Psychology 20 (19, 1): 1579-1595.

Forsythe, S., M. F. Drake, and C. E. Cox. 1985. Influence of applicant’s dress on interviewer’s selection decisions. Journal of Applied Psychology 70 (2): 374-378

Forsythe, S. M., M. F. Drake, and C. A. Cox Jr. 1984. Dress as an influence on the perceptions of management characteristics in women. Home Economics Research Journal 13 (2): 112-121.

Forsythe, S., M. F. Drake, and C. E. Cox. 1985. Influence of applicant’s dress on interviewer’s selection decisions. Journal of Applied Psychology 70 (2): 374-378.

Garot, Robert ; Katz, Jack. Provocative Looks: Gang Appearance and Dress Codes in an Inner-City Alternative School. Ethnography, 2003, Vol.4(3), pp.421-454

Gurung, R. A. R. and C. J. Chrouser. 2007. Predicting objectification: do provocative clothing and observer characteristics matter? Sex Roles: A Journal of Research 57 (1-2): 91-99.

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.

Greenlees, Iain ; Bradley, Andrew ; Holder, Tim ; Thelwell, Richard. The impact of opponents’ non-verbal behaviour on the first impressions and outcome expectations of table-tennis players. Psychology of Sport & Exercise. 2005 6(1): 103-115

Guéguen, Nicholas. High Heels Increase Women’s Attractiveness. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2014. DOI 10.1007/s10508-014-0422-z
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/high-heels-exact-power-men-study-women-wear-heels/

Guéguen, Nicolas. Color and Women Attractiveness: When Red Clothed Women Are Perceived to Have More Intense Sexual Intent. The Journal of Social Psychology, 2012; 152(3): 261–265.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/men-prefer-women-who-dress-in-red-and-wear-red-lipstick-how-to-earn-more-tips-or-favours-from-men/

Guéguen, Nicolas. The Effect Of Women’s Suggestive Clothing On Men’s Behavior And Judgment: A Field Study. Psychological Reports. 2011. 109; 2: 635-638.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/sexy-clothing-source-power-women/

Guéguen, Nicolas. Color and Women Hitchhikers’ Attractiveness: Gentlemen Drivers Prefer Red. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 2012; 37 (1): 76-78.

Glick, Peter; Sadie Larsen, Cathryn Johnson, and Heather Branstiter. Evaluations Of Sexy Women In Low – And High-Status Jobs. Psychology of Women Quarterly. 2005. 29: 389–395.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/women-should-avoid-sexy-dress-for-high-status-jobs-says-research/

Grammer, Karl, LeeAnn Renninger and Bettina Fischer. Disco Clothing, Female Sexual Motivation, and Relationship Status: Is She Dressed to Impress? The Journal of Sex Research. 2004. 41(1): 66-74.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/is-she-dressed-for-success-how-women-adorn-during-courtship/

Gillath, Omri; Angela J. Bahns; Fiona Ge and Christian S. Crandall. Shoes as a source of first impressions. Journal of Research in Personality. 2012; 46: 423-430.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/shoes-as-a-reliable-cue-to-personality-study/

Graff, Kaitlin ; Murnen, Sarah ; Smolak, Linda. Too Sexualized to be Taken Seriously? Perceptions of a Girl in Childlike vs. Sexualizing Clothing. Sex Roles. 2012. 66(11): 764-775.

Hajo, Adam, and Adam D. Galinsky. Enclothed Cognition. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2012. 48 (4): 918–925. DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2012.02.008 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103112000200
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/wearing-white-coat-boosts-performance-enclothed-cognition/

Haselton, M. G., M. Mortezaie, E. G. Pillsworth, A. Bleske-rechek, and D. A. Frederick. 2007. Ovulatory shifts in human female ornamentation: near ovulation, women dress to impress. Hormones and Behavior. 51(1): 40-45.

Hernandez, Jillian. “Miss, you look like a Bratz Doll”: on chonga girls and sexual-aesthetic excess.(Report). NWSA Journal. 2009 21(3): 63(28).

Karagiorgakis, Aris and Danielle Malone. The Effect of Clothing and Method of Payment on Tipping in a Bar Setting. North American Journal of Psychology. 2014. 16(3): 441-452.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/skimpy-clothing-lead-larger-tips-boost-tips-using-nonverbal-communication/

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).

Keiierman, Joan M. and James D. Laird. The Effect of Appearance on Self Perception. Journal of Personality. 1982; 50: 3.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/eye-glasses-body-language-brief-summary/

Koukounas, Eric ; Letch, Nicolem. Psychological Correlates of Perception of Sexual Intent in Women. The Journal of Social Psychology. 2001. 141(4): 443-456.

Lynch, A. Expanding the Definition of Provocative Dress: An Examination of Female Flashing Behavior on a College Campus. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal. 2007. 25(2): 184-201.

Morris, T. L., J. Gorham, S. H. Cohen, and D. Huffman. 1996. Fashion in the classroom: effects of attire on student perceptions of instructors in college classes. Communication Education 45(2): 135.

Mahmuda, Yusr and Viren Swami. The Influence of the Hijab (Islamic Head-Cover) on Perceptions of Women’s Attractiveness and Intelligence. Body Image. 2010. 7: 90-93.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/hijabs-hot-nonverbal-effect-hijab-attractiveness-intelligence-ratings/

Mcginley, Ann C. Babes and beefcake: exclusive hiring arrangements and sexy dress codes. Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy. 2007 14(1): 257(27).

Markey, Patrick ; Markey, Charlotte. Changes in women’s interpersonal styles across the menstrual cycle. Journal of Research in Personality. 2011. 45(5): 493-499.

Paul H. Morris, Jenny White, Edward R. Morrison and Kayleigh Fisher. High Heels As Supernormal Stimuli: How Wearing High Heels Affects Judgements of Female Attractiveness. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2013. 34: 176-181.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/high-heels-supernormal-body-language-signal

Peluchette, J. V., K. Karl, and K. Rust. 2006. Dressing to impress: beliefs and attitudes regarding workplace attire. Journal of Business and Psychology 21(1): 45-63.

Parsons, Charles K. ; Liden, Robert C. Guion, Robert (editor). Interviewer perceptions of applicant qualifications: A multivariate field study of demographic characteristics and nonverbal cues. Journal of Applied Psychology. 1984 69(4): 557-568.

Parks, Kathleen ; Scheidt, Douglas. Male Bar Drinkers’ Perspective on Female Bar Drinkers. Sex Roles, 2000, Vol.43(11), pp.927-941.

Richards, Lynne ; Mcalister, Laurie. Female Submissiveness, Nonverbal Behavior, and Body Boundary Definition. The Journal of Psychology. 1994 128(4): 419-424.

Rehman, Shakaib U. ; Nietert, Paul J. ; Cope, Dennis W. ; Kilpatrick, Anne Osborne. What to wear today? Effect of doctor’s attire on the trust and confidence of patients
The American Journal of Medicine. 2005 118(11): 1279-1286.

Regan A. R. Gurung and Carly J. Chrouser. Predicting Objectification: Do Provocative Clothing and Observer Characteristics Matter? Sex Roles, 2007; 57: 91–99.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/dont-want-to-be-objectified-then-dont-wear-sexy-clothing-says-research/

Starr, Christine ; Ferguson, Gail. Sexy Dolls, Sexy Grade-Schoolers? Media & Maternal Influences on Young Girls’ Self-Sexualization. Sex Roles. 2012. 67(7): 463-476.

Synovitz, Lindab. ; Byrne, T. Jean. Antecedents of Sexual Victimization: Factors Discriminating Victims From Nonvictims. Journal of American College Health. 1998. 46(4): 151-158.

Sandlund, Chris. Put Some Clothes On! (employee dress rules). Entrepreneur. 2001 29(8): 70.

Vazire, Simine; Laura P. Naumann; Peter J. Rentfrow and Samuel D. Gosling. Portrait of a Narcissist: Manifestations of Narcissism in Physical Appearance. Journal of Research in Personality. 2008. 42: 1439-1447.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/narcissist-written-read-body-language-narcissist/?preview=true

The Body Language Of Adornments and Bodifications

The Body Language Of Adornments and Bodifications

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Adornments 1Cue: Adornments

Synonym(s): Tattoos, Piercings, Body Piercing, Fashion, Jewelry,

Description: Elective nonverbal traits. Some adornments can be particularly intrusive such as piercings. These can be found in the ear, bellybutton, eyelid, mouth, tongue, nipple, and so forth. Other adornment include tattoos. Adornments also include fashion, jewelry, severely plucked eyebrows, false nails. More severe bodifications are the forms that are permanent such as breast implants, facelifts, liposuction, collagen insertion and so forth.

In One Sentence: Adornments include body piercing, fashion, jewelry, tattoos and so forth that a person uses to decorate their body in order to create a desired impression.

How To Use it: Use adornments in the method you feel best fits your personality. When using adornments be sure to understand that while you may seek to create an individualized personal impression, you will be ascribed traits common to the group you will subsequently fall into. For example, studies show that those with tattoos tend to be risk takers and use drugs and alcohol more often. These traits will be ascribed to you by the attire and decoration of the group you become part of. Therefore, be conscious of how your individual expressions may be linked to you so they work in your favour, rather than against you.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m expressing myself in a way that reflects my own personal feelings and beliefs.”

Variant: Any adornment that is not genetic is an expression of a person’s individual personality. See Clothing.

Cue In Action: a) She was mild-mannered after you got to know her, but most of her body was covered in tattoos, giving others a bad first impression. b) The lower back tattoo was something she grew to regret. She got it on her 16th birthday and at 30 years of age, it no longer suited her disposition. c) The skinhead with the facial tattoo meant he had to do very little to put the fear into his opponents. d) He was careful to only be seen in expensive suites and polished leather shoes so he would garner respect from others. e) He mostly dressed in sweats and t-shirts. He didn’t much care what other people thought of him.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Adornments are a form of chosen adornment. Therefore, where and how they are worn is a conscious reflection of the wearer’s personality and style.

At times, the accuracy of the message is lost on others to the detriment of the wearer making adornments something we should all be careful to use properly. Ignoring nonverbal signal emitted by clothing, piercings, tattoos, chains, baggy pants and dirty worn clothing is a surefire way to alienate and turn people off.

Particular bodifications can reveal a need to be different, rebellious, nonconformist, have an artistic nature, or conversely, a desire to fit in on a lower or higher socioeconomic status. Some might choose ill fitting clothing from a thrift store elucidating to their free spirit, while another might choose expensive name brand attire and pricey watches to appear wealthy.

Cue Cluster: Watch for congruency between someone’s bodifications and their nonverbal body language to discover if someone is using them to fake their way into a particular demographic. For example, does the person with the expensive suit walk with confidence? Does the girl with the lower back tattoo really appear trampy?

Body Language Category: Elective nonverbal traits, Adornments

Resources:

Armstrong ML, Owen DC, Roberts AE, Koch JR (2002) College students and tattoos: the influence of image, identity, family and friends. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing Mental Health Services. 40:20–29.

Armstrong ML, Owen DC, Roberts AE, Koch JR (2004a) Contemporary college students and body piercing. J Adolesc Health 35:58–61.

Armstrong ML, Roberts AE, Owen DC, Koch JR (2004b) Toward building a composite of college student influences with body art. Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs 27:277–295.

Carroll ST, Riffenburgh RH, Roberts TA, Myhre EB (2002) Tattoos and body piercings as indicators of adolescent risk-taking behaviors. Pediatrics 109:1021–1027.

Friederike Funk and Alexander Todorov. Criminal Stereotypes in the Courtroom: Facial Tattoos Affect Guilt and Punishment Differently. American Psychological Association. 2013. 19(4): 466-478. DOI: 10.1037/a0034736.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/face-tattoos-make-others-look-guilty-consequences-elective-nonverbal-signals/

Guéguen, Nicolas. Tattoos, Piercings, and Alcohol Consumption. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2012. 36(7): 1253-1256. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01711.x
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/think-before-you-ink-or-pierce-what-tattoos-and-piercings-tell-about-alcohol-consumption/

Guéguen, Nicolas. Tattoos, Peircings, and Sexual Activity. Social Behavior and Personality. 2012. 40(9): 1543-1548. http://dx.doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2012.40.9.1543
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/the-hidden-body-language-of-tattoos-and-piercings-sex-drugs-and-risky-behaviour/

Guéguen Nicholas. Effects of a Tattoo on Men’s Behavior and Attitudes Towards Women: An Experimental Field Study. Arch Sex Behav. 2013. 42 (8):1517-1524. doi: 10.1007/s10508-013-0104-2. Epub 2013 May 9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23657810
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/power-tramp-stamp-womans-tattoo-double-chances-approached/

Guéguen, Nicholas. Tattoos, piercings, and sexual activity. Social Behavior and Personality. 2012. 40: 1543-1547.

Koziel, Slawomir and Arkadiusz Sitek. Self-Assessment of Attractiveness of Persons with Body Decoration. Journal of Comparative Human Biology. 2013.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/people-tattoos-piercings-think-youll-find-attractive/

Koch JR, Roberts AE, Armstrong ML, Owen DC (2005) College students, tattoos, and sexual activity. Psychological Rep 97:887–890.

Koch JR, Roberts AE, Armstrong ML, Owen DC (2007) Frequencies and relations of body piercing and sexual activity in college students. Psychological Rep 101:159–162.

Koch JR, Roberts AE, ArmstrongML, Owen DC (2010) Body art, deviance, and American college students. Social Sci J 47:151–161.

Koziel S, Krestchmer W, Pawlowski B (2010) Tattoo and piercing as signals of biological quality. Evolutionary Human Behavior. 31:187–192.

MermetG (2010) Francoscopie. Larousse, Paris. Pitts V (2003) In the Flesh—The Cultural Politics of Body Modification.

PalgraveMacmillan, New York. Roberts TA, Auinger P, Ryan SA (2004) Body piercing and high-risk behavior in adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health 34:224–229.

Roberts TA, Ryan SA (2002) Tattooing and high-risk behavior in adolescent. Pediatrics 110:1058–1063.

Suris JC, Jeannin A, Chossis I, Michaud P-A (2007) Piercing among adolescents: body art as a risk marker. Journal of Family Practice 56:126–130.

Swami V, Furnham A (2007) Unattractive, promiscuous, and heavy drinkers: perceptions of women with tattoos. Body Image 4:343–352.

Wohlrab S, Stahl J, Kappeler PM (2007) Modifying the body: motivations for getting tattooed and pierced. Body Image 4:87–95.

Morris, T. L., J. Gorham, S. H. Cohen, and D. Huffman. 1996. Fashion in the classroom: effects of attire on student perceptions of instructors in college classes. Communication Education 45(2): 135.