Category: Amplifier

*No Photo, Amplifier, Masked emotions, Pacifying body language, Relaxed body language, Self-motivating gestures, Stressful body language

Body Language of Whistling

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Whistling

Cue: Whistling.

Synonym(s): Singing to Oneself

Description: Blowing air over the lips and teeth to produce a high pitched sound – often producing a ‘tune’ with varying music notes.

In One Sentence: Whistling is a sign of happiness or that a person needs to self-sooth and calm themselves.

How To Use it: Use whistling to show others your positive spirit. Carrying an upbeat tune shows other people that you are content which can be contagious. Whistling can be used in any context, but should be avoided where silence is the norm such as in a library or other situations where other people require focus and concentration.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m whistling because I’m happy or because I need to calm myself down in a stressful situation.”

Variant: See Blowing Off Steam.

Cue In Action: a) He just won first prize and was whistling a happy upbeat tune. b) He was lost in the woods and had circled the same area more than once. He whistled to himself to stay motivated and calm his nerves.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Whistling indicates contentment, usually, however it can also signify the desire to be pacified making it context specific.

The type of tune, high or low, happy or sad, as well as the context will determine the hidden meaning behind whistling. One might also watch for breaks in singing that is otherwise content. This might indicate a level of momentary stress that has arisen during a difficult task. For example, one might be pleasantly working on a home car build project and struggle with the wrench. As a person applies force or concentrates, there is a break in singing. Long pauses might be present during deep concentration. The break in whistling is an indication that there has been a change in focus.

Cue Cluster: Watch for adjoining stress related cues or relaxed cues to verify the meaning. It is important to verify the baseline of an individual to decide what whistling really means as some use it to pacify and others to indicate happiness.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Masked emotions, Pacifying body language, Relaxed body language, Self-motivating gestures, Stressful body language.

Resources:

NONE

*No Photo, Aggressive body language, Amplifier, Audible signals, Disapproval cues, Hostile body language, Pseudo-infantile gestures

Body Language of Whining Voice or Whine

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Whining Voice or Whine

Cue: Whining Voice or Whine

Synonym(s): Nagging.

Description: Nagging can be sign-song-like, high pitched, grating, continuous, and meant to annoy.

In One Sentence: A whining voice is a form of punishment used to manipulate other people into doing something they’d rather not do.

How To Use it: Whining can only be used effectively when there is a sympathetic listener. Therefore, the cue is generally reserved for women and children. While men can sometimes use whining, it is likely to result in a poor reflection of him and also yield poor results overall. That is not to say that women and children do not receive negative judgment when whining, however, the negative impression is usually short-lived and the pay-out in terms of results, therefore, worth it. Whining works as a “negative reinforcement” as the whiner promises to eliminate her whine once she has received her currency.

Context: a) General b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: “I’m incapable of solving my own problems so I punish people around me with a shrill, continuous, and annoying voice, in hopes that someone else will pick up the slack for me and serve my needs.”

Variant: See Voice Pitch.

Cue In Action: a) She whined incessantly – through the entire car ride. She wanted mom and dad to stop for ice-cream. Finally, dad had enough, pulled the car over at the nearest chain restaurant and bought her a cone just to make it stop. b) She whined incessantly – daily. She wanted a diamond ring and she wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer. Finally he broke down, pulled her into the ring store and bought her a ring just to make it stop.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Whining is a childlike voice trait aimed specifically at manipulating other people without using forceful words. Whining is a form of punishment to those who hear it. The whiner assumes that their annoying speaking patterns will motivation someone to action on their behalf, with the reward being whine cessation. In other words, the whine pushes those around him or her into action “just to make the whining stop.” Often, this only encourages the whine to return in the future as whining has been rewarded. Whining is considered a passive aggressive form of non-physical violence.

Those who use whining voices are usually followers by nature and often prefer to complain rather than take action themselves. The whiner is hoping others will take care of them. When suggestions to take charge of their own fate are suggested they are quickly rejected, then the person will often withdraw and pout. Whiners often surround themselves with people who are sympathetic to their complaints and help them.

Those who whine are often infantile in their character traits when they aren’t actually infants themselves. Toddlers habitually manipulate adults through whining, but adults, frequently female, will maintain the trait in effort to coax men around them perform favours for them. When grown men whine, it is particularly off-putting.

Cue Cluster: Whining is often coupled with submissive postures and infantile or eratic behaviour such as flailing arms, pouting, downcast eyes, crying, holding the breath, kicking and screaming, flopping on the floor or self harm and breaking things.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Aggressive body language, Audible signals, Disapproval cues, Hostile body language, Pseudo-infantile gestures.

Resources:

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

Chang, Rosemarie Sokol and Thompson, Nicholas S. Whines, cries, and motherese: Their relative power to distract. Journal of Social, Evolutionary, and Cultural Psychology.2011. 5(2): 131-141.

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

Kowalski, Robin M. Whining, griping, and complaining: Positivity in the negativity. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2002. 58(9): 1023-1035.

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

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

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

Scherer, Klaus R. Personality inference from voice quality: The loud voice of extroversion. European Journal of Social Psychology. 1978 8(4): 467-487.

Trainor, L. J., Austin, C. M., & Desjardins, R. N. (2000). Is infant-directed speech prosody a result of the vocal expression of emotion? Psychological Science, 11, 188–195.

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

Sokol, Rosemarie I. ; Webster, Karen L. ; Thompson, Nicholas S. ; Stevens, David A. Whining as mother‐directed speech. Infant and Child Development. 2005. 14(5): 478-490.

Walker-Andrews, A., & Grolnick, W. (1983). Discrimination of vocal expressions by young infants. Infant Behavior and Development, 6, 491–498.

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

Body Language of Voice Pitch

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Voice Pitch

Cue: Voice Pitch

Synonym(s): N/A

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

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

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

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

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

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

Context: General.

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

Variant: See Becoming Loud, Becoming Quiet or Whispering.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Resources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/

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

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

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

Scherer, Klaus R. Personality inference from voice quality: The loud voice of extroversion. European Journal of Social Psychology. 1978 8(4): 467-487.

Trainor, L. J., Austin, C. M., & Desjardins, R. N. (2000). Is infant-directed speech prosody a result of the vocal expression of
emotion? Psychological Science, 11, 188–195.

Walker-Andrews, A., & Grolnick, W. (1983). Discrimination of vocal expressions by young infants. Infant Behavior and Development, 6, 491–498.

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

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

Body Language of Uneven Shoulder Shrugs

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Uneven Shoulder Shrugs

Cue: Uneven Shoulder Shrugs.

Synonym(s): Partial Shoulder Shrug.

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

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

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

Context: General.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Resources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Teixeira Fiquer, Juliana; Paulo Sérgio Boggio and Clarice Gorenstein. Talking Bodies: Nonverbal Behavior in the Assessment of Depression Severity. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2013. 150: 1114-1119.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/using-nonverbal-behaviour-to-assess-depression-severity/

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

Body Language of Uncrossing and Re-Crossing Legs

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Uncrossing and Re-Crossing Legs

Cue: Uncrossing and Re-Crossing Legs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Context: a) General b) Dating.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Resources:

Allen, Terre H. ; Honeycutt, James M. Planning, Imagined Interaction, and the Nonverbal Display of Anxiety. Communication Research. 1997. 24(1): 64-82.

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

Abrahams, Matthewf. Perceiving flirtatious communication: An exploration of the perceptual dimensions underlying judgments of flirtatiousness. Journal of Sex Research. 1994. 31(4): 283-292.

Burgoon, Judee ; Poire, Beth ; Beutler, Larry ; Bergan, John ; Engle, David. Nonverbal behaviors as indices of arousal: Extension to the psychotherapy context. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1992. 16(3): 159-178.

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/

Cantú, Stephanie M ; Simpson, Jeffry A ; Griskevicius, Vladas ; Weisberg, Yanna J ; Durante, Kristina M ; Beal, Daniel J. Fertile and Selectively Flirty. Psychological Science. 2014. 25(2): 431-438.

Clark, A. Attracting Interest: Dynamic Displays of Proceptivity Increase the Attractiveness of Men and Women. Evolutionary Psychology. 2008., 6(4), 563-574.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/risky-versus-proceptive-nonverbal-sexual-cues/

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.

Dreznick, Michaelt. ; Cronin, Josephm. ; Waterman, Carolinek. ; Glasheen, Cristie. Saying Yes when Meaning No: An Investigation of Gender and Individual Differences in Token Seduction. Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality. 2003. 15(1): 69-84.

de Bruijn G. From masturbation to orgasm with a partner: how some women bridge the gap–and why others don’t. J Sex Marital Ther. 1982. 8(2):151-67.

Cameron C., S. Oskamp and W. Sparks. 1978. Courtship American style: newspaper
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Amplifier, Anger body language, Disapproval cues, Disengagement body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Distancing or moving away, Emotional body language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD)

Body Language of Touch Reduction

by Chris • October 29, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Touch Reduction

Cue: Touch Reduction.

Synonym(s): Reduced Touching.

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

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

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

Context: a) General b) Dating.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Resources:

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*No Photo, Amplifier, Automatic gesture, Emotional body language, Expansive movements, Gravity defying body language, Up nonverbals

Body Language of Toes Pointed Upward

by Chris • October 29, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Toes Pointed Upward

Cue: Toes Pointed Upward.

Synonym(s): Upward Toe Point, Skyward Facing Toe.

Description: The skyward facing toe is a posture that happens while standing. A person will shift their weight to the back foot while raising the toe of the other foot. The toe is therefore pointed skyward with the heel resting on the ground.

In One Sentence: Pointing the toes upward is a sign of positive thoughts and confidence.

How To Use it: Point the toes upward when you want to show others that good things are happening to you as you participate in the battle of life. Pointing the toes upward, like all “up-nonverbals,” signals that you are in good spirits. This can create a positive impression in those who see your positive signal. Often, these sorts of nonverbal expressions tend to rub off on other people making them feel better and more positive by association.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “My toes are defying gravity by pointing to the sky. I’m experiencing positive feelings. I’m confident.”

Variant: See Arms Up Posture, Head Tilted Back, Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture.

Cue In Action: While speaking on the mobile phone, the client was observed tilting their foot upwards. The posture indicated that she was the beneficiary of positive news.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Pointing the toes up is a gravity defying form of body language indicating positive feelings. When we are in a good mood, we feel like expending extra energy and taking up space. In other words, we want to be noticed by others so they can see just how successful we are. That’s why our body seems to become larger by taking up more space and being more expansive.

While standing, a person might rock back and forth on the balls of the feet or seem to stand taller, more confident and more animated. When people are happy their arms are used more to gesticulate during speech. Gravity defying gestures are rarely faked. That’s because they mostly go under the conscious radar of everyone including the person emitting them. In addition, someone carrying a negative mood is not usually able to hold positive gestures for any significant length of time as it requires conscious mental effort.

Interestingly, those with clinical depression are rarely seen doing positive “up” gestures. Instead their shoulders seem to slump and their arms do no more than hang at their sides. Those that are insecure seem to let the weight of life keep them down and pin their arms to their sides and their toes to the ground.

Cue Cluster: Be careful to watch for rocking back and forth coupled with the toe up, honest smiling, head held high, arms gesticulating or raised and torso erect.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Automatic gesture, Emotional body language, Expansive movements, Gravity defying body language, Up nonverbals.

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

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Cuddy, Amy J.C., Caroline A. Wilmuth, and Dana R. Carney. The Benefit of Power Posing Before a High-Stakes Social Evaluation. Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 13-027, September 2012.
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Aggressive body language, Amplifier, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Authoritative body language, Confident body language, High confidence body language, Hostile body language, Up nonverbals

Body Language of Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture

by Chris • October 29, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture

Cue: Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture.

Synonym(s): Thumbing.

Description: a) The thumbs up gestures is done by placing all but the thumbs in the front pockets of a vest, or suite jacket, or by knuckling the vest and leaving the thumbs out. b) Where the thumb is raised upward with the remaining fingers clenched together. c) The fingers are placed in pants pockets with the thumbs left out. d) When gesticulating, the thumbs are kept up and out from the rest of the fingers e) The fingers are interlocked with the thumbs pointing upward. f) The hand forms a ball, fingers up, and thumb pointing to someone we wish to dismiss.

In One Sentence: Thumb displays indicate dominance, assertiveness, superiority and sometimes even aggression.

How To Use it: The thumbs up gesture is culturally specific so be careful with how you use it around the world.

However, in the West, one can use the thumbs up gesture to show others that you approve of them, or approve of an event that has taken place.
In other contexts, simple thumb displays can be used to show that you are confident. Putting the hands in the pockets and leaving the thumbs out, or likewise, holding the edge of the jacket with thumbs exposed shows people that you are assertive. This works well in business as well as general contexts.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m showing the world my thumbs because I’m confident and feeling superior.” “I’m gesturing to that guy over there with my thumb because his views are really off-base and I’m dismissing him.”

Variant: The Thumbs Up Gesture, does not have a universal meaning.

It indicates that all is well in North America and Europe, a sexual insult in parts of Africa, Australia, Southern Europe and the Middle East, the number 1 in Germany, and the number 5 in Japan.

Another variation altogether includes flaunting the thumbs by placing them under the arm while folded. This last posture is a closed, yet dominant cue cluster. The crossed arms tell others that they are closed off from communication while the exposed thumbs reveal superiority. See Thumb Hiding.

Cue In Action: a) The smug lawyer felt comfortable posing for his business card with an obvious display of confidence. He clasping his jacket and turned his thumbs up.

b) The presenter waved his hands thumbs-up as he emphasized how important it was to build alliances with others.

f) His wife disapproved of her husband’s drunken antics. She motioned sideways with her thumb, “That guy, over there – is my husband.”

Meaning and/or Motivation: We see the thumb display by royalty and also by lawyers who are trying to seem noble and important. Thumbs-out is a representation of ego, dominance, assertiveness, superiority and sometimes even aggressiveness. The root to “keeping you under my thumb” is due to the immense symbolic and practical power the thumbs carry. Without opposable thumbs, we’d have little ability to use tools. To openly flash this strength is to have confidence in our ability.

Thumbs up shows agreement and success. Thumbs hanging out of pockets shows dominance and self assurance. Thumbing toward another person indicates dismissiveness especially when waved coupled with a sneer. If a thumb is pointed outward with the fingers in a ball in a “that guy over there” it shows that we disagree with their entire point of view and is viewed as a rude gesture.

The thumbs up gesture, wherever it happens, is a form of “gravity defying’ body language. This means that it is related to positive emotions since it requires energy to carry out and people that are depressed aren’t interested in burning energy especially wastefully.

Cue Cluster: Be sure to watch for additional clues of superiority to fall alongside thumb displays including a dismissive tone, chin up, head held high, looking down the bridge of the nose, shoulders back and up, chest puffed out, legs apart, and fluid gesticulating. At times, high superiority can even lead to slouching and relaxed postures as one does not feel the need to hold proper posture.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Aggressive body language, Authoritative body language, Confident body language, High confidence body language, Hostile body languag, Up nonverbals.

Resources:

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Adaptors, Amplifier, Comfort body language, Courtship display, Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Relaxed body language

Body Language of Symbolic Stripping or Removing Clothing

by Chris • October 28, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Symbolic Stripping or Removing Clothing

Cue: Symbolic Stripping or Removing Clothing.

Synonym(s): Removing Clothing.

Description: Includes loosening ties, removing jackets or over-shirts, rolling up the sleeves, undoing buttons and so forth.

In One Sentence: Removing clothing signals either a desire to get more comfortable, a desire to get down to business, or an attempt to seduce.

How To Use it: Remove clothing when you want others to see that you are ready for action. This is potent in business where removing a jacket signals that it’s time to get some real work done. While negotiating, the same signal is sent – that we’re getting serious about the task at hand. Removing clothing can also be used to tell others that they need to relax and settle in for the long haul. When bargaining, this tells them that they should present the most attractive offer first, or risk a long negotiation.

Removing clothing such as a jacket upon arrive at a persons house tells them that one isn’t ready to leave and that one feels welcome. Thus, removing clothing is paid as a compliment.

In dating, removing outer clothing is a similar comfort indicator. Therefore, women can tell their dates that they are “warming up” to them and feel relaxed enough to expose more of their body. The more skin that is exposed; the stronger the sexual implication. Women can boost the signal’s strength and arouse men further by removing clothing while making direct eye contact. This serves to indicate metaphorical stripping as eye contact anchors the signal to a specific person – “I’m undressing for you.”

Context: a) General b) Business c) Dating.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m getting more comfortable because I feel at ease and relaxed so I’m removing some of my clothing” or “I’m hot so I’m removing some of my clothing.” b) “It’s time to get down to business, let’s take our coats off and rolls up our sleeves and get the job done.” c) “I’m interested in you sexually, so I’m going to take off my overcoat and expose my skin to try to get you worked up.”

Variant: See Rolled Up Sleeves.

Cue In Action: a) She made her way into her friend’s house. First she removed her shoes and jacket. By the end of the night she was minus her hooded shirt and socks. She really made herself at home. b) The boss was serious. He removed his jacket, put his hands palm down on the desk and spoke firmly, “There would be no more goofing around on company time.” c) She excused herself to the washroom. When she returned, her blouse was unbuttoned revealing cleavage. She intended to peak his sexual curiousity.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The nonverbal message that removing clothing entails is mixed and highly dependent on the context.

Men will almost always remove clothing to get more comfortable, but may also remove a shirt to arouse. The reaction that removing a shirt has when a man reveals a muscular physique is no different then when a woman reveals her sexual assets by removing clothing.

Removing clothing can deliver a sexual message in a romantic situation, getting down to business at work, or comfort when done amongst friends. In a dating context, removing a heavy shirt or jacket to be more comfortable, or loosening buttons from a shirt, or even removing shoes or dangling the shoes from the toe, all show comfort at worst, and interest at best.

This cue therefore, must be read in context with adjoining cues.

Cue Cluster: a) and b) In a general and business context, removing clothing will be almost entirely dependent on the context but can also be confused with c) dating. Therefore, watch for additional sexual cues of interest to determine if the cue is sexual in nature. In women, one might watch for strong eye contact, head lowered or tilted to the side, batting eyes, wrist and neck exposure, touching, lip licking, proximity and so forth. Men might pull a shirt off around the pool and pull their shoulders back to showcase them, hold their chin up and hold strong eye contact. They may smirk.

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

Resources:

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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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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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.

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. 1990. Effect of applicant’s clothing on interviewer’s decision to hire.
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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.

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.

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: 121-25.http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/allure-sexual-vulnerability-move/

Glick, Peter ; Larsen, Sadie ; Johnson, Cathryn Branstiter, Heather. Evaluations of Sexy Women in Low-And High-Status Jobs. Psychology of Women Quarterly. 2005. 29(4): 389-395.

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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

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.

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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.

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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.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/wanna-fight-nonverbal-cues-believed-indicate-violence

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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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).

Lõhmus, Mare, L.; Fredrik Sundström and Mats Björklund. Dress for Success: Human Facial Expressions are Important Signals of Emotions. Annales Zoologici Fennici. 2009. 46: 75-80.
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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.

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*No Photo, Amplifier, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Emotional body language, Fearful body language, Nervous Body Language, Stressful body language

Body Language of Sweating or Hyperhidrosis

by Chris • October 28, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Sweating or Hyperhidrosis

Cue: Sweating or Hyperhidrosis.

Synonym(s): Hyperhidrosis, Perspiration.

Description: The release of water from the body onto the skin through specialized glands located in the skin.

In One Sentence: Sweating is a universal signal of stress or of the body’s attempt to regulate a high temperature.

How To Use it: Sweating is not generally regarded as a positive cue – though it can be reflective of positive action and accepted, such as when exercising. In business and other general situations where exercise is not taking place, sweating is seen as a highly off-putting signal. In these cases, it should be carefully controlled through antiperspirants. In extreme cases, where a medical condition is experienced, one may consider treatment to eliminate sweat at its source.

In a dating context, sweating has been likened to a primitive animal condition and so it can, at times, create a positive impression. Late night infomercials and even photoshoots characterize the sweaty condition in both men and women to create arousal. In this condition, it shows a ‘hot and heavy’ disposition and likened to the passion and heat created through sex. A light glow on the skin and face with a water spray bottle or, in overt cases, baby oil, can make the skin glisten and shin and therefore create more sex appeal. When this is coupled with erotic body movements, it can produce additional moisture in more erogenous locations. Men and women can both use the allure of a glistening body to arouse.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m emotional and my body is releasing sweat due to the increase in stress.” b) “I’m suffering from a medical condition which forces my body to sweat independent of context or stress” c) “I’m lying which is causing my body to increase it’s metabolism resulting in a higher body temperature inducing sweating.” d) “I’m hot, so my body is producing sweat to cool me off.”

Variant: N/A.

Cue In Action: a) It was just about time to present and she was nervous. Her palms, armpits and lower back began to perspire profusely. b) He would sweat regardless of the outside temperature or his activity levels. His doctor diagnosed him with a condition known as hyperhidrosis c) The polygraph measured his skin conductivity which helped the specialist read him for honesty or lack thereof. d) The hockey player was drenched in sweat after playing an intense game.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Sweating is a limbic response due to high stress or anxiety. It usually occurs in the armpits, lower back, hands and often the forehead.

Humans sweat in response to external temperature increases but also due to emotional stress. In the case of emotional sweating, it is mostly restricted to the palms, soles of the feet and forehead. However, when we become emotionally aroused our metabolic rate revs-up and we burn more calories. This creates not just local sweating, but sweating throughout the body.

When people are under high social pressure they can be seen sweating voraciously under the armpits and down their backs. It can get so bad that it leaves visible stains.

An Indicator of light perspiration from stress includes scratching. As sweat builds, it causes clothing to chaff. It also produces a tingling sensation. This causes discomfort and forces people to deal with it. This produces more frequent scratching of the neck and palms.

While some experts purport that sweating can indicate lying, it’s actually a signal of frustration and heightened emotion in response to pressure, and that this pressure can stem from anything, not just lying. In fact, being “put on the spot” is often enough to create the conditions where sweating will take place. Sweating is an excellent cue indicating anxiety.

Sometimes the hands simply sweat continuously and uncontrollably from a medical condition called hyperhidrosis, which affects about five percent of the population.

Cue Cluster: To determine the meaning of sweating watch for associated cues. When someone sweats independent of outside cues you should assume it’s due to a medical condition. During a presentation, the context warrants a conclusion of emotional stress and discomfort. If there is a sudden change coupled with discomfort body language such as touching the neck, scratching the palms, shifting the torso away, pointing the toes away, eye avoidance, and so forth, one could rightfully assume that a person is suffering emotionally.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Emotional body language, Fearful body language, Nervous body language, Stressful body language.

Resources:

Allen, J.A., Armstrong, J.E. and Roddie, I.C. The regional distribution of emotional
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Altman, R.S. and Schwartz, R.A. Emotionally induced hyperhidrosis. Cutis 69, 336–338
(2002).

Chalmers, T.M. and Keele, C.A. The nervous and chemical control of sweating. Br. J. Dermatol. 64, 43–54 (1952).

Drummond PD, Lance JW (1987) Facial flushing and sweating mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. Brain 110 (Pt 3): 793–803.

Eisenach, J.H., Atkinson, J.L. and Fealey, R.D. Hyperhidrosis: evolving therapies for a well-established phenomenon. Mayo Clin. Proc. 80, 657–666 (2005).

Early, Charles E. ; Kleinknecht, Ronald A. Maher, Brendan A. (editor). The Palmar Sweat Index as a function of repression–sensitization and fear of dentistry. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1978. 46(1): 184-185.

Gregson, Kim D ; Tu, Kelly M ; Erath, Stephen A. Sweating under pressure: skin conductance level reactivity moderates the association between peer victimization and externalizing behavior. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines. 2014 55(1): 22-30.

Gross, Katharina M ; Schote, Andrea B ; Schneider, Katja Kerstin ; Schulz, André. Elevated social stress levels and depressive symptoms in primary hyperhidrosis
Meyer, Jobst. PloS one. 2014 9(3): e92412

Harrison, J. The behaviour of the palmar sweat glands in stress Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 1964. 8(3): 187-191.

Köhler, Thomas ; Troester, Ulrich. Changes in the palmar sweat index during mental arithmetic. Biological Psychology. 1991. 32(2): 143-154.

Köhler, Thomas ; Schuschel, Irena. Changes in the number of active sweat glands (palmar sweat index, PSI) during a distressing film. Biological Psychology. 1994. 37(2):.133-145.

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Machado-Moreira, C.A. and Taylor, N.A. Psychological sweating from glabrous and
nonglabrous skin surfaces under thermoneutral conditions. Psychophysiology 49, 369–374 (2012).

Machado-Moreira, C.A. and Taylor, N.A. Sudomotor responses from glabrous and non-glabrous skin during cognitive and painful stimulations following passive heating. Acta Physiol. (Oxf) 204, 571–581 (2012).

MacKinnon, P.C.B. Hormonal control of the reaction of the palmar sweat index to emotional stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 1964. 8(3): 193-195.

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

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Ruchinskas RA, Narayan RK, Meagher RJ, Furukawa S (2002) The relationship of psychopathology and hyperhidrosis. Br. J. Dermatol. 147(4): 733–735.

Ruchinskas R (2007) Hyperhidrosis and anxiety: chicken or egg? Dermatology (Basel) 214(3): 195–196.

Schmidt-rose, T. ; Lehmbeck, F. ; Bürger, A. ; Windisch, B. ; Keyhani, R. ; Max, H. Efficient sweat reduction of three different antiperspirant application forms during stress-induced sweating. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2013 35(6): 622-631.

Sato, K. The physiology, pharmacology and biochemistry of the eccrine sweat gland. Rev. Physiol. Biochem. Pharmacol. 79, 51–131 (1977).

Wilke K, Martin A, Terstegen L, Biel SS (2007) A short history of sweat gland biology. Int J Cosmet Sci 29(3): 169–179.

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