Category: Attentive body language

Amplifier, Attentive body language, Body pointing, Confident body language, Disengagement body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Distancing or moving away, Dominant body language, Escape movements, Expansive movements, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Intention movements, Liking, Low confidence body language, Power play

Body Language of Leaning In and Leaning Out

by Chris • October 23, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Leaning In and Leaning Out

Cue: Leaning In and Leaning Out.

Synonym(s): Pecking Forward, Leaning Out.

Description: Leaning forward or away from another person (or thing).

In One Sentence: Leaning in and leaning out signal interest and disinterest respectively.

How To Use it: Use leaning in and leaning out to show your level of interest. Leaning in shows people that you are interested in them, their ideas and/or what they have to say. Leaning out sends the reverse message.

Leaning language is applicable in business, dating and amongst friends.

For example, leaning in toward your dating partner shows him or her that you wish to gain intimacy. In a business meeting or presentation sit at the edge of your seat and lean in toward the presenter to show them you are keen on the information. With friends at lunch, sit facing them and engage them with conversation by moving forward. These postures all work in reverse to show disinterest. Additionally, leaning in and out can be done while standing and send a similar message. Leaning in also shows a readiness for action. This is also a positive message – especially in business and dating.

Context: a) Dating, b) General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m interested in what you are saying and am supplicating to your dominance and ability to draw me in closer to you, rather than you, to me. That’s why I’m leaning forward.”

Variant: See Head Away.

Cue In Action: a) Dave was really into Stacey. Throughout lunch, he tried to engage her as much as possible but found the more he leaned in, the more she leaned out and away. It was clear that he was more into her, than vice versa. b) While presenting to the crowd, she found half of the students leaning in and engaged, while the other half leaned out and away. She knew which students where most keen on the topic from the way their bodies leaned.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Leaning in too much, also referred to as “pecking” forward has been advanced by the pick-up community as a term describing men who appear needy and who lack control of the dating situation rather than dominant and chase-worthy.

Pecking forward can appear in any setting and shows which of the two are most interested in the other or whom is most dominant and in control. Or, sometimes more aptly, leaning away tells us which person is more apathetic to the relationship and apathy often creates control and ability to dominate. Dominant people will tend to lean back and take up space, but someone who lacks confidence or whom has a great interest in another person will try to engage them more by leaning in toward them. This tends to have the reverse result to what is intended.

Leaning back will force others to engage you, instead of the other way around (cat and mouse game.) Talking quietly also has the affect of forcing people to move closer to you, thereby increasing your status.

Cue Cluster: Couple leaning in and leaning out with other nonverbal cues to determine level of engagement. Leaning in should find itself with eye contact, nodding, smiling, smooth flowing conversation and head tilted to the side – this shows engagement. Leaning back, and disengagement should find itself with lack of eye contact, lack of nodding, deadpan face, stuttered conversation and head-on rather than head tilted.

Body Language Category:

Leaning In: Amplifier, Attentive, Body pointing, Indicator of interest (IoI),
Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Intention movements, Low confidence body language, Liking.

Leaning Away: Amplifier, Body pointing, Confident body language, Disengagement, Dislike (nonverbal), Distancing or moving away, Dominant body language Escape movements, Expansive movements, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Indicators of sexual disinterest (IOsD), Intention movements, Power play.

Resources:

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Amplifier, Attentive body language, Body size reduction, Courtship display, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Liking, Open body language, Undivided attention (nonverbal)

Body Language of Head Tilted or Head Cocked To The Side

by Chris • October 23, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Head Tilted or Head Cocked To The Side

Cue: Head Tilted or Head Cocked To The Side

Synonym(s): Canting The Head, Cocking The Head, Head Tilted At Forty Five Degrees, Head Cocked, Head Canting.

Description: The head tilt happens by tilting the head at forty-five degrees. It is much more commonly held by woman and children, than by men.

In One Sentence: Having the head titled to the side indicates sincere interest and curiosity.

How To Use it: Tilt the head to the side whenever you want to show someone that what they are saying fascinates you. Use this when you want the speaker to see your admiration in a nonverbal way. Men and woman can both use this to encourage each other to share more information.

Women can use the head tilt in a dating context to show men that they are submissive as the head tilt reveals the vulnerable neck. Thus, the posture, is particularly alluring.

Context: a) General b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: a) “I like what I’m hearing so I’m canting my head to the side in sincere interest and amusement.” b) “I’m trying to gain your sympathy and protectiveness so I’m appearing childlike and vulnerable so you will want to be my protector.”

Variant: Men will normally cant their heads by raising the chin slightly whereas women prefer to lower their chins coupled with the head tilted upward. It is thought that women wish to send a more childlike image with their head cant, in order to elicit a protective response in men. When men tilt their heads it usually signifies interest and recognition of others and their ideas. See Forehead Bow (The), Head On.

Cue In Action: a) The audience was totally engaged after he opened with some interesting and surprising facts about how he overcame bullying. b) She wanted to score a date with a particularly handsome and wealthy man so she really fired on the charm. She tossed her head to the side revealing her neck, cocked her head, look up at him and smiled coyly.

Meaning and/or Motivation: a) People and animals both incline their heads slightly when they are interested, attentive, or curious. You might have seen a dog twist his head to the side when puzzled by something a person has done. The head cant is a universal signal of interest and attentive listening. When women cant their heads, it depicts appeasement and submission and when men cant their heads they demonstrate recognition. Women also display their necks during their head tilt in order to appear more vulnerable and less threatening.

b) This is a submissive gesture and normally performed by women. The head tilt happens by tilting the head at forty-five degrees and delivering eye contact in a come hither type, coy, teasing, type look with plenty of neck exposure. It makes women appear more childlike and helpless, and evokes protective feelings in men. Its primary motive is to expose vulnerable parts of the body, the neck, to show submission and trust in a man’s dominance.

Cue Cluster: The head cant is normally coupled with eye contact toward the person showing interest coupled with relaxed facial expression and smiling gently.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Attentive body language, Body size reduction, Courtship display, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Liking, Open body language, Undivided attention (nonverbal).

Resources:

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Attentive body language, Open body language

Body Language of Head On

by Chris • October 23, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Head On

Cue: Head On.

Synonym(s): Head Level.

Description: When the head is vertically upright. It is neither tilted left, right, back or down.

In One Sentence: Having the head upright, neither tilted left nor right, is a passive listening head orientation.

How To Use it: Use the head on listening position to show others that you are paying attention, but unlike when the head is tilted, you aren’t particularly interested. This head orientation is useful for when you want to show others that you are taking in what is being said, but that what is being said is not exactly peaking your curiosity.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m listening to what you are saying but I’m not particularly interested nor am I particularly disinterested. In fact, I’m just passively listening.”

Variant: See Head Tilted or Head Cocked To The Side.

Cue In Action: The speaker looked out at the crowd and saw a mixture of heads cocked to the side and some head on, so he knew only half of his audience was engaged.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The head straight on and level indicates passive listening.

The cue signals neither active listening such as when tilted at forty five degrees nor submission, contempt or scorn (down), nor dominance, superiority, haughty (up). The cue means that a person is listening to what’s being said, but that they aren’t particularly interested or disinterested.

Cue Cluster: The eyes are sometimes focused, sometimes unfocused. The head might bob up and down if trying to maintain concentration, the body might be slightly slumped but still engaged.

Body Language Category: Attentive, Open body language.

Resources:

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

Aranguren, Martin and Stephane Tonnelat. Emotional Transactions in the Paris Subway: Combining Naturalistic Videotaping, Objective Facial Coding and Sequential Analysis in the Study of Nonverbal Emotional Behavior. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2014. 38:495–521. DOI 10.1007/s10919-014-0193-1
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Boucher, Michael L. Holzberg, Jules D. (editor). Effect of seating distance on interpersonal attraction in an interview situation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1972 38(1): 15-19.

Beall, Alec and Jessica L. Tracy. The Puzzling Attractiveness of Male Shame. Manuscript submitted to Evolutionary Psychology. www.epjournal.net – 2014. 12(x): 1-39
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Cook, M. Experiments on orientation and proxemics. Human Relations, 1970, 23, 61-67.

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*No Photo, Attentive body language, Indicator of interest (IoI), Microgestures, Undivided attention (nonverbal)

Body Language of Head Nods

by Chris • October 23, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Head Nods

Cue: Head Nod

Synonym(s): Fast Head Nod, Slow Head Nod, Quick Nod, Nodding.

Description: A gesture done by moving the head rhythmically up and down along the sagittal plane. In micro-nodding the head dips slightly and is almost unperceivable.

In One Sentence: Head nodding is a positive universal signal.

How To Use it: Use nodding to show agreement and understanding. Nodding is a powerful way to encourage others to continue speaking. If someone stops talking and you want them to continue, just offer them a nod and it’s likely that they will resume.

A quick nod at the end of a sentence can be used to punctuate a point and reinforce it. Likewise, it can be done to challenge your partner whom may wish to, in turn, issue a rebuttal.

By speeding up your nodding, you are nonverbally expressing your desire for the other person to finish up so that you may begin speaking.

Use a slow nod to encourage a speaker to continue and a faster nod to show that what is being said is understood.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m in agreement, acceptance, or understanding of what you are saying. My head is moving up and down to show you.”

Variant: See Micro Nodding. The head might sway from side-to-side in a “no” motion showing disagreement. Micro nodding often occurs at the end of a person’s speech and can be attributed to a direct attack as if to say, I’ve made my point and I’m sticking to it, feel free to challenge me, but I’m going to stay firm. The micro nod is quick and usually singular, a quick dip of the chin followed by a slow recovery back to a neutral position.

Cue In Action: a) His boss nodded his head up and down slowly as he delivered his proposal. He indicated that he understood the idea. When it came time for him to provide feedback, he said it needed more work. That stuck him as odd given his head nods. What he didn’t understand was that his head nods showed that he understood what he was saying rather than general agreement.

b) Bill and Linda where talking about the bosses decision to cut the coffee budget. You could tell they agreed because as Linda expressed her position, Bill nodded his head.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Nodding has a widespread meaning used to convey acceptance or agreement but in other cultures it means disagreement.

Slow nodding often encourages a speaker to continue while faster nodding shows that what is being said is understood. A quick nod shows more complete understanding and agreement or a desire to interject and take over the speaking role.

To discern between agreement and desire to speak, watch for eye direction. Nodding with eyes that are cast toward the speaker is used as support, while nods with eyes cast away are done in order to take over the conversation. Other times, nodding occurs due to distraction. This is nodding coupled with a glazed look in the eyes. A firm and decisive head nod shows agreement, whereas a slight nod simply shows understanding.

Research has shown that head nodding breads positive thoughts and is hardwired into the brain. Scientific experiments have shown that as the conscious mind invariably gets tired or distracted, the head nodding stops or changes direction. Head nodding therefore is a gesture that has a powerful influence to those around us and can be used to create positive feelings. Head nodding creates connectivity in people and shows that what is being said, is being understood. Even if agreement is not present, it shows that a person is at least being heard which can be used to sway agreement in the future on a more important issue.

Too much nodding, on the other hand, shows indifference which can be a useful tactic depending on the speaker and their intent. Three nods in quick succession shows that you are ready to speak yourself and has the net effect of increasing their rate of speech to avoid being cut off.

In Japan, the up and down nod of the head or “yes motion” is utilized not to show ‘agreement’ but to show ‘understanding’. Therefore, while pitching a new idea or venture, it would be foolish to think that the continuous head nodding by the Japanese was due to their willingness to invest.

Cue Cluster: Watch for eye contact, torso orientation, leaning in or out to provide cues as to the overall meaning of the head nod as it can be varied. Nodding is accompanied by either eye contact to show interest, or lack thereof to show disinterest and disengagement. The body will also orient toward a speaker of interest, or away. Sometimes nodding is used to speed up speech or in agreement so it is important to watch for accompanying cues to define the meaning.

Body Language Category: Attentive, Indicator of interest (IoI), Microgestures, Undivided attention (nonverbal).

Resources:

Austin, Keith ; Theakston, Anna ; Lieven, Elena ; Tomasello, Michael Eccles, Jacquelynne S. (editor). Young Children’s Understanding of Denial. Developmental Psychology. 2014. 50(8): 2061-2070.

Akiyama, M. M. (1985). Denials in young children from a cross-linguistic perspective. Child Development, 56, 95–102. doi:10.2307/1130177

Cameron-Faulkner, T., Lieven, E., & Theakston, A. (2007). What part of no do children not understand? A usage-based account of multiword negation. Journal of Child Language, 34, 251–282. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2010.08.017.

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Fusaro, M., & Harris, P. L. (2013). Dax gets the nod: Toddlers detect and use social cues to evaluate testimony. Developmental Psychology, 49, 514–522. doi:10.1037/a0030580

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

Gräfenhain, M., Behne, T., Carpenter, M., & Tomasello, M. (2009). One-year-olds’ understanding of nonverbal gestures directed to a third person. Cognitive Development, 24, 23–33. doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2008.10.001

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

Hummer, P., Wimmer, H., & Antes, G. (1993). On the origins of denial negation. Journal of Child Language, 20, 607– 618. doi:10.1017/S0305000900008503

Kim, K. J. (1985). Development of the concept of truth-functional negation. Developmental Psychology, 21, 462–472. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.21.3.462

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/thin-slices-nonverbal-behaviour-enough/

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

Sun Jung, Hyo Sun and Hye Hyun Yoon. The Effects of Nonverbal Communication of Employees in the Family Restaurant Upon Customers’ Emotional Responses and Customer Satisfaction. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 2011. 30: 542-550.
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Attentive body language, Buy signals, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Undivided attention (nonverbal)

Body Language of Hand On The Chin

by Chris • October 22, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Hand On The Chin

Cue: Hand Supporting The Chin

Synonym(s): Chin Supporting, Hand Under The Chin, Hand To Chin.

Description: Occurs when the hand is held palm up under the chin which is then often supported by a table or desk.

In One Sentence: Supporting the chin by the hand is a sign of boredom.

How To Use it: Show others that you are bored or tired by nestling the chin into the crux of the palm. This is useful to show disinterest which may compel those viewing the signal to speed up their discourse.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m bored so my hand is buttressing my chin with most of the weight so I don’t fall over completely.” b) “I’m lightly supporting my chin because I’m thinking and my chin is my source of wisdom.”

Variant: See Chin Stroking and Finger Moving Up The Chin.

Cue In Action: As the lecture dragged on, the student’s head collapsed more and more into her palm. At first just her fingers touched her chin as the topic interested her. As the course dragged on, her fingers flattened and her chin fell into her palm. By the end of the lecture, she was slumped on her palm and it was carrying most of the weight.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Hand on the chin Indicates evaluation or that negative thoughts are being held, that boredom has set in, or that a person is tired.

The amount of weight supported by the hand outlines the meaning. The more weight that is held, the greater the lack of interest or boredom. For example, fingers supporting the chin shows more interest and less boredom than does a head that is pressed firmly into the hand. Where no weight is in the palm, hand-to-chin indicates evaluation.

Cue Cluster: To determine the intent of the message watch for associated cues. For boredom you will see slumping over, the palm will compress from the extra weight it is holding, the eyes will droop and close, or blink slowly and stare, the shoulders will keel over and the head and body my bob down due to momentarily falling asleep. When the hand only bears part of the weight indicating evaluation, watch for the finger tips to only be touching the chin, the head and body to be erect, titled at forty five degrees, eye contact to switch from direct to thinking, down or up and the body to lean forward.

Body Language Category: Attentive, Boredom, Buy signals, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Undivided attention (nonverbal).

Resources:

Almerigogna, Jehanne ; Ost, James ; Akehurst, Lucy ; Fluck, Mike. How Interviewers’ Nonverbal Behaviors Can Affect Children’s Perceptions and Suggestibility. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2008. 100(1): 17-39.

Barnaby J. Dixson and Robert C. Brooks. The Role Of Facial Hair In Women’s Perceptions Of Men’s Attractiveness, Health, Masculinity And Parenting Abilities. Evolution and Human Behavior, 2013; 34 (3): 236–241.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/study-finds-that-men-are-most-attractive-with-heavy-stubble-beards/

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

Doody, John ; Bull, Peter. Asperger’s Syndrome and the Decoding of Boredom, Interest, and Disagreement from Body Posture. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2011. 35(2): 87-100.

Kirkland, Rena A. ; Peterson, Eric ; Baker, Crystal A. ; Miller, Stephanie ; Pulos, Steven. Meta-analysis reveals adult female superiority in “Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test”.(Report). North American Journal of Psychology. 2013. 15(1): 12.

Krumhuber, Eva ; Manstead, Antony ; Kappas, Arvid. Temporal Aspects of Facial Displays in Person and Expression Perception: The Effects of Smile Dynamics, Head-tilt, and Gender. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2007. (1): 39-56

Lee Ann Renninger, T. Joel Wade, Karl Grammer. Getting that female glance: Patterns and consequences of male nonverbal behavior in courtship contexts. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2004; 25: 416–431.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/part-i-how-to-read-male-sexual-body-language-a-study-for-women-and-the-men-who-wish-to-cheat-the-system/

Mignault, Alain and Chaudhuri, Avi. The Many Faces of a Neutral Face: Head Tilt and Perception of Dominance and Emotion. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2003 27(2): 111-132.

Neave Nick and Kerry Shields. The Effects of Facial Hair Manipulation on Female Perceptions of Attractiveness, Masculinity, and Dominance in Male Faces. Personality and Individual Differences. 2008. 45(5): 373–377. DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2008.05.007.

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

Neave, Nick and Shields, Kerry. The effects of facial hair manipulation on female perceptions of attractiveness, masculinity, and dominance in male faces. Personality and Individual Differences. 2008 45(5): 373-377.

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

Zinnia J. Janif, Robert C. Brooks, Barnaby J. Dixson. Negative Frequency-Dependent Preferences and Variation in Male Facial Hair. Biology Letters. Published online April 16, 2014. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0958.

Attentive body language, Confident body language, Eye Language, Indicator of interest (IoI), Liking

Body Language of Friendly Social Gaze

by Chris • October 22, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Friendly Social Gaze

Cue: Friendly Social Gaze

Synonym(s): Friendly Eye Contact.

Description: In the friendly gaze, the eyes travel in a triangular pattern from eye-to-eye then to the mouth with some infrequent looks to the rest of the body.

In One Sentence: The friendly social gaze is a nonverbal eye pattern signally a platonic relationship.

How To Use it: To use the friendly gaze, keep the eyes moving about the face with rare glances to the rest of the body. Unlike the business gaze, it is permissible to drop the eyes to the rest of the body, but not to focus on sexual aspects such as breasts, chests, shoulders (in men), and genitals/buttocks. Use the friendly gaze when you want to be clear about a lack of sexual interest. This is especially important to married men and women, whom do not wish to send the wrong impression. In other words, those already in relationships should avoid any other type of eye gaze pattern (besides the business eye gaze pattern) or it may demonstrate unwanted insinuations and therefore may lead to unwanted results.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “We’re friends and I show this to you by not looking at your sexual parts, although I do infrequently inspect the rest of your body (to size you up). However, I do spend most of the time looking at your face to judge your reactions and emotions.”

Variant: See Gazing Adoringly, Gaze Omission, Eye Aversion, Gaze Avoidance and Wandering Eyes.

Cue In Action: During coffee, Dave and Jill engaged in a long conversation about computer programming never once checking each other out below the chin.

Meaning and/or Motivation: When friends talk to one another they aren’t trying to peer into their souls, rather, they gaze.

The gaze is non-threatening and like the intimate gaze, the eyes travel over the face in a specific pattern. The reason we cast our eyes infrequently over other parts of the body in the friendly gaze is simply due to the reason that it is of less interest and of less value in friendship. This is just the opposite of that which happens in the intimate gaze.

With friends, gaze is brief, lasting only about three seconds followed by looking away.

The research tells us that about seventy-five percent of the time eyes travel through the triangular pattern from the eyes to the mouth, ten percent of the time is spent on forays to the forehead and hair, and five percent to the chin, with the remaining time split on various other features.

After a period of gaze or mutual eye-contact both people will avert their eyes downward instead of left, right or upward. Looking down, on the other hand is a symbol of submission whereas looking left or right can imply disinterest (or interest in something else), or a desire to withdraw from the conversation.

Cue Cluster: N/A

Body Language Category: Attentive, Confident body language, Eye Language, Indicator of interest (IoI), Liking.

Resources:

Argyle, Michael; Lefebvre, Luc; Cook, Mark 1974. The meaning of five patterns of gaze. European Journal of Social Psychology. 4(2): 125-136.

Argyle, M., and Ingham, R. 1972. Gaze, mutual gaze, and proximity. Semiotica, 1, 32–49.

Argyle, M. and Cook, M. Gaze and Mutual Gaze. London: Cambridge University Press, 1976.

Allan Mazur; Eugene Rosa; Mark Faupel; Joshua Heller; Russell Leen; Blake Thurman. Physiological Aspects of Communication Via Mutual Gaze. The American Journal of Sociology. 1980; 86(1): 50-74.

Breed, G., Christiansen, E., & Larson, D. 1972. Effect of lecturer’s gaze direction upon
teaching effectiveness. Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 2: 115.

Ellsworth, Phoebe; Carlsmith, J Merrill. 1973. Eye contact and gaze aversion in an aggressive encounter. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 28(2): 280-292.

Foddy, Margaret 1978. Patterns of Gaze in Cooperative and Competitive Negotiation
Human Relations. 31(11):925-938.

Kellerman. 1989. Looking and loving: The effects of mutual gaze on feelings of romantic love. Journal of Research in Personality. 23(2): 145-161.

Kendon, A. Some Functions of Gaze Direction in Social Interaction. Acta Psychologica. 1967. 32: 1-25.

Kleinke, C. L. 1980. Interaction between gaze and legitimacy of request on compliance in a field setting. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 5(1): 3-12.

Leeb. 2004. Here’s Looking at You, Kid! A Longitudinal Study of Perceived Gender Differences in Mutual Gaze Behavior in Young Infants Source: Sex Roles. 50(1-2): 1-14.

Langer, Julia and Rodebaugh, Thomas. Social Anxiety and Gaze Avoidance: Averting Gaze but not Anxiety. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2013, Vol.37(6): 1110-1120.

McAndrew. 1986. Arousal seeking and the maintenance of mutual gaze in same and mixed sex dyads Source: Journal of nonverbal behavior. 10(3):168-172.

Mulac, A., Studley, L., Wiemann, J., & Bradac, J. 1987. Male/female gaze in same-sex
and mixed-sex dyads. Human Communication Research. 13: 323-343.

Natale, Michael. 1976. A Markovian model of adult gaze behavior. Journal of Psycholinguistic Research. 5(1): 53-63.

Phelps, F., Doherty-Sneddon, G., & Warnock Educational Psychology., 27, 91-107. (2006). Functional benefits of children’s gaze aversion during questioning. British Journal Developmental Psychology. 24: 577-588.

Rosenfeld, H., Breck, B., Smith, S., & Kehoe, S. 1984. Intimacy-mediators of the proximity-gaze compensation effect: Movement, conversational role, acquaintance, and gender. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 8: 235-249.

Williams. 1993. Effects of Mutual Gaze and Touch on Attraction, Mood, and Cardiovascular Reactivity Source: Journal of Research in Personality. 27(2): 170-183.

Attentive body language, Evaluative body language, Pensive displays

Body Language of Finger Moving Up The Chin

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Finger Moving Up The Chin

Cue: Finger Moving Up The Chin

Synonym(s): Thumb Under The Chin Index Finger To The Cheek, Palm Under The Chin Fingers On The Cheek.

Description: a) The index finger is moved up the outside of the cheek from the jaw line toward the temples. b) The palm may also rest under the chin with the remaining fingers on the cheek. c) The thumb rests under the chin and the index finger lies against the cheek.

In One Sentence: When the finger seems to move up the chin to the side of the face it says that a person is thoughtfully evaluating.

How To Use it: Use this while being presented important information to show that you are paying it consideration. This is helpful at business meetings as well as in other presentations. The speaker will see you as being thoughtful, mindful, and objective. The cue can also buy you time with a seller as they will see, through nonverbal channels, that you are considering the information. It may also show that they need to sweeten the deal with additional perks to sway your opinion.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m evaluating, so I’m connecting the wisdom from my chin (my beard) to the thoughts in my mind with my index finger.

Variant: Related to Chin Stroking and Hand To Cheek. One may also tapping a pen against the chin and or rub the temple.

Cue In Action: The associate rested his chin lightly on his hand so we knew he was evaluating. The outcome turned sour as the meeting dragged on and problems arose with the projector. Once things were resolved, he was in a full bore with his hand fully supporting his chin. After a short recess, we were about to make a deal and the associate put his hand back on his chin, but this time his index finger ran up the side of his face. We immediately stopped the presentation and waited for him to decide.

Meaning and/or Motivation: When the hands touch the face and interest is present, the index and thumb will form an “L” shape and the chin is placed in the crux of the “L” but is not supported by it. Conversely, with genuine interest, the hand will barely touch the side of the face. In this case, the hand curls and the knuckles gently rests against the side of the face, and in other cases, the hand remains open with the finger tips of the index and middle finger gently resting on the cheek.

As the listener becomes bored or tired, the hand will bear more and more of the weight and the body will seem to slump completely over the hand and be supported by it. As boredom sets in, the thumb will move under the chin to help the person hold their head even further, or the chin will seem to compress into the palm.

Cue Cluster: Stroking the chin, flared nostrils, pinching the bridge of the nose and rubbing the back of the neck all indicate that thought is being placed and outcomes weighed.

Body Language Category: Attentive, Evaluative, Pensive displays.

Resources:

Doody, John ; Bull, Peter. Asperger’s Syndrome and the Decoding of Boredom, Interest, and Disagreement from Body Posture. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2011. 35(2): 87-100.

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

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

Aggressive body language, Anger body language, Attentive body language, Closed body language, Closed facial gestures, Confused body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye blocking, Eye Language, Microexpression, Micromessaging, Pensive displays, Protective reflexes, Suppressed facial expression, Suspicious body language

Body Language of Eye Squinting or Narrowing Eyes

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eye Squinting or Narrowing Eyes

Cue: Eye Squinting or Narrowing Eyes

Synonym(s): Narrowing Eyes, Furrowing Eyes, Compressed Eyelids, Wincing Eyes, Eye Constriction, Eye Blocking, Eye Shield, Shielding The Eyes, Squinting.

Description: Eye squinting happens when the eyelids are compressed together serving to constrict the eyes. It can sometimes occur in just a fraction of a second before disappearing.

In One Sentence: Narrowing the eyes is due to physical or emotional pain.

How To Use it: When you do not like what is being said or seen, simply narrow your eyes. This tells others that you do not like what you are seeing or hearing. You may perform this eye language in brief within just fractions of a seconds. While people may not consciously perceive the signal, it will likely still register subconsciously. If the person for whom the cue is intended, notices, they may revisit their proposal and add additional incentives to ease your negative judgment.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “What I’m seeing is causing me emotional or physical pain and to prevent all that negativity from coming into my body I’m going to squint and block to resist.”

Variant: See Anger Facial Expression, Hand To Eye Gesture.

Cue In Action: a) A person will wince when reading objectionable portions of a contract. b) She winced when the student missed the correct note on the piano. It caused her visceral pain.

Meaning and/or Motivation: An eye blocking form of body language designed to prohibit distasteful images or even thoughts from being received at full view. Narrowing eyes indicates contempt, distaste and anger. A person will not only squint from seeing objectionable sights, but also negative thoughts or sounds.

Wincing falls into the category of microexpressions since it can happen in only fractions of a second before disappearing, yet it remains full of meaning.

Wincing can also be due to the sudden approach of projectiles toward the eyes or body as well as the sun’s glare. Eyes can also be squinted in order to help a person see print that is too small. Thus, at times, squinting forms a functional purpose not exclusively driven by emotion.

A delayed opening or prolonged eye closure can be due to negative emotions or displeasure. A full wince with the eyes closed tightly signifies the desire to totally block out information.

Cue Cluster: General tightening of the face will occur such as mouth pursing. We may also see lip biting, hand clenching, shoulders and feet turned away, arms pulled in to protect and arms crossed.

Body Language Category: Attentive, Aggressive body language, Anger, Confused, Closed body language, Closed facial gestures, Dislike (nonverbal), Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye blocking, Eye Language, Microexpressions, Micromessaging, Negative body language, Pensive displays, Protective reflexes, Suppressed facial expression, Suspicious body language.

Resources:

Aviezer, Hillel; Ran R. Hassin; Jennifer Ryan; Cheryl Grady; Josh Susskind; Adam Anderson; Morris Moscovitch and Shlomo Bentin. Angry, Disgusted, or Afraid? Studies on the Malleability of Emotion Perception. Psychological Science. 2008. 19(7): 724-732.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/emotions-read-context-study/

Aaron, Sell; Cosmides, Leda and Tooby, John. The Human Anger Face Evolved to Enhance Cues of Strength. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2014. 35(5): 425-429.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/the-universal-anger-face/

Biehl, M., Matsumoto, D., Ekman, P., Hearn, V., Heider, K., Kudoh, T., et al. (1997). Matsumoto and Ekman’s Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expressions of Emotion (JACFEE): Reliability Data and Cross-National Differences. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 21, 3-21.

Brooks, C. I., Church, M. A., & Fraser, L. 1986. Effects of duration of eye contact on judgments of personality characteristics. Journal of Social Psychology. 126: 71–78.

Carroll E. 1994. Innate and universal facial expressions: Evidence from developmental and cross-cultural research Izard, Psychological Bulletin. 115(2): 288-299.

Davis 1978. Camera Eye-Contact by the Candidates in the Presidential Debates of 1976 Source: The journalism quarterly. 55 (3): 431 -437.

Ellsworth, Phoebe; Carlsmith, J Merrill. 1973. Eye contact and gaze aversion in an aggressive encounter. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 28(2): 280-292.

Ekman, P. (1994). Strong evidence for universals in facial expressions: A reply to Russell’s mistaken critique. Psychological Bulletin, 115, 268-287.

Gordon, A. K. and A. G. Miller. 2000. Perspective differences in the construal of lies: is deception in the eye of the beholder? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 26 (1): 46-55.

Gilliam, Harold V. B.; Van Den Berg, Sjef. 1980. Different Levels of Eye Contact: Effects on Black and White College Students. Urban Education. 15 (1): 83-92.

Goldman. 1980. Effect of Eye Contact and Distance on the Verbal Reinforcement of Attitude. The Journal of social psychology 111(1): 73 -78.

Greene 1979. Title: Need-Fulfillment and Consistency Theory: Relationships Between Self-Esteem and Eye Contact. Source: Western journal of speech communication. 43(2): 123 -133.

Galin, D. and Ornstein, R., 1974. Individual Differences in Cognitive Style – Reflective Eye Movements; Neuropsychologia, 12: 376-397.

Craig, Kenneth D. ; Patrick, Christopher J. Hogan, Robert (editor). Facial Expression During Induced Pain. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1985 48(4): 1080-109.

Frijda, Nico H.. What is pain facial expression for? Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2002. 25(4): 460-460.

Hatz, Jessica L. and Martin J. Bourgeois. Anger as a Cue to Truthfulness. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2010. 46: 680-683.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/anger-nonverbal-cue-truth-telling/

Hermann, Christiane; Flor, Herta. Facial expression of pain more than a fuzzy expression of distress? Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2002. 25(4): 462-463.

Kunz, Miriam ; Mylius, Veit ; Schepelmann, Karsten ; Lautenbacher, Stefan. Impact of age on the facial expression of pain. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2008. 64(3): 311-318.

Keogh, Edmund; Holdcroft, Anita. Sex differences in pain: Evolutionary links to facial pain expression. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2002. 25(4): 465-465.

Kunz, Miriam ; Peter, Jessica ; Huster, Sonja ; Lautenbacher, Stefan Gray, Marcus (Editor). Pain and Disgust: The Facial Signaling of Two Aversive Bodily Experiences (Comparing Facial Expressions of Pain and Disgust). 2013. 8(12): p.e83277

Konopacki 1987. Eye Movement Betrays a Prospect’s Inner Feelings Source: Marketing news 21(10): 4.

Langer, Julia and Rodebaugh, Thomas. Social Anxiety and Gaze Avoidance: Averting Gaze but not Anxiety. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2013, Vol.37(6): 1110-1120.

LeResche, Linda ; Dworkin, Samuel F. Facial expression accompanying pain
Social Science & Medicine. 1984. 19(12): 1325-1330.

Mobbs, N.A. 1968. Eye-contact in Relation to Social Introversion-Extraversion. British Journal of Social Clinical Psychology 7: 305-306.

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

Pantic, Maja; Rothkrantz, Leon J. M. Machine understanding of facial expression of pain. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2002. 25(4): 469-470.

Rutter, D.C; D. C. Pennington, M. E. Dewey and J. Swain. 1984. Eye-contact as a chance product of individual looking: Implications for the intimacy model of Argyle and Dean. Source: Journal of nonverbal behavior. 8(4): 250-258.

Richard Tessler and Lisa Sushelsky. 1978. Effects of eye contact and social status on the perception of a job applicant in an employment interviewing situation. Journal of Vocational Behavior 13(3): 338-347.

Sitton, Sarah C; Griffin, Susan T. 1981. Detection of deception from clients’ eye contact patterns. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 28(3): 269-271.

Sell, A., Cosmides, L. and Tooby, J., The Human Anger Face Evolved to Enhance Cues of Strength. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.05.008
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/human-anger-face-signal-strength

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

Vlaeyen, Johan W.S. ; Hanssen, Marjolein ; Goubert, Liesbet ; Vervoort, Tine ; Peters, Madelon ; van Breukelen, Gerard ; Sullivan, Michael J.L. ; Morley, Stephen. Threat of pain influences social context effects on verbal pain report and facial expression. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2009 47(9): 774-782.

Zhao, Ke; Wen-Jing Yan; Yu-Hsin Chen; Xi-Nian Zuo and Xiaolan Fu. Amygdala Volume Predicts Inter-Individual Differences in Fearful Face Recognition. PLOS one. August 2013. (8): 8: e74096. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0074096.g001
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/fear-amygdala

*No Photo, Attentive body language, Confident body language, Disengagement body language, Eye Language, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Threat displays

Body Language of Eye Blinking (Less)

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eye Blinking (Less)

Cue: Eye Blinking (Less)

Synonym(s): N/A

Description: When the eyes blink less than normal.

In One Sentence: When eyes blink less often than normal, it signals boredom, hostility (staring), or indifference.”

How To Use it: When trying to relax, allow the focus of the eyes to relax.

Conversely, when trying to intimidate another person, persistent, non-blinking eye contact can signal aggression. Use less blinking to show that another person has become an object to you. To be turned into an object is the ultimate insult. Use “staring contests” to test your ability to dominate other people. You may find that more submissive people tend to hold less unblinking eye contact or, in other words, are the first to look away or blink.

In a dating context, less eye contact is called “gazing.” It is a much softer, more relaxed version of eye contact. This should be used to create bonding and intimacy.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m bored, falling asleep, feeling hostile, or indifferent to you so my eyes lack any character of engagement.”

Variant: See Eye Blinking (Rapid), Staring or The Evil Eye.

Cue In Action: His wife began retelling an office gossip story for the third time, his eyes glazed over and he took on a zombie state.

Meaning and/or Motivation: When eyes blink less rapidly or seem to not blink at all, it is due to a zoning out (boredom) or due to anger or hostility, as in staring. Reduced eye blinking can also signify indifference and in some circumstances even confidence. We see this in stare-down competitions where the last person to blink is the victor in the dominance competition.

It has been shown that people with confidence tend to establish more eye contact and hold it longer than normal. Eyes that blink less can also show interest and intensity, but also piercing and assault. When the eyes blink less the eye can blur due to dryness so eyes that blink less are eyes that aren’t interested in seeing due to a lack of emotion.

Cue Cluster: When eyes depict boredom they tend to defocus as well as blink less frequently. The eyes will seem to look through people and there will be no agreement indicators such as head nods and “mhmms” and “yeses.” When eyes blink less due to anger, they will be piercing and follow a target intensely with the eyelids squinting rather than relax with open facial expressions. When eye contact is due to confidence we expect the head to nod, that conversation will be flowing, and that the head will be tilted to the side.

Body Language Category: Attentive, Boredom, Confident body language, Disengagement, Eye Language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Indicator of interest (IoI), Threat displays.

Resources:

Barbato, Giuseppe ; De Padova, Vittoria ; Paolillo, Antonella Raffaella ; Arpaia, Laura ; Russo, Eleonora ; Ficca, Gianluca. Increased spontaneous eye blink rate following prolonged wakefulness. Physiology & Behavior. 2007. 90(1): 151-154.

Brefczynski-Lewis, Julie A ; Berrebi, Michael E ; Mcneely, Marie E ; Prostko, Amy L ; Puce, Aina. In the Blink of an Eye: Neural Responses Elicited to Viewing the Eye Blinks of Another Individual. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2011 5.

Condon, William, and W. Ogston (1967). “A Segmentation of Behavior.” In Journal of Psychiatric Research (Vol. 5), pp. 221-35.

Dawson, Michael E. ; Hazlett, Erin A. ; Filion, Diane L. ; Nuechterlein, Keith H. ; Schell, Anne M. Mineka, Susan (editor). Attention and Schizophrenia: Impaired Modulation of the Startle Reflex. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 1993. 102(4): 633-641.

Drew, G. C. (1951). Variations in reflex blink-rate during visual motor tasks. Quaterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 3, 73–88.

Goldstein, R., Bauer, L. O., & Stern, J. A. (1992). Effect of task difficulty and interstimulus interval on blink parameters. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 13, 111–118.

Holland, M. K., & Tarlow, G. (1972). Blinking and mental load. Psychological Reports, 31, 119–127.

Holland, M. K., & Tarlow, G. (1975). Blinking and thinking. Psychological Reports, 41, 403–406. READ

Huang, Zhinjin ; Stanford, Matthew S. ; Barratt, Ernest S.. Blink rate related to impulsiveness and task demands during performance of event-related potential tasks.
Personality and Individual Differences. 1994. 16(4): 645-648.

Karson, Craig N. ; Berman, Karen Faith ; Donnelly, Edward F. ; Mendelson, Wallace B. ; Kleinman, Joel E. ; Wyatt, Richard Jed. Speaking, thinking, and blinking Psychiatry Research. 1981. 5(3): 243-246.

Kanfer, F. (1960). “Verbal Rate, Eyeblink, and Content in Structured Psychiatric Interviews.” In Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology (Vol. 61, No. 3), pp. 341-47.

Leal, Sharon ; Vrij, Aldert. Blinking During and After Lying. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2008. 32(4): 187-194.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Lying Eyes: Why Liars Seek Deliberate Eye Contact. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. 2013. 20(3): 452-461.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Eye contact while lying during an interview. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society. 1976. 7(1): 87-89.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Children’s Knowledge of Deceptive Gaze Cues and Its Relation to Their Actual Lying Behavior. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2009. 103(2): 117-134.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. The Lying Chicken and the Gaze Avoidant Egg: Eye Contact, Deception, and Causal Order. Southern Communication Journal. 2006. 71(4): 401-411.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Tell-tale eyes: children’s attribution of gaze aversion as a lying cue.(Author abstract). Developmental Psychology. 2008. 44(6): 1655(13).

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. ‘Look into my eyes’: can an instruction to maintain eye contact facilitate lie detection? Psychology Crime & Law. 2010. 16(4): 327-348.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Legal Interviewers Use Children’s Affect and Eye Contact Cues to Assess Credibility of Their Testimony. Early Child Development and Care. 2010. 180(3): 397-404.

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

Porter, Stephen ; Brinke, Leanne. The truth about lies: What works in detecting high‐stakes deception? Legal and Criminological Psychology. 2010. 15(1): 57-75.

Siegle, Greg J ; Ichikawa, Naho ; Steinhauer, Stuart. Blink before and after you think: blinks occur prior to and following cognitive load indexed by pupillary responses.
Psychophysiology. 2008. 45(5): 679-87.

Sugiyama, Toshiko ; Watanabe, Ikue ; Tada, Hideoki. Effects of position and task demands on endogenous eyeblink.(Learning & Memory). Perceptual and Motor Skills. 2013. 116(2): 406(9).

Tada, H ; Yamada, F ; Hariu, T. Changes of eye-blink activities during hypnotic state. Perceptual and motor skills. 1990. 71(3 Pt 1): 832-4.

Tada, H ; Yamada, F ; Hariu, T. Analysis of blink rate patterns in normal subjects. Movement Disorders. 1997. 12(6): 1028-1034.

*No Photo, Attentive body language, Buy signals, Comfort body language, Courtship display, Honest body language, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Liking, Nonthreatening body language, Rapport or rapport building, Relaxed body language

Body Language Of Echoing

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language Of Echoing

Cue: Echoing

Synonym(s): Related to Mirroring

Description: Echoing is like mirroring where similar body postures are replicated, but not right away. Instead they are copied some time later. Echoing can be so prominent that it appears fluent. Bodies seem to jive as if in an elaborate dance.

In One Sentence: Echoing is a nonverbal tactic or behaviour that happens naturally to show agreement in which a person copies or nearly copies the gestures and postures of another person, not immediately, but with a few seconds or minutes of separation.

How To Use it: Echoing is a great way to create nonverbal liking through subconscious means. By adopting the postures and gestures of others a few seconds after they have initiated them, it will create similar feelings. If done correctly, echoing produces strong liking and builds relationships quickly.

Echoing works equally well in business as it does in dating and friendships. To use echoing make sure that postures are not mimicked exactly in a copy-cat fashion, but instead happen similarly. Should someone catch on to your game, they may become suspicious. Therefore echoing should be done with some degree of caution.

The best kind of echoing happens when it is done naturally and this is the case when two people really seem to jive and get along with one another. Echoing is a nonverbal form of agreement.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “We’re almost on the same page, as we are copying each other but not immediately like mirroring. Since our bodies are flowing in a similar pattern our minds are flowing in a similar pattern – therefore we agree with each other and have strong rapport.”

Variant: See Mirroring.

Cue In Action: Some ways bodies echo:
[A] Shifting weight from one foot to the other foot or keeping the weight on the same foot as the person you are talking with.
[B] Leaning the same way on a bar top or up against a wall or other structure.
[C] Crossing the legs in the same direction or opposite direction when facing each other.
[D] Both keeping the legs uncrossed.
[E] Gesturing with the hands similarly.
[F] Drinking in unison or holding drinks with the same hand.
[G] Placing both hands, or just one hand, on the hips.
[H] Leaning in, or leaning out.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Echoing indicates that rapport is being built between two people and that agreement is taking place. In echoing, postures and gestures are not concurrent with what is going on with others, but instead happen after some time has elapsed.

Echoing the gestures and postures of another person, often happens within thirty seconds to a minute after another person. However, it can sometimes even happen with several minutes of separation. When gestures and postures happen simultaneously, on the other hand, we call this mirroring.

When echoing is present rapport is felt between two people. We say that these people are on the same “wavelength.”

Cue Cluster: N/A

Body Language Category: Attentive, Buy signals, Courtship displays, Comfort body language, Honest body language, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Liking, Nonthreatening body language, Rapport or rapport building, Relaxed body language.

Resources:

Bavelas, J. B., Black, A., Chovil, N., Lemery, C. R., & Mullett, J. (1988). Form and function in motor mimicry: Topographic evidence that the primary function is communicative. Human Communication Research, 14, 275- 299.

Bavelas, J. B., Black, A., Lemery, C. R., & Mullett, J. (1986). “I show how you feel”: Motor mimicry as a communicative act. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 322-329.

Chartrand, T. L.,& Bargh, J. A. (1999). The chameleon effect: The perception behavior link and social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 893-910.

Cooper, Ella A.; John Garlick; Eric Featherstone; Valerie Voon; Tania Singer; Hugo D. Critchley and Neil A. Harrison. You Turn Me Cold: Evidence for Temperature Contagion. PLoS ONE 9(12): e116126. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0116126.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/mirror-cold-nonverbals-influence-real-body-temperate-others/

Cooper, L. 1976. Mirroring: One vehicle to organizational clarity. International Journal Of Social Psychiatry 22 (4): 288-295.

di Pellegrino, G.; L. Fadiga; L. Fogassi; V. Gallese, and G. Rizzolatti. Understanding Motor Events: A Neurophysiological Study. Experimental Brain Research. 1992. 91:176-180
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/mirror-neurons-make-emotions-body-language-contagious/

Dezecache, Guillaume; Laurence Conty; Michele Chadwick; Leonor Philip; Robert Soussignan; Dan Sperber and Julie Grezes. Evidence for Unintentional Emotional Contagion Beyond Dyads. PLoS ONE. 2013. 8(6): e67371. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067371
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/emotion-collective-crowd-emotions-really-contagious

Guéguen, Nicolas; Martin, Angelique and Sebastien Meineri. Mimicry and Helping Behavior: An Evaluation of Mimicry on Explicit Helping Request. The Journal of Social Psychology. 2011. 51(1), 1–4
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/mimicking-way-compliance-mirroring-body-language-another-leads-helping-behaviour/

Grammer, Karl ; Kruck, Kirsten ; Magnusson, Magnus. The Courtship Dance: Patterns of Nonverbal Synchronization in Opposite-Sex Encounters. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 1998, Vol.22(1), pp.3-29.

Hofree G, Ruvolo P, Bartlett MS, Winkielman P. Bridging the Mechanical and the Human Mind: Spontaneous Mimicry of a Physically Present Android. PLoS ONE. 2014. 9(7): e99934. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0099934.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/humans-cant-help-mirror-robots-nonverbal-expressions/

Harrigan, Jinni ; Oxman, Thomas ; Rosenthal, Robert. Rapport expressed through nonverbal behavior. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1985. 9(2): 95-110.

Leander, N. Pontus; Tanya L. Chartrand and John A. Bargh. You Give Me the Chills Embodied Reactions to Inappropriate Amounts of Behavioral Mimicry. Psychological Science. 2012. 23(7): 772-779. Published online before print May 18, 2012, doi: 10.1177/0956797611434535.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/stop-mirroring-youre-giving-chills/

Kulesza, Wojciech; Zofia Szypowska; Warsaw, Poland; Matthew S. Jarman and
Dariusz Dolinski. Attractive Chameleons Sell: The Mimicry-Attractiveness Link. Psychology and Marketing. 2014. 31(7): 549–561. DOI: 10.1002/mar.20716
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/sell-mirroring-stores-benefit-attractive-sales-people-mirroring-customers

LaFrance, Marianne. and W. Ickes. 1981. Posture mirroring and interactional involvement: sex and sex typing effects. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 5: 139-154.

LaFrance, M. (1979). Nonverbal synchrony and rapport: Analysis by the cross-lag panel technique. Social Psychology Quarterly, 42, 66-70.

LaFrance, M. (1982). Posture mirroring and rapport. In M. Davis (Ed.), Interaction
rhythms: Periodicity in communicative behavior (pp. 279-298).New York: Human Sciences Press.

LaFrance, M., & Broadbent, M. (1976). Group rapport: Posture sharing as a nonverbal indicator. Group and Organization Studies, 1, 328-333.

LaFrance, M. (1979). Nonverbal synchrony and rapport: Analysis by the cross-lag panel technique. Social Psychology Quarterly, 42, 66-70.

Manusov, Valerie. Mimicry or synchrony: The effects of intentionality attributions for nonverbal mirroring behavior. Communication Quarterly. 1992 40(1): 69-83.

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