Category: Autonomic signal

*No Photo, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Idiosyncratic body language, Leaked or involuntary body language, Microgestures, Nervous Body Language, Stressful body language

Body Language of Twitching

by Chris • October 29, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Twitching

Cue: Twitching.

Synonym(s): Flinching, Nervous Twitch.

Description: A sudden short burst of movement.

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

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

Context: General.

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

Variant: See Jerky Movements.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Resources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*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
sweating in man. J. Physiol. 235, 749–759 (1973).

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.

Krogstad, A. L. ; Mork, C. ; Piechnik, S. K. Daily pattern of sweating and response to stress and exercise in patients with palmar hyperhidrosis. British Journal of Dermatology. 2006. 154(6): 1118-1122.

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.

Ogawa T (1975) Thermal influence on palmar sweating and mental influence on generalized sweating in man. Jpn. J. Physiol. 25(4): 525–536.

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.

Wilson, Thad E. Sweating the details: what really drives eccrine output during exercise-heat stress.(Report). Journal of Physiology. 2013. 591: 2777(1)

*No Photo, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Courtship display, Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Nervous Body Language, Physiological signals, Stressful body language, Worry body language

Cue: Shallow Breathing

by Chris • October 28, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Shallow Breathing

Cue: Shallow Breathing

Synonym(s): Hyperventilating, Shallow Breathing, Panting.

Description: An unusually high and quick rate of respiration.

In One Sentence: Shallow breathing indicates a high level of physical or emotional arousal.

How To Use it: Use shallow breathing to prepare for the flight or fight response. It will help oxygenate the blood in preparation for battle. Hyperventilating is an emergency response signal and if perceived by others will offer medical assistance and emotional support. If this sort of sympathy is desired, then shallow breathing can help garner that sort of attention. Use the signal with care so as not to appear overly dramatic or emotionally unstable.

Context: a) Dating, b) General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m getting so excited I need to consume more and more oxygen in order to get the job done.” “

Variant: See Deep Breathing.

Cue In Action: a) She panted with excitement as their lips met – her lust was obvious b) He was left alone in the woods and didn’t know where he was. The more he moved, the more he panicked. He nearly hyperventilated from fear.

Meaning and/or Motivation: a) When sexually aroused, women (usually) will breath with an excited pace as if hyperventilating. This is thought to function as a way to take in more of the aroma of her partner. b) During a state of elation, panic or fear, people will often take frequent, but shallower breaths.

Cue Cluster: a) Various other sexual cues such as increased proximity, eye contact, removing clothing to be more comfortable, preening, and so forth. b) The winning sports team will often be seen with their arms extended, their heads thrown back and their mouths and eyes opened wide in a state of ecstasy.

Body Language Category: Arousal, Autonomic signal, Courtship display, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Nervous body language, Physiological signals, Physiological signals, Stressful body language, Worry body language.

Resources:

Allen, Ben ; Friedman, Bruce H. Positive emotion reduces dyspnea during slow paced breathing. Psychophysiology. 2012 49(5): 690-696.

Brown, Richard P ; Gerbarg, Patricia L. Sudarshan Kriya yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression: part I-neurophysiologic model. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine . 2005. 11(1): 189-201.

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

Boiten, Frans A. The effects of emotional behaviour on components of the respiratory cycle. Biological Psychology. 1998. 49(1): 29-51.

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

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

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

Ekerholt, Kirsten Bergland. Breathing: a sign of life and a unique area for reflection and action. Astrid Physical therapy. 2008 88(7): 832-40.

Geronemus, Hillary. Breathe Through It. Women’s Health. 2010. 7(3): 068

Hunter, Virginia. Clinical clues in the breathing behaviors of patient and therapist. Clinical Social Work Journal. Summer. 1993 21(2):161-118

Sand-Jecklin, Kari. Patient Anxiety Levels Related to Gynecologic Examinations: Use of the Color Breathwork Relaxation Method. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing. 2008. 22(4): 240-242.

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

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

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

Tainsky, Al. Calm, cool, collected: a meditation primer. Inside MS, Wntr. 2002. 20(1): 24(4).

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

*No Photo, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Physiological signals

Body Language of Sex Flush

by Chris • October 28, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Sex Flush

Cue: Sex Flush.

Synonym(s): Sex Blush.

Description: A measles-like rash appearing on the breast and chest usually in women (and sometime men) nearing orgasm.

In One Sentence: The sex flush is a nonverbal signal that says an orgasm is near.

How To Use it: Women can use reddening to appear artificially sexually aroused by applying make-up to the cheeks and even the upper chest. This is an artificial likening to sexual arousal which men will find alluring. Otherwise, the cue is not something that can be consciously controlled making it not something that is readily used as a voluntary nonverbal cue.

Context: Dating.

Verbal Translation: “I’m having an orgasm and the flow of blood is increasing to my skin.”

Variant: Blushing.

Cue In Action: Her heart was racing as she panted heavily; she arched her back forced her legs together and went into an erotic tremble. Her skin turned bright pink, glistening, and she couldn’t catch her breath.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The sex flush is found in nearly seventy-five percent of women and twenty-five percent of men and does not occur at any other time and is not a direct reaction to temperature, but tends not to occur in colder climates.

The sex flush, or vasocongestion is an increase of blood flood throughout the skin. In women, the skin turns pinkish under the breast, which spreads to the torso, face, hands and feet. In some cases, the entire body might flush. In men, the skin turns pink in the abdomen, then chest, neck, face, forehead, and occasionally the shoulders and forearms. The sex flush typically subsides quickly after orgasm but can last up to two or more hours and result in increased perspiration.

Cue Cluster: During orgasm breathing often becomes heavy, muscular contractions of the pelvic area including the vagina, uterus and anus, the feet may curl, the legs press together.

Body Language Category: Arousal, Autonomic signal, Physiological signals.

Resources:

Bögels, Susan M. ; Alberts, Maurice ; de Jong, Peter J.. Self-consciousness, self-focused attention, blushing propensity and fear of blushing. Personality and Individual Differences. 1996. 21(4): 573-581.

Beidel, D. C., Turner, S. M., & Dancu, C. V. (1985). Physiological, cognitive and behavioral aspects of social anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 23, 109–117.

Byrne, Donn Erwin.; Byrne, Lois A. Exploring human sexuality. 1977. New York. Crowell.

Chaker, S., Hofmann, S. G., & Hoyer, J. (2010). Can a one-weekend group therapy reduce fear of blushing? Results of an open trial. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 23(3), 303–318.

Dijk, C., Voncken, M. J., & de Jong, P. J. (2009). I blush, therefore I will be judged negatively: influence of false blush feedback on anticipated others’ judgments and facial coloration in high and low blushing-fearfuls. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 47(7), 541–547.

Drummond, P. D. (1994). The effect of anger and pleasure on facial blood flow. Australian Journal of Psychology, 46, 95–99.

Drummond, P. D. (1999). Facial flushing during provocation in women. Psychophysiology, 36(3), 325–332.

Drummond, P. D. (2001). The effect of true and false feedback on blushing in women. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(8), 1329–1343.

Drummond, P. D., & Lance, J. W. (1987). Facial flushing and sweating mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. Brain, 110(Pt. 3), 793–803.

Drummond, P. D., & Quah, S. H. (2001). The effect of expressing anger on cardiovascular reactivity and facial blood flow in Chinese and Caucasians. Psychophysiology, 38, 190–196.

Drummond, Peterd. ; Su, Daphne. The relationship between blushing propensity, social anxiety and facial blood flow during embarrassment. Cognition & Emotion. 2012. 26(3): 561-567.

Drummond, Peter D. and Lazaroo, Daniel. The effect of facial blood flow on ratings of blushing and negative affect during an embarrassing task: Preliminary findings. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2012. 26(2): 305-310.

Drummond, Peter D. ; Back, Kate ; Harrison, Jennifer ; Dogg Helgadottir, Fjola ; Lange, Brooke ; Lee, Chris ; Leavy, Kate ; Novatscou, Caroline ; Orner, Azalia ; Pham, Han ; Prance, Jacquie ; Radford, Danielle ; Wheatley, Lauren. Blushing during social interactions in people with a fear of blushing. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2007. 45(7): 1601-1608.

de Jong, Peter J. ; Peters, Madelon L. Do blushing phobics overestimate the undesirable communicative effects of their blushing? Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2005. 43(6): 747-758.

Dijk, Corine ; De Jong, Peter J. Blushing-fearful individuals overestimate the costs and probability of their blushing. Behaviour research and therapy. 2012. 50(2): 158-62.

Henson, Claudia ; Rubin, H. ; Henson, Donald. Women’s sexual arousal concurrently assessed by three genital measures. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 1979. 8(6): 459-469.

Heiman, J R ; Rowland, D L ; Hatch, J P ; Gladue, B A. Psychophysiological and endocrine responses to sexual arousal in women. Archives of sexual behavior. 1991. 20(2): 171-86.

Licht, Peter B. ; Pilegaard, Hans K. ; Ladegaard, Lars. Sympathicotomy for Isolated Facial Blushing: A Randomized Clinical Trial. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 2012. 94(2): 401-405.

Pelissolo, Antoine ; Moukheiber, Albert ; Lobjoie, Corine ; Valla, Jean ; Lambrey, Simon. Is there a place for fear of blushing in social anxiety spectrum? Depression and Anxiety. 2012. 29(1): 62-70.

Prause, Nicole ; Barela, James ; Roberts, Verena ; Graham, Cynthia. Instructions to Rate Genital Vasocongestion Increases Genital and Self-Reported Sexual Arousal but not Coherence Between Genital and Self‐Reported Sexual Arousal. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2013. 10(9): 2219-2231.

Sidi, Hatta ; Naing, Lin ; Midin, Marhani ; Nik Jaafar, Nik Ruzyanei. The Female Sexual Response Cycle: Do Malaysian Women Conform to the Circular Model? The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008. 5(10): 2359-2366.

Smidfelt, K. ; Drott, C.. Late results of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis and facial blushing. British Journal of Surgery. 2011. 98(12): 1719-1724

Shearn, D., Bergman, E., Hill, K., Abel, A., & Hinds, L. (1990). Facial coloration and temperature responses in blushing. Psychophysiology, 27(6), 687–693.

Traish, Abdulmaged M. ; Botchevar, Ella ; Kim, Noel N. Biochemical Factors Modulating Female Genital Sexual Arousal Physiology. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2010. 7(9): 2925-2946.

Vern L. Bullough. Science In The Bedroom: A History Of Sex Research Paperback. 1995.

*No Photo, Amplifier, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Boredom body language, Energy Displacement, Escape movements, Metronomic signals, Nervous Body Language, Pacifying body language, Stressful body language, Worry body language

Body Language of Rocking The Body

by Chris • October 27, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Rocking The Body

Cue: Rocking The Body.

Synonym(s): Rocking Back and Forth, Swaying Back and Forth, Body Rocking, Body Shifting.

Description: a) A rhythmic motion of the torso from side to side or from front to back. b) The body is rocked from weight forward to weight back, from side to side usually while standing but can also be done while sitting.

In One Sentence: Rocking the body indicates emotional or body discomfort.

How To Use it: Body rocking is generally seen as a negative cue, but it can be used to signal to others that you are discomforted and wish to leave. Simply rock the body back and forth to show others that you want to leave. Rocking the body is also a way to prepare the body for action. This is useful in sports where people need to stay loose and ready for quick action such as in sprinting. Similarly, rocking is useful in keeping the blood flowing in other contexts too which can stimulate thinking.

Context: General, Dating.

Verbal Translation: “I’m rocking back and forth from side to side because I’m mentally ill (unlikely), ready to take action in a stressful event, or really need to move and burn off some of this pent up energy.” “I’m firing my engine and getting ready to take off – it’s time to wrap things up.” “I’m too cool so I’m rocking off by peeling my body away as if I’m about to leave, it’s time for you to do a little bit of the chasing.”

Variant: See Foot Kicking, Foot Fidgeting, Pacing, Blading Body Language, Body Angling or Ventral Displays, Buttress Stance or Foot Forward Leg Stance.

Cue In Action: a) Betsy was elderly and would rock constantly from side-to-side with a blank, empty expression. b) The sprinter rocked back and forth, kicked out his feet and jumped up and down readying to put in his best effort. c) You could tell the toddler needed to get outdoors after watching television for far too long, as he began to rock back and forth on the sofa. d) Danny rocked away slightly to his back foot as he needed to get to a meeting. e) After talking with a girl for some time, Danny body rocked to show that he was about to leave forcing her to do a little bit of the chasing to keep him interested.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Usually rocking signifies a negative thought and based on its intensity and persistence spells to what degree it is felt. High intensity rocking is found in the mentally ill such as those with schizophrenia, those with obsessive compulsive disorder, or hyperactivity disorder. Low grade rocking can be found in toddlers (and others) who are bored or who don’t get enough physical activity in efforts to release some of their pent up energy.

Rocking also indicates nervousness and can be found in people preparing for sporting events such as sprinting, or taking the stage such for a presentation, or even while waiting to engage in a stressful event such as a school test. In this case, rocking is a substitute for pacing and burning off positive energy in a controlled fashion in order to prepare for the constructive action that is to follow. Rocking can also mean that someone is agitated or upset and is ready to take action or self sooth so they can inhibit themselves from lashing out.

Body rocking is also a technique used to show a desire to leave a conversation. It is a body language expression done by design to show others that one must be someplace else in order to appear more important. It is meant to indicate a nonverbal “time constraint” and has been presented in a dating context to raise status in the eyes of women.

It is the associated clues coupled with the context that will determine the accurate message.

Cue Cluster: Watch for context over associated clue clusters to decipher the true meaning of body rocking. An empty, expressionless face in the elderly might indicate mental illness. Waiting outside a lecture room for an examination indicates nervous rocking while a toddler that rocks while watching television is almost a sure indication that he needs exercise. It is used in accompaniment with eye aversion, head lowered, reduced gestures, body angled away and toes pointed toward an exit, all of which signifies a desire to leave.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Boredom body language, Energy Displacement, Escape movements, Impatience, Intention movements, intension postures or intension cues, Metronomic signals, Nervous body language, Pacifying body language, Stressful body language, Worry body language.

Resources:

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

Blakeslee, Sandra (1995). “In Brain’s Early Growth, Timetable Maybe Crucial.” In New York Times (“Science Times,” August 29), pp. C1, C3.

Dube, Ashlynn ; Marjanne Kameka ; Stacy M. Lopresti-Goodman. Stereotypical Behaviors in Chimpanzees Rescued from the African Bushmeat and Pet Trade. Behavioral Sciences. 2012. 3(1): 1-20.

Gregersen, Tammy S. Nonverbal Cues: Clues to the Detection of Foreign Language Anxiety. Foreign Language Annals. 2005. 38(3): 388-400
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/what-anxious-learners-can-tell-us-about-anxious-body-language-how-to-read-nonverbal-behavior/

Leete, Esso. How I Perceive and Manage My Illness. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 1989. 15(2): 197-200.

Mason, G.J. Stereotypies and suffering. Behavioural Processes. 1991. 25(2): 103-115.

Mendez, Mario F. ; Mirea, Adrian. Adult head-banging and stereotypic movement disorders. Movement Disorders. 1998. 13(5): 825-828.

Pederson, David R. Davidson, Park O. (editor). The soothing effect of rocking as determined by the direction and frequency of movement. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science/Revue canadienne des Sciences du comportement. 1975. 7(3): 237-243.

Perkins, M. ; Wolkind, S. N. Asperger’s syndrome: who is being abused? Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1991. 66(6): 693(3)

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/

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

Wolff, Sula. Childhood autism: its diagnosis, nature, and treatment. Archives of Disease in Childhood. 1991. 66(6): 737(5).

*No Photo, Amplifier, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Buy signals, Courtship display, Dislike (nonverbal), Emotional body language, Excited body language, Eye Language, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Indicators of sexual disinterest (IOsD), Leaked or involuntary body language, Liking, Microexpression

Body Language of Pupillary Reflex, Pupil Dilation or Pupillary Constriction

by Chris • October 27, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Pupillary Reflex, Pupil Dilation or Pupillary Constriction

Cue: Pupillary Reflex

Synonym(s): Pupillometrics, Pupillary Constriction.

Description: The pupils of the eyes (the dark part of the eye) expand or contract dependent on the level of arousal. The pupils will automatically open up and allow more light into the eye on arousal or if we see something we like. Conversely, they will contract or close when we see things we don’t like. The pupils also respond automatically to changes in light. They open when it’s dark and close when it’s bright. This protects our eye from harm and increases our ability to see as the level of light changes.

In One Sentence: The papillary reflex refers to the dilation of the pupils in response to arousal.

How To Use it: Pupils react autonomically to light and emotion, thus it is not something that can be consciously controlled. However, one might artificially create situations which control the size of the pupil. For example, to create wide attractive pupils simply set up dates in low lighting conditions. Candlelight, for example will cause the pupils to dilate, thus making them more attractive. Women can make their eyes more dreamy in profile photos by digitally enhancing the size of their pupils. Likewise, matching your desires to reality will cause eyes to dilate naturally. In other words, finding a correct dating match, which really creates excitement, will naturally produce eyes that dilate, thus compounding the attraction effects.

Context: a) General b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: “When I’m aroused or when I like what I’m seeing, my pupils dilate and open wide so I can take it all in. When I’m turned off, or it’s bright, my pupils contract and take in less light.”

Variant: See Bedroom Eyes or Dialated Pupils.

Cue In Action: a) Mom’s eyes dilated to the max as she watched her newborn baby. a) During poker, he hit the card he liked and his eyes dilated widely, fortunately he wore sunglasses protecting them from sight. b) Her eyes dilated as she observed her muscularly sculpted boyfriend undress.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Pupillometrics is the study of pupil size in relation to emotion such as liking, interest, fear and dislike. Research has shown that young children have larger pupils than adults. This is probably a way for kids to appear more attractive and gain favour and attention. Watch how cartoonist’s habitually embellish the eyes of their characters to make them more appealing.

Pupil dilation can help a body language reader assess when emotion is taking place. Under stress or arousal of any kind, be it liking or visceral disliking, the pupils expand to permit more light to enter facilitating vision. This can include stress and fear due to lying, any other fearful situation and even attraction.

Conversely, the eyes contract due to not liking. This is an entirely autonomic process and not consciously controlled. When assessing someone on their pupil size, be sure to account for changes in ambient light, as the pupils will also respond to these changes.

Cue Cluster: Watch for congruency in body language to determine the meaning behind the pupillary reflex. Liking (dilation) would be coupled with head tilted to the side, open and relaxed facial expressions, smiling and loose body language. Disliking (contraction) would be coupled with head on, hard eyes, pursed lips, grimacing, eyebrows coming together and so forth. Also watch for changes in ambient light which will also determine the meaning behind the pupils.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Buy signals, Courtship display, Dislike (nonverbal), Emotional body language, Eye Language, Excited body language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicators of sexual disinterest (IOsD), Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Leaked or involuntary body language, Liking, Microexpressions.

Resources:

Ariel, Robert and Castel, Alan. Eyes wide open: enhanced pupil dilation when selectively studying important information. Experimental Brain Research, 2014. 232(1):.337-344.

Ahern S, Beatty J (1979) Pupillary responses during information processing vary with scholastic aptitude test scores. Science 205:1289–1292

Adolphs, Ralph A. 2006. Landmark study finds that when we look at sad faces, the size of the pupil we look at influences the size of our own pupil Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 1(1): 3-4

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.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/seriously-stop-touching-use-nonverbal-signaling-manage-unwanted-touching-busy-public-areas

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

Beatty J (1982) Task-evoked pupillary responses, processing load, and the structure of processing resources. Psychol Bull 91:276–292

Bijleveld E, Custers R, Aarts H (2009) The unconscious eye opener: pupil size reveals strategic recruitment of resources upon presentation of subliminal reward cues. Psychol Sci 20:1313–1315

Bradley MM, Miccoli L, Escrig MA, Lang PJ (2008) The pupil as a measure of emotional arousal and autonomic activation. Psychophysiology 45: 602–607.

Daniel J. Kruger and Jory S. Piglowski. The Effect of Eyelid Constriction on Perceptions of Mating Strategy: Beware of the Squinty-Eyed Guy! Personality and Individual Differences. 2012. 52: 576-580.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/beware-squinty-eyed-guy-studying-body-language-narrowed-eyes

Daniel H. Lee, Reza Mirza, John G. Flanagan and Adam K. Anderson. Optical Origins of Opposing Facial Expression Actions. Psychological Science published online 24 January 2014 DOI: 10.1177/0956797613514451
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/eyes-and-facial-expressions-may-be-biologically-controlled-serve-a-real-non-emotional-purpose-says-research/

Daniele Marzoli, Mariagrazia Custodero, Alessandra Pagliara, and Luca Tommasi. Sun-Induced Frowning Fosters Aggressive Feelings. Cognition And Emotion. 2013; 27 (8): 1513-1521.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/the-sun-can-produce-feelings-of-anger-and-aggression-it-makes-us-frown/

Ekman, P., O’Sullivan, M., & Matsumoto, D. (1991a). Confusions about context in the judgment of facial expression: A reply to “The contempt expression and the relativity thesis.”. Motivation & Emotion, 15(2), 169-176.

Ekman, P., O’Sullivan, M., & Matsumoto, D. (1991b). Contradictions in the study of contempt: What’s it all about? Reply to Russell. Motivation & Emotion, 15(4), 293-296.

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

Geangu, Elena; Petra Hauf; Rishi Bhardwaj and Wolfram Bentz. Infant Pupil Diameter Changes in Response to Others’ Positive and Negative Emotions. 2011. PLoS ONE 6(11): e27132. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027132
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/distress-happiness-reflected-infants-eyes/

Goldinger SD, Papesh MH (2012) Pupil Dilation Reflects the Creation and Retrieval of Memories. Current Directions in Psychological Science 21: 90–95.

Heaver B, Hutton SB (2011) Keeping an eye on the truth? Pupil size changes associated with recognition memory. Memory 19: 398–405.

Hoeks B, Levelt W (1993) Pupillary dilation as a measure of attention: A quantitative system analysis. Behav Res Methods 25:16–26.

Hamel, R. F (1974). Female subjective and pupillary reactions to nude male and female figures. Journal of Psychology. 87: 171-175.

Harrison, Neil A.; Wilson, C. Ellie; Critchley, Hugo D. 2007. Processing of observed pupil size modulates perception of sadness and predicts empathy. Emotion. 7(4): 724-729.

Hess, E. H., & Polt, J. M. (1960). Pupil size as related to the interest value of visual stimuli. Science, 132: 349-350.

Hess, E. H. 1965. Attitude and pupil size. Scientific American, 212 (4): 46–54.

Hess, E. H. 1975. The role of pupil size in communication. Scientific American. 233(5): 110–119.

Janisse, Michel Pierre. 1973. Pupil Size and Affect: A Critical Review of the Literature Since 1960. Canadian Psychologist Psychologie Canadienne. 14(4): 311-329.

Marzoli, Daniele; Mariagrazia Custodero; Alessandra Pagliara and Luca Tommasi. Sun-Induced Frowning Fosters Aggressive Feelings. Cognition And Emotion. 2013; 27 (8): 1513-1521. http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/avoid-anger-sunny-days/

Otero SC, Weekes BS, Hutton SB (2011) Pupil size changes during recognition. memory. Psychophysiology 48: 1346–1353.

Reed, Lawrence Ian; Katharine N. Zeglen and Karen L. Schmidt. Facial Expressions as Honest Signals of Cooperative Intent in a One-Shot Anonymous Prisoner’s Dilemma Game. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2012. 33: 200-209. http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-language-signals-withdrawal-depression/

Rieger, Gerulf ; Savin-Williams, Ritch C Kemp, Andrew H. (Editor). The Eyes Have It: Sex and Sexual Orientation Differences in Pupil Dilation Patterns (The Eyes Have It). PLoS ONE, 2012, Vol.7(8), p.e40256.

Privitera CM, Renninger LW, Carney T, Klein S, Aguilar M (2010) Pupil dilation during visual target detection. J Vis 10(10):3.

Steinhauer SR, Siegle GJ, Condray R, Pless M (2004) Sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of pupillary dilation during sustained processing. International Journal of Psychophysiology 52: 77–86.

Tombs, Selina; Silverman, Irwin 2004. Pupillometry: A sexual selection approach. Evolution and Human Behavior. 25(4): 221-228.

Weisfeld, Glenn E. and Jody M. Beresford. Erectness of Posture as an Indicator of Dominance or Success in Humans. Motivation and Emotion. 1982. 6(2): 113-130.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-language-cues-dominance-submission-children/

Wierda , Stefan M.; Van Rijn; Hedderik; Taatgen; Niels A.; Martens, Sander. Pupil dilation deconvolution reveals the dynamics of attention at high temporal resolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2012. Vol.109(22): 8456-8460.

Wang, Joseph Tao-yi ; Spezio, Michael ; Camerer, Colin F. Pinocchio’s Pupil: Using Eyetracking and Pupil Dilation to Understand Truth Telling and Deception in Sender-Receiver Games. American Economic Review, 2010. 100(3): 984-1007
Raul, Muresan. Pupil dilation and visual object recognition. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2011, Vol.5.

Zellin, Martina; Pannekamp, Ann; Toepel, Ulrike; van der Meer, Elke. In the eye of the listener: Pupil dilation elucidates discourse processing. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 2011, Vol.81(3): 133-141.

*No Photo, Amplifier, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Fearful body language, Leaked or involuntary body language, Low confidence body language, Lying or deceptive body language, Microgestures, Nervous Body Language, Suspicious body language, Worry body language

Body Language of Hard Swallow or Swallowing Hard

by Chris • October 22, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Hard Swallow or Swallowing Hard

Cue: Hard Swallow or Swallowing Hard

Synonym(s): Swallowing Hard

Description: When the throat swallows harder than normal, possibly even gulping air along with saliva. Sometimes it is audible, but usually only barely.

In One Sentence: A hard swallow indicates stress.

How To Use it: Avoid using the hard swallow unless you want others to see that you are suffering from stressors.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m stressed and my swallowing has become conscious and controlled. I do a poor job of it due to stress induced dryness.”

Variant: N/A.

Cue In Action: While presenting his throat dried up. No matter how much water he drank, his mouth still went dry. When it was time to decide over the investment, his financiers were contemplating, and he was audibly gulping as he hard swallowed.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The hard swallow is a high stress or embarrassment indicator due to low saliva production as the fear response of a person is activated. It is usually involuntary.

In the right context, the hard swallow sometimes indicates that a lie is being told, but it is more reliably, a general signal of high stress.

Cue Cluster: Watch for touching the face and neck, pacing, eyes darting and blushing or blanching.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Fearful body language, Low confidence body language, Leaked or involuntary body language, Lying or deceptive body language, Microgestures, Nervous body language, Suspicious body language or suspicion, Worry body language.

Resources:

Beidel, D. C., Turner, S. M., & Dancu, C. V. (1985). Physiological, cognitive and behavioral aspects of social anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 23, 109–117.

Birdwhistell, Ray (1952). An Introduction to Kinesics (Louisville: University of Louisville).

Grant, Ewan (1969). “Human Facial Expressions.” In Man (Vol. 4), pp. 525-36.

Guyton, Arthur C. (1996). Textbook of Medical Physiology, 9th edition (Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders).

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

Autonomic signal, Eye Language

Body Language of Eye Direction, NLP and Eye Access Cues

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eye Direction, NLP and Eye Access Cues

Cue: Eye Direction, NLP, and Eye Access Cues.

Synonym(s): NLP, Eye Access Cues.

Description: Eye movements are a key component Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). NLP in this contest defines the process by which eye direction, that is, where the eyes look, can predict underlying thought process.

In One Sentence: The direction in which the eyes are cast is thought to provide clues to a person’s underlying thought process.

How To Use it: This cue is not something one can actively use to influence others as most people are not attuned to it’s meaning. Therefore, it is something we read in others rather than use ourselves. Although, if someone else is actively trying to read your body language (such as a police interrogator), and you know it, you might feign eye direction in order to confuse them.

Otherwise, eye direction is a cue best read in other people. See Meaning and/or Motivation.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “The direction I look outlines my thought process, so if you watch carefully you can figure out what kind of thoughts I’m accessing.”

Variant: N/A

Cue In Action: She was trying to figure out if her husband was telling the truth so she watched carefully when she asked him what the casino looked like. His eyes moved up and to the right. This told her that he was trying to construct a visual image. She was onto him.

Meaning and/or Motivation: For most right-handed people, eye movement up and to the left is a signal of accessing a visual memory.

Movement up and right means that a person is trying to construct a visual image.

Eyes either right or left, but still level, indicate an auditory process such as remembering sounds and words.

Down and left indicate internal dialogue or self-talk.

Down and right indicate a tactile or visceral feeling. When the eyes are straight ahead, unfocused or dilated they signal visual or any sensory information.

When reading someone’s eye access cues, be sure to formulate a baseline under normal conditions beforehand. Not all people respond to this rule in the same manner.

Cue Cluster: N/A

Body Language Category: Autonomic signal, Eye Language.

Resources:

Beck CE, Beck EA (1984) Test of the Eye-Movement Hypothesis of Neurolinguistic Programming: A rebuttal of conclusions. Percept Mot Skills. 58: 175–176.

Dilts, R.B., Grinder, J., Bandler, R., & DeLozier, J. 1979. Neuro-linguistic programming L Cupertino, CA: Meta Publications.

Ekman P (2001) Telling lies. Clues to deceit in the marketplace, politics, and marriage. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Elich M, Thompson RW, Miller L (1985) Mental imagery as revealed by eye movements and spoken predicates: A test of neurolinguistic programming. J Couns Psychol 32: 622–625

Gray R (1991) Tools for the trade: Neuro-linguistic programming and the art of
communication. Fed Probat 55: 11–16.

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

Heap M (2008) The validity of some early claims of neuro-linguistic programming. Skeptical Intelligencer 11: 6–13.

Levine TR, Asada KJK, Park HS (2006) The lying chicken and the gaze avoidant egg: eye contact, deception and causal order.

Porter S, ten Brinke L (2010) The truth about lies: What works in detecting highstakes
deception? Legal and Criminological Psychology 15: 57–75.

Mann, Samantha ; Vrij, Aldert ; Nasholm, Erika ; Warmelink, Lara ; Leal, Sharon ; Forrester, Dave. The Direction of Deception: Neuro-Linguistic Programming as a Lie Detection Tool. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. 2012 27(2): 160-166.

Levine TR, Asada KJK, Park HS (2006) The lying chicken and the gaze avoidant egg: eye contact, deception and causal order.

Porter S, ten Brinke L (2010) The truth about lies: What works in detecting highstakes
deception? Legal and Criminological Psychology 15: 57–75.

Percival, Jennifer. Eye-opener: neuro-linguistic programming aims to offer techniques to enhance our everyday lives. Jennifer Percival attended a course to find out more.(perspectives). Nursing Standard. 2003 18(1): 20(2).

Patrington. 1997. NLP for Business Success: How to Master Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Management Research News. 20(8): 43.

Panksepp, J. 1998. Affective Neuroscience: The Foundation of Human and Animal Emotions. Oxford Univ. Press, New York.

Sandoval. 2001. Subtle skills for building rapport: using neuro-linguistic programming in the interview room. FBI law enforcement bulletin. 70(8): 1-635.

Skinner. 2003. Speaking the same language: the relevance of neuro-linguistic programming to effective marketing communications Source: Journal of Marketing Communications. 9(3): 177-192.

Sharpley CF (1984) Predicate matching in NLP: A review of research on the preferred representational system. J Couns Psychol 31: 238–248.

Sharpley CF (1987) Research findings on neurolinguistic programming: Nonsupportive data or an untestable theory? J Couns Psychol 34: 103–107.

Tosey, Paul; Mathison, Jane; Michelli, Dena. 2005. Mapping Transformative Learning: The Potential of Neuro-Linguistic. Journal Of Transformative Education. 3(2): 140-167.
Roderique – Davies, Gareth. Neuro-linguistic programming has no basis in neuroscience.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor). Nursing Standard. 2010 24(33): 33(1).

Thomason TC, Arbuckle T, Cady D (1980) Test of the Eye Movement Hypothesis of Neurolinguistic Programming. Percept Mot Skills 51: 230.

Vrij A (2004) Invited article: why professionals fail to catch liars and how they can improve. Leg Criminol Psychol 9:159–181

Vrij A, Lochun SK (1997) Neuro-linguistic programming and the police: worthwhile or not? J Police Crim Psychol 12:25–31

Vrij A, Lochun SK (1997) Neuro-linguistic programming and the police: Worthwhile or not? Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology 12: 25–31.

Wiseman, Richard ; Watt, Caroline ; ten Brinke, Leanne ; Porter, Stephen ; Couper, Sara-Louise ; Rankin, Calum Lappe, Markus (Editor). The Eyes Don’t Have It: Lie Detection and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (The Eyes Don’t Have It). PLoS ONE, 2012, Vol.7(7), p.e40259.

Wood, John Andy 2006. NLP revisited: nonverbal communications and signals of trustworthiness. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management. 26(2): 197.

*No Photo, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Confused body language, Eye Language, Fearful body language, Lying or deceptive body language, Nervous Body Language, Stressful body language

Body Language of Eye Blink Rate (Rapid)

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eye Blink Rate (Rapid)

Cue: Eye Blink Rate (Rapid)

Synonym(s): Rapid Eye, Blink Rate, Eyes Multiblink

Description: An increase in the rate of blinking.

In One Sentence: Rapid eye blinking is a sign of high stress.

How To Use it: Rapid eye blinking is not useful as a signal as it carries mostly negative connotations. However, the actual act should not be avoided should you require quick action as blinking prepares the eyes for taking in important visual information.

Avoid rapid blinking when you think you will be judged on your honesty as many people attribute a high blink rate to stress, and stress, to lying.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m getting ready for action as I have detected some level of stress that requires me to do something or think of something that does not easily come to mind, my eyes are blinking fast to keep them moist and alert.”

Variant: See Eye Flutter or Batting Eyes for a related cue as well as other Eye Language (category). Eyes that blink too slowly (See Eye Blink Rate Less) are usually referred to as Staring or The Evil Eye.

Cue In Action: When asked if she would marry him, her eyes began to blink rapidly – she was stressed and didn’t know how to answer the question since they had only been dating for 3 months.

Meaning and/or Motivation: A high blink rate is often the result of excitement, arousal and stress.

Blinking is the body’s way of preparing us for action as we keep our eyes moist and alert. The normal blink rate is between six and eight times per minute but it can increase by four or five times while under pressure.

Pronounced eye blinking can also happen during sexual arousal and attraction.

A rapid series of eye blinks can also indicate an inner struggle or distress, nervousness and concern.

A high eye blink rate is also associated with lying but it can also be a signal that they are worried about being perceived as liar – so really a high blink rate is only a sign of arousal. One must find the source of the arousal to uncover lying. Eyes that multi-blink where there are a quick succession of rapid eye movement usually signifies high stress and that a person is on the verge of tears. Other times a high eye blink rate means the eyes are dry or that something is stuck in the eye.

Cue Cluster: Watch for a freeze type response, the deer in the headlights where the head freezes in place, the arms and legs seize up, the torso remains still and the face becomes blank or flushes with emotion as a person decides on a course of action.

Body Language Category: Arousal, Autonomic signal, Confused, Eye Language, Fearful body language, Lying or deceptive body language, Nervous body language, Stressful body language.

Resources:

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hocking. 1985. Eye contact contrast effects in the employment interview. Communication research reports 2(1): 5-10.

Kinsbourne, M., 1972. Eye and Head Turning Indicates Cerebral Lateralization; Science, 179: 539-541.

Kocel, K., et al.,1972. Lateral Eye Movement and Cognitive Mode; Psychon Sci. 27: 223-224.

Knackstedt, G., & Kleinke, C. L. (1991). Eye contact, gender, and personality judgments. Journal of Social Psychology, 131: 303-304.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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Arousal, Autonomic signal, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Emotional body language, Nervous Body Language, Physiological signals, Shy nonverbal, Stressful body language

Body Language of Ear Blushing

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Ear Blushing

Cue: Ear Blushing

Synonym(s): Ear Flushing

Description: Reddening of the ears.

In One Sentence: Ear reddening is a sign that someone is experiencing nervousness, stress, embarrassment, excitement, or is being physically active.

How To Use it: Ear reddening is not a cue that is usefully used and happens autonomically.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m getting worked up and blood is rushing to the periphery of my body in effort to produce a cooling effect.”

Variant: See Blanching.

Cue In Action: a) It was Stacey’s turn to present next, her heart began to race and her ears turned a bright shade of red, she was nervous. b) The marathon caused the runner to flush in the face, ears, neck and chest.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Blushing usually appears in the chest and cheeks, but it also occurs in the ears. Blushing signifies stress, excitement, embarrassment and nervousness.

Other times people are prone to blushing with relatively low stress levels as a physiological condition. Blushing can also be the result of high activity levels where blood is pumped all over the body and outer skin so it can give off heat and cool the body off.

Blushing is linked to the release of adrenaline and cortisol which courses through the body. The hormone also diverts blood flow from the digestive system and shunts it to major muscle groups giving them a burst of energy. As a side effect, our blood vessels that deliver blood to our faces dilate, meaning they relax or open, allowing more blood to reach the surface of our ears causing them to turn red.

Cue Cluster: We usually see other nervous body language with blushing such as trembling hands, head lowering, shoulder shrugging, body turned away, eye contact avoidance, shaking the head, overall freezing, and lowered voice volume.

Body Language Category: Arousal, Autonomic signal, Emotional body language, Nervous body language, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Shy nonverbal, Stressful body language, Physiological signals.

Resources:

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