Category: Frustration or frustrated body language

Aggressive body language, Anger body language, Clenching and gripping, Emotional body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Masked emotions, Negative body language

Body Language of Hand Gripping Upper Arm or Wrist Behind Back

by Chris • October 22, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Hand Gripping Upper Arm or Wrist Behind Back

Cue: Hand Gripping Upper Arm or Wrist Behind Back.

Synonym(s): Gripping Upper Arm or Wrist Behind The Back, Wrist Gripping Behind Back, Arm Gripping Behind Back, Restraining The Self, Self Restraint.

Description: A posture where the arm is wrapped in behind the back to reach to wrist or upper arm.

In One Sentence: Gripping the upper arm behind the back is a nonverbal demonstration of holding one’s self back.

How To Use it: Use this upper arm grip behind the back cue when you want to show others that you are holding yourself back from acting out. As the cue reminds us of being restrained by a parent, it embodies the kind of self-restrained we might currently require. Therefore, the cue makes holding back easier since it reminds us of parental assistance. So if you feel that you may be spurred into an outburst, or that you need reassurance, reach up and grab your wrist or arm to create a more solid foundation to repress your thoughts or emotions. The cue is most useful when we fear that we may say something we might later regret or we need the security of being around a loved one due to insecurity.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “The reason I am gripping my arm or wrist behind my back is because I’m holding myself back from striking out due to my negative thoughts.”

Variant: See Arm Crossing, Hugging or The Double Arm Hug, Military Man or Regal Stance.

Cue In Action: The cop pulled her aside to speak with her about her conduct. She was so angry she was red in the face. She balled up her left hand behind her back, reached around with her right hand and clasped it rigidly preventing her from speaking or acting out on her displeasure.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The hand gripping the wrist or upper arm in behind the back sends an emotional message of frustration. It is an attempt at self-control and restraint. Therefore, it signals negative thoughts. In this case, the hand is holding the arm back preventing action from taking place due to negative emotions.

Restraint postures are part of the “freeze, flight or fight” response. When imagining this body language try picturing a toddler ready to strike at another. His mother would hold him back by the wrist or arm preventing him from doing so. This believed to the origins of the posture.

However, in adulthood, the posture is self-inflicted. We do the posture to remind us of the strength others have provided us in the past against our emotional outbursts. The posture serves to relieve tension through gripping and energy displacement. This gives us something to do to displace our negative energy.

Gripping, especially intensely, helps us feel more relaxed because the pain releases pleasure hormones and adrenaline. The same could be achieved through more constructive mechanisms like running, exercise, or constructing something useful, but like all forms of body language, the solutions come from an archaic part of the brain through evolution (or accident), so we are not interested in doing constructive work at a time when our minds are dealing with stress.

A more intense hand gripping posture happens when the arm grips higher up near the elbow or upper arm. The higher the grip, the more frustration is present and the more self-control is being expressed.

Cue Cluster: Clenching and gripping can have many other forms as well, including clenching the jaws tightly or even talking through the teeth, cracking knuckles, pulling the hair or even plucking it, pinching one’s self, and clenching the fists by turning them into a ball or wringing the hands out like a wet article of clothing.

Body Language Category: Aggressive body language, Anger, Clenching and gripping, Emotional body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Masked emotions, Negative body language.

Resources:

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Aggressive body language, Amplifier, Anger body language, Clenching and gripping, Closed body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Frustration or frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Intention movements, Masked emotions, Microgestures, Negative body language, Stubborn body language, Threat displays

Body Language of Hand Clenching or Fist Clenched

by Chris • October 22, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Hand Clenching or Fist Clenched

Cue: Hand Clenching or Fist Clenching

Synonym(s): Clenching and Gripping, Gripping and Clenching, Hand Wringing.

Description: A tightening, gripping, or balling, no matter how subtle or forceful, of the hands. At times the fingers may become interlaced appearing as if in prayer, which might even be the case. Pressure can be so great that the fingers can even blanch as blood flow is impeded.

In One Sentence: Clenching the hands or balling them in a fist is a sign of repressed aggression.

How To Use it: Ball and clench the fist if you wish to show others that you are resisting the urge to strike out. The gesture can be feigned as an anger-bluff in order to receive better treatment. Waving a clenched fist tells others that they should take you seriously lest you lash out with physical force.

Naturally, this nonverbal signal should be used with care as physical aggression, or even threat of physical aggression is strongly frowned upon.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I really want to strike out at you due to my emotional distress which is why my hands are balling up into a fist, but instead I’m going to resist because it’s inappropriate to hit people.”

Variant: Other forms of clenching includes gripping the wrist of the opposite hand in behind the back, or wringing the hands out like a wet article of clothing, clenching the jaws tight or even talking through the teeth, cracking knuckles, pulling the hair or even plucking it, pinching one’s self, and clenching the fists by turning them into a ball are all forms of clenching and gripping.

See Interlaced Fingers, Hand Gripping Upper Arm or Wrist Behind Back.

Cue In Action: a) President Nixon was videotaped intensely balling his fist such that his knuckles turned white during a press conference called to discuss what was supposed to be a temporary incursion into Cambodia. The rest of his body was confident and his voice was smooth, yet his hands gave his restraint and dishonesty away.

b) A deadline was fast approaching when she was interrupted by her boss. She had to be polite so she couldn’t tell him to buzz off. She clenched her fists and rested them on her lap until he had finished.

c) Things didn’t start off well as the teacher rested her fist balled up on her desk knuckles down as she stood over the delinquent student. Immediately, the student showed signs of resistance by clenching her jaw. When the punishment came due, the student mirrored the balled fist of the teacher and brought it to her mouth to stifle an outburst. To show her persistent disagreement, the student rested her forearms against the table and maintained her tightly clenched fist.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Holding the fists clenched shows aggression, defensiveness, frustration, restrain, and sometimes a readiness to attack.

Hand wringing, when the hands are clasp one inside the other and tightly clamped and twisted on each other signifies high anxiety, stress or low confidence and is a pacifying behaviour. It can be done so aggressively that the fingers or knuckles turn white.

Fist clenching happens very naturally and subconsciously; a slip of the hand so to speak. Women can even be seen doing this while being verbally berated by a partner. Of course, holding a tight fist does not necessarily mean they intent to strike out, rather it shows just the opposite – that their minds are dealing with a dilemma, of which social norms prevent physical resolutions.

So very rarely are we allowed to fully express our emotions. In fact, one of the most important lessons we learn early in life is self control and this is exactly what happens when the fist is balled, clenched, but resists striking. We learn very early on that it’s not acceptable to throw fits and tantrums so we do the next best thing – we get very close to striking, but stop at the last second.

The height of the clenched fist is related to the strength of the negative mood. Hands can be clenched low on the lap or high near the face with elbows propped up on a table. If hands are clenched over the mouth, someone is probably holding back from saying something. If hands are clasped on the lap it indicates that someone is being cordial and polite, but would prefer to be doing something else – thus showing careful restraint.

Cue Cluster: Fist clenching body language is coupled with finger pointing or flared nostrils more technically termed “nasal wing dilation”, overall tensing of the body or extreme body loosening to ready for fighting, tightening of the jaw and lips (called “lip occlusion”), quivering in the lips, frowning, furrowing, or lowering the eyebrows, dilated pupils, squinting of the eyes, crotch displays such as legs open, sneering or flared nostrils.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Aggressive body language, Anger, Clenching and gripping, Closed body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Frustration or frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Intention movements, Masked emotions, Microgestures, Negative body language, Stubborn or stubbornness, Threat displays.

Resources:

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Auto contact or self touching, Frustration or frustrated body language, Pacifying body language, Pensive displays, Pseudo-infantile gestures, Shy nonverbal, Stressful body language, Stroking body language, Worry body language

Body Language of Hand Behind Head or Head Pacifying

by Chris • October 22, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Hand Behind Head or Head Pacifying

Cue: Hand Behind Head or Head Pacifying

Synonym(s): Head Scratching, Head Petting, Hair Stroking.

Description: A scratching, rubbing, petting, smoothing, scratching or ruffling of the hair at the back of the head. Head pacifying may also be done by holding of the back of the neck or head with the palm of the hand or hands.

In One Sentence: When the hand comes to the back of the head it shows that one is trying to self sooth due to negative emotions.

How To Use it: Stroking the back of the head or neck area can help to release positive calming hormones. One might use the gesture when other people are not nearby to help you resolve your problems. When difficult problems arise, ticking the back of the neck or just cradling the back of the neck can simulate the care we received as infants which, in turn, help dissipate the negative emotions.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m in need of comfort so I’m petting the back of my head in order to make me feel better as my parents did when I was a child.”

Variant: See Head Clasping or Head Cradling, Hooding or The Catapult.

Cue In Action: As he evaluated the business proposition, he worked his hand against the grain of his hair at the back of his head in effort to pacify himself and bring comfort.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Head pacifying through stroking the hair signifies a need to pacify during emotional discomfort, as a parent might do to a young child. Imagine Mom or Dad massaging the back of a child’s head when they are nervous or distressed. During stress or boredom, an adult uses stroking the back of the head to replicate the soothing feelings he recalls from his childhood.

Cue Cluster: The lips might purse or tense, the eyes might glaze over and contemplate, the hands might return to the face and rub the eyes, a hand might down stroke the mouth, and a person may show other signals of distress or boredom such as fidgeting.

Body Language Category: Auto contact or self touching, Stroking body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Pensive displays, Pacifying, Pseudo-infantile gestures, Shy nonverbal, Stressful body language, Worry body language.

Resources:

Anderson, J. (1972). “Attachment Behavior Out of Doors.” In N. G. Blurton Jones (Ed.), Ethological Studies of Child Behaviour (Cambridge: University Press), pp. 199-215.

Brannigan, Christopher, and David Humphries (1969). “I See What You Mean.” New Scientist (Vol. 42), pp. 406-08.

Brannigan, Christopher, and David Humphries (1972). “Human Non-Verbal Behaviour, A Means of Communication.” In N. G. Blurton-Jones, ed., Ethological Studies of Child Behaviour (Cambridge: University Press), pp. 37-64.

Barroso, Felix ; Feld, Jason. Self-touching and attentional processes: The role of task difficulty, selection stage, and sex differences. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1986. 10(1): 51-64.

Butzen, Nathan David ; Bissonnette, Victor ; Mcbrayer, Dan. Effects of modeling and topic stimulus on self-referent touching. Perceptual and motor skills. 2005. 101(2): 413-20.

Broome, Marion E.. Helping Parents Support Their Child In Pain. Pediatric Nursing. 2000. 26(3): 315.

Bornstein, Marc H. ; Tamis-Lemonda, Catherine S. Maternal responsiveness and infant mental abilities: Specific predictive relations. Infant Behavior and Development. 1997. 20(3): 283-296.

Buckley, V., & Semple, S. (2012). Evidence that displacement activities facilitate behavioural transitions in ring-tailed lemurs. Behavioural Processes, 90, 433–435.

Bernal, Gilda Rios ; Wortham, Suec. How to Calm Children through Massage. Childhood Education. 1997. 74(1): 9-14.

Bouras, N. ; Dykens, E. M. ; Smith, A. C. M. Distinctiveness and correlates of maladaptive behaviour in children and adolescents with Smith–Magenis syndrome
Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 1998. 42(6): 481-489.

Bond, Michael H., and Hiroshi Komai (1976). “Targets of Gazing and Eye Contact During Interviews: Effects on Japanese Nonverbal Behavior.” In Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 34), pp. 1276-84.

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

Cantor, Michael B. ; Smith, Stephen E. ; Bryan, Bonita R. Induced bad habits: Adjunctive ingestion and grooming in human subjects. Appetite. 1982. 3(1): 1-12.

Caplovitz Barrett, Karen. The origins of social emotions and self-regulation in toddlerhood: New evidence. Cognition & Emotion. 2005. 19(7): 953-979.

Castles, Duncan L. ; Whiten, Andrew ; Aureli, Filippo. Social anxiety, relationships and self-directed behaviour among wild female olive baboons. Animal Behaviour. 1999. 58(6): 1207-1215.

D’alessio, M. ; Zazzetta, A. Development of Self-Touching Behavior in Childhood. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 1986. 63(1): 243-253.

Eibl-Eibesfeldt, Irenaus (1973). “The Expressive Behaviour of the Deaf-and-Blind-Born.” In Mario von Cranach and Ian Vine (Eds.), Social Communication and Movement (European Monographs in Social Psychology 4, New York: Academic Press), pp. 163-94.

Ekman, Paul, and Wallace V. Friesen (1969). “Nonverbal Leakage and Clues to Deception.” In Psychiatry (Vol. 32), pp. 88-106.

Karagozoglu, Serife ; Kahve, Emine. Effects of back massage on chemotherapy-related fatigue and anxiety: Supportive care and therapeutic touch in cancer nursing. Applied Nursing Research. 2013. 26(4): 210-217.

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

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

Goldberg, Shelly ; Rosenthal, Robert. Self-touching behavior in the job interview: Antecedents and consequences. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1986. 10(1): 65-80.

Goodall, Jane (1986). The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior (Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University).

Givens, David B. (1976). An Ethological Approach to the Study of Human Nonverbal Communication (University of Washington Ph.D. dissertation in Anthropology, Ann Arbor: University Microfilms).

Grand, Stanley (1977). “On Hand Movements During Speech: Studies of the Role of Self-Stimulation in Communication Under Conditions of Psychopathology, Sensory Deficit, and Bilingualism.” In Norbert Freedman and Stanley Grand, eds., Communicative Structures and Psychic Structures: A Psycholanalytic Interpretation of Communication (New York: Plenum Press), pp. 199-221.

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.

Harrison, Lynda Law. The use of comforting touch and massage to reduce stress for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews. 2001. 1(4): 235-241.

Harrigan, Jinni A. Self-touching as an indicator of underlying affect and language processes. Social Science & Medicine. 1985. 20(11): 1161-1168.

Heaven, Laura ; Mcbrayer, Dan ; Prince, Bob. Role of sex in externally motivated self-touching gestures. Perceptual and motor skills. 2002. 95(1): 289-94.

Heaven, L ; Mcbrayer, D. External motivators of self-touching behavior. Perceptual and motor skills. 2000. 90(1): 338-42.

Heaven, Laura. Role of Sex in Externally Motivated Self-touching gestures. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 2002. 95(4): 289.

Kochanska, G., Coy, K. C., & Murray, K. T. (2001). The development of self-regulation in the first four years of life. Child Development, 72, 1091–1111.

Kirschbaum C, Pirke K-M, Hellhammer DH. 1993. The ‘Trier Social Stress Test’: a tool for investigating psychobiological stress responses in a laboratory setting. Neuropsychobiology 28: 76–81.

Maestripieri D, Schino G, Aureli F, Troisi A. 1992. A modest proposal: displacement activities as an indicator of emotions in primates. Anim Behav 44:967–979.

Mohiyeddini, C., Bauer, S., & Semple, S. (2013a). Displacement behaviour is associated with reduced stress levels among men but not women. PLoS One, 8, e56355.

Mohiyeddini, C., Bauer, S., & Semple, S. (2013b). Public self-consciousness moderates the link between displacement behaviour and experience of stress in women. Stress, 16, 384–392.

Mohiyeddini, C., & Semple, S. (2013). Displacement behaviour regulates the experience of stress in men. Stress, 16, 163–171.

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

Moore, M. M. Courtship Communication and Perception. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 2002. 94(1): 97-105. doi:10.2466/PMS.94.1.97-105.
Morris, Desmond (1994). Bodytalk: The Meaning of Human Gestures (New York: Crown Publishers).

Nierenberg, Gerald, and Henry Calero (1973). How to Read a Person Like a Book (New York: Pocket Books).

Nathanson, R., & Saywitz, K. J. The effects of the courtroom context on children’s memory and anxiety. Journal of Psychiatry and Law. 2003; 31: 67-98.

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

Pugh, George E. (1977). The Biological Origin of Human Values (New York: Basic Books).

Rosenfeld, Howard (1973). “Nonverbal Reciprocation of Approval: An Experimental Analysis.” In Argyle *, pp. 163-72.

Sommer, Robert (1969). Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall).

Schino G, Perretta G, Taglioni AM, Monaco V, Troisi A. 1996. Primate displacement activities as an ethopharmacological model of anxiety. Anxiety 2:186–191.

Tinbergen, Nikolaas (1951). The Study of Instinct (Oxford: Clarendon Press). Grant, Ewan (1969). “Human Facial Expressions.” In Man (Vol. 4), pp. 525-36.

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meta-analytic review. Personal Soc Psychol Rev 6: 2–30.

Troisi A (2002) Displacement activities as a behavioural measure of stress in nonhuman primates and human subjects. Stress 5: 47–54.

Troisi A, Moles A (1999) Gender differences in depression: an ethological study
of nonverbal behaviour during interviews. J Psychiatr Res 33: 243–250.

Troisi A. 1999. Ethological research in clinical psychiatry: the study of nonverbal behaviour during interviews. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 23:905–913.

Troisi A. 2002. Displacement activities as a behavioral measure of stress in nonhuman primates and human subjects. Stress 5: 47–54.

von Hippel W, von Hippel C, Conway L, Preacher KJ, Schooler JW, et al. (2005) Coping with stereotype threat: denial as an impression management strategy. J Personal Soc Psychol 89: 22–35.

Vannorsdall, Tracy ; Dahlquist, Lynnda ; Shroff Pendley, Jennifer ; Power, Thomas. The Relation Between Nonessential Touch and Children’s Distress During Lumbar Punctures. Children’s Health Care. 2004. 33(4): 299-315.

Aggressive body language, Anger body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Displacement behaviour, Energy Displacement, Frustration or frustrated body language, Leaked or involuntary body language, Microgestures

Body Language of Foot Kicking

by Chris • October 22, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Foot Kicking

Cue: Foot Kicking

Synonym(s): Leg Kick Response, Kicking The Foot.

Description: Foot kicking is directed, forceful and more of a single motion, but it too can be repeated as in foot jiggling.

In One Sentence: Foot kicking is a signal that one is experiencing negative emotions.

How To Use it: Use a foot kicking motion to show others that you are in disagreement with them and their ideas. You can also jiggle feet to blow off extra energy.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m experiencing negative thoughts and emotions and I’m showing what I’d like to do with those ideas – kick the crap out of them, that’s what.”

Variant: See Foot Fidgeting.

Cue In Action: Julie wasn’t happy when her friend Debbie received the award for best student. Her foot began an up and down kicking motion each time her name was mentioned in the speech. Her foot motion showed her negative thoughts.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Anytime foot jiggling suddenly turns to foot kicking while seated shows that a person has heard something negative and responding to the discomfort.

Jiggling usually depicts nervousness or boredom, but kicking on the other hand, is used to fight off unpleasant thoughts. This gesture is subconscious and visceral so is a reliable predictor because under most circumstances people don’t realize that they do it. Foot kicking can therefore tell you what people really think about what sort of questions you are asking them because once posed, they will readily begin to kick if it makes them uncomfortable. Foot kicking while seated shows that a person has heard something negative. It is a response to discomfort and is a direct consequence of the fight or flight response.

Cue Cluster: Foot kicking is associated with hand wringing, pinching of the skin, scratching the neck, hand clenching and gripping, balling of the fists, sucking or chewing on a pen and other aggressive body language.

Body Language Category: Aggressive body language, Anger, Dislike (nonverbal), Displacement behaviour, Energy Displacement, Frustration or frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Leaked or involuntary body language, Microgestures.

Resources:

Arsenio, W. F., Cooperman, S., & Lover, A. Affective Predictors of Preschooler’s Aggression and Peer Acceptance: Direct and Indirect Effects. Developmental Psychology. 2000. 36: 438-448.

Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 27–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901. 135231.

Bjorkqvist, K., Osterrnan, K. and Lagerspetz, K.M.I. (1994) ‘Sex Differences in Covert Aggression among Adults’, Aggressive Behaviour 20: 27–33.

Geniole, Shawn N. ; Mccormick, Cheryl M. Facing our ancestors: judgements of aggression are consistent and related to the facial width-to-height ratio in men irrespective of beards. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2014. 1090-5138.

Hubbard, J. A. Emotion expression processes in children’s peer interaction: The role of Peer Rejection, Aggression, and Gender. Child Development. 2001. 72: 1426-1438.

Hubbard, J. A., Smithmyer, C. M., Ramsden, S. R., Parker, E. H., Flanagan, K. D., Dearing, K. F., Relyea, N., & Simons, R. F. Observational, Physiological, and Self-Reported Measures of Children’s Anger: Relations to Reactive Versus Proactive
Aggression. Child Development. 2002. 73, 1101-1118.

Hines, N.J. and Fry, D.P. (1994) ‘Indirect Modes of Aggression among Women of Buenos Aires, Argentina’, Sex Roles 30: 213–24.

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

Ostrowsky, Michael K. Are violent people more likely to have low self-esteem or high self-esteem? Aggression and Violent Behavior. 2010. 15(1): 69-75.

Pailing, Andrea ; Boon, Julian ; Egan, Vincent. Personality, the Dark Triad and violence Personality and Individual Differences. 2014. 67: 81-86.

Sporer, Siegfried L. ; Schwandt, Barbara Penrod, Steven D. (editor). MODERATORS OF NONVERBAL INDICATORS OF DECEPTION: A Meta-Analytic Synthesis.
Psychology. Public Policy, and Law. 2007. 13(1): 1-34.

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.

*No Photo, Anger body language, Clenching and gripping, Dislike (nonverbal), Escape movements, Frustration or frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Masked emotions, Pacifying body language, Stubborn body language

Body Language of Feet Wrapped Around Legs Of Chair

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Feet Wrapped Around Legs Of Chair

Cue: Feet Wrapped Around Legs Of Chair

Synonym(s): Ankles Wrapped Around Legs Of Chair, Legs Clamped Around Chair, Wrapping The Legs Around The Feet Of A Chair.

Description: The ankles are wrapped around the feet of a chair as if shackled in place.

In One Sentence: Wrapping the feet around the legs of a chair signals the desire to be locked in place and feel safe and secure.

How To Use it: Wrap the legs around the chair when you want to create the sense of security for which you currently lack. Anchoring to your surroundings can help ground you and by extension your mind. That being said, the cue indicates lack of confidence, so should generally be avoided.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m stressed and uncomfortable and I’m bracing myself for a bad outcome from which I can not escape. I’m wrapping my feet, clenching my hands against the arms rests, and trying to secure myself from being tossed.”

Variant: We habitually see this self arresting, gripping when people ride in the passenger side of a car with a bad or aggressive driver. People will hold their seat belt, the upper hand grip on the ceiling of the car or the grips in the door. We also see this in amusement park roller coaster rides where people hold their restraints.

Cue In Action: During a high intensity inquisition, he wrapped his feet around the legs of the chair.

Meaning and/or Motivation: It says, “I’m not going anywhere, not doing anything and not cooperating.” This posture is a freeze response and is normal during high stress, discomfort and concern, especially when exiting is not possible. Locking into a chair gives us a protective feeling as we try to prevent ourselves from being figuratively tossed around.

We see this when people are fastened into roller coasters where people will hug the restraints for extra safety.

When the hands grip the armrest coupled with ankles locked around the legs of the chair, not only does it give us comfort, but it provides a tactile release. It gives our hands something to do, thus preventing them from gesticulating. This is yet another way we nonverbally express our desire to keep quiet, as gesticulating could give up information we wish not to divulge.

Cue Cluster: Usually the head is pulled back or turned away, chin up, body leaning deep into the seat, eyes are forward, face is blank, lips pursed, the lip or inside of the cheek may be bitten, teeth clenched, knuckles turning white from gripping the arm rest and blanching of the skin.

Body Language Category: Anger, Clenching and gripping, Dislike (nonverbal), Escape movements, Frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Masked emotions, Pacifying, Stubborn or stubbornness.

Resources:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friedman, Ron and Andrew J. Elliot. The Effect Of Arm Crossing On Persistence And Performance. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2008; 38, 449–461 (2008).

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

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

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

Harmon-Jones, Eddie and Carly K. Peterson. Supine Body Position Reduces Neural Response to Anger. Association for Psychological Science. 2009; 20 (10): 1209-1210.

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

Hung, Iris W. and Aparna A. Labroo. From Firm Muscles to Firm Willpower: Understanding the Role of Embodied Cognition in Self-Regulation. Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 37, No. 6 (April 2011), pp. 1046-1064. Article DOI: 10.1086/657240
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/10-simple-body-postures-tricks-boost-brain-power/

IJzerman, Hans; Marcello Gallucci C; Wim T.J.L.; Pouw, Sophia C.; Weigerber, Niels J.; Van Doesum; and Kipling D. William. Cold-Blooded Loneliness: Social Exclusion Leads To Lower Skin Temperatures. Acta Psychologica. 2012; 140: 283-288.

IJzerman, Hans and Gün R. Semin. Temperature Perceptions As A Ground For Social Proximity. Journal Of Experimental Social Psychology. 2010; 46: 867-873.

Johnson, Bret K. ; Kenkel, Mary Beth. Stress, coping, and adjustment in female adolescent incest victims. Child Abuse & Neglect. 1991. 15(3): 293-305.

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

Karin Roelofs; Muriel A. Hagenaars; and John Stins. Facing Freeze: Social Threat Induces Bodily Freeze in Humans. Psychological Science. 2010 21(11): 1575-1581.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/angry-faces-elicit-freeze-response-in-people-research/

Lakoff, George and Mark Johnson. Metaphores we live by. University of Chicago Press. 2008.

Li Huang, Adam D. Galinsky, Deborah H Gruenfeld and Lucia E. Guillory. Powerful Postures Versus Powerful Roles: Which Is the Proximate Correlate of Thought and Behavior? 2011, Psychological Science; 22(1): 95–102.

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

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

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

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

Parzuchowski, Michal and Bogdan Wojciszke. Hand Over Heart Primes Moral Judgments and Behavior. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 2014; 38:145–165.

Parzuchowski, Michal, Szymkow-Sudziarsky, A., Baryla, W., Wojciszke, B. (in press). From the Heart: Hand over Heart as an Embodiment of Honesty. Cognitive Processing. doi: 10.1007/s10339-014-0606-4.

Pitterman, Hallee ; Nowicki Jr, Stephen. A Test of the Ability to Identify Emotion in Human Standing and Sitting Postures: The Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy-2 Posture Test (DANVA2-POS). Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs. 2004. 130(2): 146-162.

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

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

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

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

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

Sporer, Siegfried L. ; Schwandt, Barbara Penrod, Steven D. (editor). MODERATORS OF NONVERBAL INDICATORS OF DECEPTION: A Meta-Analytic Synthesis.
Psychology. Public Policy, and Law. 2007. 13(1): 1-34.

Scarpa, Stephano; Alessandra Nart; Erica Gobbi and Atillo Carraro. Does Women’s Attitudinal State Body Image Improve After One Session Of Posture Correction Exercises? Social Behavior and Personality. 2011; 39(8): 1045-1052.

Thomas W. Schubert and Sander L. Koole. The Embodied Self: Making A Fist Enhances Men’s Power-Related Self-Conceptions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2009; 45: 828–834.

Williams, L.E., & Bargh, J.A. (2008). Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth. Science, 322, 606-607.

Yu, Yawen ; Bardy, Benoit G ; Stoffregen, Thomas A. Influences of head and torso movement before and during affordance perception. Journal of motor behavior. 2011. 43(1): 45-54.

Zhong, C. B., & Leonardelli, G. J. (2008). Cold and lonely: Does social exclusion literally feel cold? Psychological Science, 19, 838−842.

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, Auto contact or self touching, Barriers, Depressive body language, Disengagement body language, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Escape movements, Eye blocking, Frustration or frustrated body language, Negative body language, Protective reflexes, Pseudo-infantile gestures, Shy nonverbal

Body Language of Face Palm and Double Face Palm

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Face Palm and Double Face Palm

Cue: Face Palm

Synonym(s): N/A

Description: A gesture done by placing the hand or hands on the face or forehead cupping or conversely, lowering the face on to the palms rested on a surface such as a desk.

In One Sentence: The face palm signals frustration, disappointment, embarrassment, shock, surprise or even sarcasm.

How To Use it: Use the face palm to demonstrate that you feel embarrassed by what you just heard. It’s a nonverbal “Oh my God!”

You may also use the face palm to show others that you are suffering pain or grief. This can help garner sympathy and is not unlike the reaction children have to emotional discomfort. In this way, covering the face with the palms allows one to shield one’s self from view to escape further shame and embarrassment so can lessen the negative effects.

To appear in control and dominant, however, never cover the face – one should simply own up to their behaviour, shameful, or otherwise.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “The world is ending as I know it, I need to stop people from seeing my face as I stifle tears and also try to block any additional negativity from striking me.” b) “Oh my God, I can’t believe you just said that, what shame you have provided yourself.” c) “I feel stupid just being around you, I’m cowering in shame.”

Variant: See Face Wash (The).

Cue In Action: The stockbroker brought his hands up and covered his face. He watched helplessly while the stock market plunged wiping out his client’s equity.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The face palm indicates frustration, disappointment, embarrassment, shock, surprise or even sarcasm.

The face palm has roots in childhood where toddlers would hide and bury their face when crying in blankets or against the chest or lap of parents, so others wouldn’t see their grief or shyness.

Recent Internet usage has applied this gesture where one wishes to show disappointment and shame on forums and in comments following videos and articles. The face is covered to hide frustration through a desire to block and shield external stimuli from entering and hide emotions from the view of others.

Cue Cluster: The face and eyes will wince and scrunch, eyebrows lower, tears may form, and deep frustration will come across the face. The shoulders will slump and the torso will bend at the waist. If standing the torso may bend backwards as if praying.

Body Language Category: Auto contact or self touching, Barriers, Depressive,
Disengagement, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Escape movements, Eye blocking, Frustration or frustrated body language, Negative body language, Pseudo-infantile gestures, Protective reflexes, Shy nonverbal.

Resources:

Brown, B. R. (1970). Face-saving following experimentally induced embarrassment. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 6, 255–271.

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

Dong, Ping ; Huang, Xun (Irene) ; Wyer, Robert S. The Illusion of Saving Face
Psychological Science. 2013. 24(10): pp.2005-2012.

Ekman, Paul, and Wallace V. Friesen (1969). “Nonverbal Leakage and Clues to Deception.” In Psychiatry (Vol. 32), pp. 88-106.

Goodall, Jane (1986). The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior (Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University).

Givens, David B. (1976). An Ethological Approach to the Study of Human Nonverbal Communication (University of Washington Ph.D. dissertation in Anthropology, Ann Arbor: University Microfilms).

Keltner, D. (1995). The signs of appeasement: Evidence for the distinct display of embarrassment, amusement, and shame. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 68: 441–454.

Keltner, D., & Buswell, B. N. (1997). Embarrassment: Its distinct form and appeasement functions. Psychological Bulletin. 122: 250–270.

Kenner, Andrew N. (1993). “A Cross-Cultural Study of Body-Focused Hand Movement.” In Journal of Nonverbal Behavior (Vol. 17, No. 4, Winter), pp. 263-79.

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

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*No Photo, Aggressive body language, Amplifier, Anger body language, Closed facial gestures, Dislike (nonverbal), Dominant body language, Emotional body language, Eye Language, Fearful body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Negative body language, Threat displays

Body Language of Eyebrow Lowering

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eyebrow Lowering

Cue: Eyebrow Lowering

Synonym(s): Lowering The Eyebrows, Anger Eyebrows.

Description: Eyebrows that are lowered.

In One Sentence: Lowering the eyebrows signals anger, aggression, or fear.

How To Use it: Lower the eyebrows to tell others that you disapprove of their conduct and wish for them to correct it. Likewise you may lower your brows to show that you are experiencing an internal struggle. Overall, the cue can be useful when trying to manipulate other people into changing their behaviour.

The anger expression has been shown to be a signal of strength and helps reinforce dominance so it is useful in creating the impression of authority. Even if one lacks the physical power to back up aggression, the anger expression can still be used to create the illusion of force. Lowering the eyebrows should be used whenever you wish to be taken seriously and want that seriousness to be backed up by visible threat.

Avoid keeping the eyebrows lowered for too long, however, as this will be perceived as being weakness and dejection.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m angry and my face is squishing all up including my eyebrows.”

Variant: N/A

Cue In Action: When she saw the girl who posted rude remarks on her online profile, she lowered her eyebrows to show her anger.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Eyebrows can squint just like eyes can and have many different meanings. Eyebrows can be lowered to indicate confrontation due to anger or aggression, fear from threats, when we feel displeasure or are annoyed.

If eyebrows are dropped low enough and kept there it indicates weakness and insecurity. This is true universally and so can even appear in children especially those who are abused. Lowered eyebrows is submissive, cowering, facial expression. Lowered eyebrows is a sign of being defeated and weak. It shows that one is unlikely to put up a fight. Bullies at school will also look for the expression to single out children as prey and so will social predators and psychopaths.

Cue Cluster: Varied depending on context.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Aggressive body language, Anger, Closed facial gestures, Dislike (nonverbal), Dominant body language, Emotional body language, Eye Language, Fearful body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Negative body language, Threat displays.

Resources:

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/facial-expressions-versus-bodily-expressions-nonverbal-communication/

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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/

Ben-Zeev, Avi; Tara C. Dennehy; Rachel Sackman; Andres Olide and Christopher C. Berger. Flirting With Threat: Social Identity and the Perils of the Female Communality Prescription. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2011. 47: 1308-1311.
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*No Photo, Confused body language, Courtship display, Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye Language, Fearful body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Pensive displays, Stressful body language, Worry body language

Body Language of Eye Flutter or Batting Eyes

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eye Flutter or Batting Eyes

Cue: Eye Flutter or Batting Eyes

Synonym(s): Eyelash Flickering, Eyelash Batting, Batting Eyelashes.

Description: When the eyelids are opened and closed in rapid succession.

In One Sentence: Eyes that flutter signal sexual arousal, or heightened emotion.

How To Use it: In a dating context, women should bat their eyes in order to draw emphasis to them. Likewise the use of eye liner and mascara can add extra sex appeal by showcasing the “windows to the soul.” Fluttering eyes is linked to emotional arousal, thus, the signal should be paired with other signal such as brief eye contact followed by looking down and smiling. The context will define the eye flutter. For example, girls may flutter their eyes to convince Dad to buy them a treat, whereas Mom might flutter her eyes to her husband to signal sexual intent.

In some context, eye fluttering shows an internal struggle or disbelief, therefore, they should be used carefully.

Context: a) Dating, b) General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m aroused sexually and I’m drawing attention to one of my best assets, my sexy eyes and lashes to evoke protective feelings.” b) “I’m having an internal struggle and stress with what you have said and it’s causing me to stutter with my eyes and eyelashes.”

Variant: Eye Blink Rate (Rapid).

Cue In Action: a) When a hot guy passed by, she batted her eyes and look up coyly at him from her desk. b) When asked to the prom, she batted her eyes quickly and persistently with a blank look on her face – she didn’t want to tell him she already had a date.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Used to invoke feelings of protectiveness in others by appearing more childlike. It serves to draw interest to the eyes via long luscious lashes.
Batting the eyes is a cue of sexual interest when done by women in a dating context.

Other times eyelash fluttering is due to an internal struggle as in a high blink rate.

Cue Cluster: The cues will depend on the intension and context. When stress related, we see a blank, caught in the headlights, type expression. While in dating context we see smiling eyes and a doe-like expression.

Body Language Category: Courtship displays, Confused, Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye Language, Fearful body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Pensive displays, Stressful body language, Worry body language.

Resources:

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/rival-good-body-language-makes-partner-look-uglier/

Martens, Jason P.; Jessica L. Tracy and Azim F. Shariff. Status signals: Adaptive
benefits of displaying and observing the nonverbal expressions of pride and shame, Cognition & Emotion. 2012. 26(3): 390-406. DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2011.645281
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/significant-nonverbal-expression-pride-shame-body-language-detailed-examination-origin-function/

Martina Mara and Markus Appel. Effects of Lateral Head Tilt on User Perceptions of Humanoid and Android Robots. Computers in Human Behavior. 2015. 44: 326-334
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/nonverbal-head-tilt-says-robot/

McCormick, Naomi B. and Andrew J. Jones. Gender Differences in Nonverbal Flirtation. Journal of Sex Education and Therapy. 1989. 15(4): 271-282.

Nixon, Robin. Eye-catcher: lash-batting as sport. Psychology Today, July-August, 2008, Vol.41(4), p.24(1)

Renninger, Lee Ann ; Wade, T. Joel ; Grammer, Karl. Getting that female glance: Patterns and consequences of male nonverbal behavior in courtship contexts. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2004. 25(6). 416-431.

Sturman, Edward D. Involuntary 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/

Petrican, Raluca; Christopher T. Burris and Morris Moscovitch. Shame, Sexual Compulsivity, and Eroticizing Flirtatious Others: An Experimental Study. Journal of Sex Research. 2015. 52(1), 98–109, 2015. DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2013.829796
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/coy-flirtatious-smile-eye-contact-leads-shame-sex/

Walsh, D. G., & Hewitt, J. (1985). Giving Men The Come-On: Effect Of Eye Contact And Smiling In A Bar Environment. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 61, 873-874.

Weerth, Carolina ; Kalma, Akko. Gender differences in awareness of courtship initiation tactics. Sex Roles. 1995. 32(11): 717-734.

*No Photo, Amplifier, Anger body language, Closed body language, Closed facial gestures, Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye Language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Negative body language, Rejection body language

Body Language of The Extended Eye Blink or Double Wink

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of The Extended Eye Blink or Double Wink

Cue: Extended Blink or Double Wink

Synonym(s): Extended Eye Closure, Double Wink, Lengthy Eye Closure, Eyes Super-Blink, Super Blinking Eyes, Eye Blink Hold, Blink Hold, Prolonged Blinking.

Description: The extended wink is done by blinking both eyes at the same time and holding them closed for a slightly longer period of time than that which is found in a natural blink. An exaggerated closing of the eyelids that is slow in speed but high in amplitude. The eyes will seem to close tightly together and spring open.

In One Sentence: The extended eye blink is a signal of disbelief.

How To Use it: Use the extended blink to show others that you can’t believe what you just heard. Reacting nonverbally is a great way to show others how you really feel without having to put it into words. When someone says something shocking, hold your eyes closed for a long second, then open them brightly. This says “I can’t believe what I just heard!”

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I seriously can’t believe what I’m seeing and I’m showing my displeasure by shutting my eyes for longer then normal in hopes that when I re-open them, the offensive stimuli will have disappeared.”

Variant: Eyes can be closed cheekily in a more playful way to show less severe disbelief or even flirtation – a double wink. Also see Wink.

Cue In Action: a) It was time for 3-year-old Charlie to change out of his pajamas and into his shirt and pants. He hated doing this more than anything because the shirt would always catch on his ears and cause him pain. When his Mom approached, he ran away, but she quickly cornered him and calmed him down. She told him it was time to change and he closed his eyes and held them closed for a second before reopening them. He didn’t like what he was seeing. b) It was yet another superfluous TPS report meeting, she closed her eyes, held them closed for a second and popped them open. Her colleagues laughed.

Meaning and/or Motivation: It signifies negative emotions, displeasure, disbelief or feigned surprise. Imagine the eyes as if they are trying to change the channel (or the scene) by forcing them close and popping them open quickly.

The extended blink is a form of eye blocking which protects a person from distasteful images and ideas.

If the extended eye blink is performed routinely, then we can assume that the person is arrogant as they seek to repeatedly shut off the outside world due to their belief of their superior thought process. They are sending a message to others that they feel they are irrelevant, boring and a waste of time.

Cue Cluster: The extended blink is usually a stand-alone cue and needs no other cues in cluster to have a negative disbelief meaning.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Anger, Closed body language, Closed facial gestures, Doubt or disbelief body language, Eye Language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Negative body language, Rejection body language.

Resources:

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

*No Photo, Displacement behaviour, Emotional body language, Energy Displacement, Frustration or frustrated body language, Negative body language, Nervous Body Language, Pacifying body language

Body Language of The Dart

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of The Dart

Cue: Dart (The)

Synonym(s): Darting, Erratic Movement.

Description: A type of gait characterized by short, seemingly indecisive bursts.

In One Sentence: Erratic movement signals to others that one is either, busy, indecisive, or nervous

How To Use it: This is not the sort of cue that can be used in a helpful way although erratic movement can signal to others that one needs outside assistance in resolving matters. This may prove to be beneficial in soliciting help.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m going here, there and everywhere because I don’t know exactly where to be, but whatever it is that I feel I need to do, I should do it quickly.”

Variant: See Shifty Eyes.

Cue In Action: a) There were only a few hours left before she would have to walk down the isle and she couldn’t find her veil. She looked everywhere and paced back in forth trying to recall where she had left it. b) His thoughts were scattered, he walked to and fro as if lost.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Darting and erratic behaviour signifies indecision and lack of direction, stress, and nervousness. At times it signifies hyperactivity and a need to burn off excessive energy. Some people habitually suffer from the dart due to a scattered mind that seeks out order and direction from the environment rather than order that is internal.

Cue Cluster: Darting is coupled with erratic hand movements and pacifying behaviour such as rubbing the back of the neck, touching the face, pinching and scratching, nail and lip biting, smoothing clothing, eyes darting about the room and general uneasiness.

Body Language Category: Displacement behaviour, Energy Displacement, Emotional body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Negative body language, Nervous body language.

Resources:

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

Crane, Elizabeth ; Gross, M. Effort-Shape Characteristics of Emotion-Related Body Movement. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37(2): 91-105.

Gross, M Melissa ; Crane, Elizabeth A ; Fredrickson, Barbara L. Effort-Shape and kinematic assessment of bodily expression of emotion during gait. Human movement science. 2012. 31(1): 202-21.

Davis, Martha. Movement characteristics of hospitalized psychiatric patients. American Journal of Dance Therapy. 1981. 4(1): 52-71.

Eisenberg, Philip ; Reichline, Philipb. Judging Expressive Movement: II. Judgments of Dominance-Feeling from Motion Pictures of Gait. The Journal of Social Psychology. 1939. 10(3): 345-357.

Fink, Bernhard; Nadine Hugill and Benjamin P. Lange. Women’s Body Movements Are a Potential Cue to Ovulation. Personality and Individual Differences. 2012. 53: 759-763.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/women-use-sexier-body-language-indicate-ovulation-fertility-women-dance-walk-sexier/

Gunns, Rebekah E; Lucy Johnston; and Stephen M. Hudson. Victim Selection And Kinematics: A Point-Light Investigation Of Vulnerability To Attack. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2002. 26(3): 129-158.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/how-to-avoid-an-attack-just-by-changing-how-you-walk-study/

Guéguen N. Gait and menstrual cycle: ovulating women use sexier gaits and walk slowly ahead of men. Gait Posture. 2012; 35(4): 621-4.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/gait-as-bait-women-walk-sexy-during-high-sexual-receptivity/

Hasegawa, T. and K. Sakaguchi. 2006. Person perception through gait information and target choice for sexual advances: comparison of likely targets in experiments and real life. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 30(2): 63-85.

Johnson, Kerri L.; Gill, Simone; Reichman, Victoria and Tassinary, Louis G. Swagger, Sway, and Sexuality: Judging Sexual Orientation from Body Motion and Morphology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2007. 93(3): 321-334. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.93.3.321
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/heterosexual-vs-homosexual-swagger-can-you-spot-the-difference/

Janssen, Daniel ; Schöllhorn, Wolfgang ; Lubienetzki, Jessica ; Fölling, Karina ; Kokenge, Henrike ; Davids, Keith. Recognition of Emotions in Gait Patterns by Means of Artificial Neural Nets. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2008. 32(2): 79-92.

Johnson, Kerri L ; Gill, Simone ; Reichman, Victoria ; Tassinary, Louis G. Swagger, sway, and sexuality: Judging sexual orientation from body motion and morphology. Journal of personality and social psychology. 2007. 93(3): 321-34.

Johnson, Kerri L ; Tassinary, Louis G. Perceiving sex directly and indirectly: meaning in motion and morphology. Psychological science. 2005. 16(11): 890-7.

Kito, Tomonori ; Yoneda, Tsugutake. Dominance of gait cycle duration in casual walking. Human Movement Science. 2006. 25(3): 383-392.

Kupper, Zeno ; Ramseyer, Fabian ; Hoffmann, Holger ; Kalbermatten, Samuel ; Tschacher, Wolfgang. Video-based quantification of body movement during social interaction indicates the severity of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research. 2010. 121(1): 90-100.

Miller, G., Tybur, J. M., & Jordan, B. D. Ovulatory cycle effects on tip earning by lap dancers: Economic evidence for human estrus. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2007. 28: 375-381. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.06.002.

Michalak, J., Rohde, K., Troje, N. F. How We Walk Affects What We Remember: Gait Modifications Through Biofeedback Change Negative Affective Memory Bias. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. 2015. 46:121-125.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/walking-happy-leads-actual-happiness-game-emotions-body-language/

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

Montepare, Joann ; Zebrowitz, Leslie. A cross-cultural comparison of impressions created by age-related variations in gait. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1993. 17(1): 55-68.

Montepare, Joann ; Goldstein, Sabra ; Clausen, Annmarie. The identification of emotions from gait information. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1987. 11(1): 33-42.

Montepare, J. M., & Zebrowitz-McArthur, L. (1988). Impressions of people created by age-related qualities of their gaits. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55(4), 547–556. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ 0022-3514.55.4.547.

Montepare, Joann ; Zebrowitz, Leslie. A cross-cultural comparison of impressions created by age-related variations in gait. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1993. 17(1): 55-68.

Prasad, S., & Shiffrar, M. (2009). Viewpoint and the recognition of people from their movements. Journal of Experimental Psychology – Human Perception and Performance, 35(1), 39–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/A0012728.

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

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

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

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/

Sweeney, John A. ; Haas, Gretchen L. ; Clementz, Brett ; Weiden, Peter ; Frances, Allen ; Mann, J.John. Eye movement abnormalities in schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry. 1989. 25(7): A77-A78.

Thoresen, John C.; Quoc C. Vuong and Anthony P. Atkinson. First Impressions: Gait Cues Drive Reliable Trait Judgements. Cognition. 2012. 261–271 Thoresen, John C.; Quoc C. Vuong and Anthony P. Atkinson. First Impressions: Gait Cues Drive Reliable Trait Judgements. Cognition. 2012. 261–271
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/walk-drives-first-impressions/

van der Zwan, Rick and Natasha Herbert. “I Like The Way You Move”: How Hormonal Changes Across The Menstrual Cycle Affect Female Perceptions of Gait. Research Notes. 2012; 5: 453.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/women-at-peak-fertility-rate-other-female-walkers-less-favorably/

Wilder, Vicky. Effects of antipsychotic medication on the movement pathologies of chronic schizophrenics. American Journal of Dance Therapy. 1987. 10(1): 77-94.

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