Category: Low confidence body language

*No Photo, Amplifier, Confident body language, Depressive body language, Emotional body language, Enthusiasm (nonverbal), Excited body language, Gravity defying body language, Happiness body language, High confidence body language, Low confidence body language

Body Language of Gait or Walking Styles

by Chris • October 22, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Gait or Walking Styles

Cue: Gait or Walking Styles

Synonym(s): Walking Styles.

Description: Refers to the style or mechanics of locomotion in humans and its hidden meaning.

In One Sentence: Gait is highly unique to each person much like a fingerprint and it’s style is connected to various personality traits.

How To Use it: Use your gait to signal desired qualities to others. A bouncy gait signals joy and happiness, a swagger shows sexual energy, hobble shows age, darting shows impatience, prancing shows femininity. Use the type of gait that suits your personality best.

Context: General

Verbal Translation: “How I walk gives clues to my health, emotions, character and accomplishments.”

Variant: N/A

Cue In Action: He just won the lottery. Not only did he carry a huge grin on his face, but he also walked with an exaggerated bounce in his step. It was as if he had been transported back to his youth.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Scientists have identified thirty six different types of gait in the human species. They include the hobble, the mince, the glide, the bounce, the stride, the wiggle, the dart, the prance and the run. People can shuffle along or drag their feet, bounce up and down, or seem to float on air.

How one walks gives clues to the internal workings of people, their emotions and rhythm, character and even their accomplishments not to mention their health and age.

Those who are positive will tend to walk energetically while those who are down and depressed or elderly will saunter or hobble about. The effect is particularly pronounced between the old and young, but it can easily be seen between those who expect good things to happen and those who do not.

Cue Cluster: Watch for additional cues coupled with gait types to decide the overall mental attitude and disposition people carry.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Confident body language, Depressive body language, Emotional body language, Enthusiasm (nonverbal), Excited body language, Gravity defying body language, Happiness, High confidence body language, Low confidence 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/

Brownlow, S., Dixon, A. R., Egbert, C. A., & Radcliffe, R. D. (1997). Perception of movement and dancer characteristics from point-light displays of dance. The sychological Record, 47(3), 411–421. http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/p250727.

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

Cutting, J. E., & Kozlowski, L. T. (1977). Recognizing friends by their walk: Gait perception without familiarity cues. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 9(5), 353–356.

Cho, S. H., Park, J. M., & Kwon, O. Y. (2004). Gender differences in three dimensional gait analysis data from 98 healthy Korean adults. Clinical Biomechanics, 19, 145–152.

Cutting, J. E., & Kozlowski, L. T. (1977). Recognizing friends by their walk: Gait
perception without familiarity cues. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 9, 353–356.

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/

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.

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.

Kozlowski, L. T., & Cutting, J. E. (1977). Recognizing the sex of a walker from a dynamic point-light display. Perception and Psychophysics, 21(6), 575–580.

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.

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.

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

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/

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

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

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.

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/

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).

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

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/

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

Barriers, Blocking or Shielding, Body cross, Clenching and gripping, Defensive body language, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Low confidence body language, Negative body language, Nervous Body Language, Protective reflexes, Shy nonverbal

Body Language of The Fig Leaf Posture

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of The Fig Leaf Posture

Cue: Fig Leaf Posture (The)

Synonym(s): Fig Leaf Position, Loin Clothe Posture, Broken Zipper Posture.

Description: This posture occurs by placing one or both hands in front of the midsection.

In One Sentence: The fig leaf posture is a signal that one wishes to hide the genitals from exposure because one is feeling emotionally overexposed.

How To Use it: Use the fig leaf in front of an audience to provide more privacy and the feeling of security. A podium makes a nice replacement to the fig leaf as does holding sheets of paper or notes in a clipboard, which can be placed over the mid-section. As these items appear to have a legitimate function, they will not make it appear as though you are discomforted.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m feeling overexposed and therefore uncomfortable so I’m going to block my private areas from view with my hands to preserve some of my modesty.”

Variant: The standing leg cross is another way people will try to hide their private areas and sometimes this posture is coupled with the fig leaf posture to show additional insecurity.

Cue In Action: a) Sally and Jim were new to the firm and decided to introduce themselves. While standing and conversing each interlocked their fingers and rested them over their private areas. b) While presenting, the candidate moved away from the podium and quickly coupled his hands together and rested them just below his belt. c) While listening in class, the student clasped his hands and rested them on his lap when the conversation moved to a topic that made him uncomfortable.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The fig leaf posture shows insecurity, shyness and lack of confidence and occurs when we find ourselves in novel environments or around people we aren’t familiar with.

We will often see this from less confident speakers who find themselves exposed to large audiences or when a presenter requires a participant (victim) to demonstrate a concept.

The fig leaf by either sex is a closed body position. It blocks the private mid section from view even when clothed. It takes its ‘fig leaf’ name from Adam and Eve’s traditionally portrayed posture in the Garden of Eden artwork where a leaf was used as a covering to provide privacy.

Modest men and women who find themselves accidentally disrobed will instinctively clasp their hands over their private areas. Naked women will split their attention from both breasts with one arm and hand, with the other hand over their genitals. Men will exclusively protect their genitals from view with both hands.

In real life however, we will rarely find ourselves nude and exposed in public, but our minds are still hardwired to harbour feelings of insecurity from overexposure. In day-to-day situations, women won’t be found covering their breasts by clasping them and men won’t grab their genitals a-la Micheal Jackson, but they will clasp both hands together either tightly by interlocking their fingers, or loosely with hand in hand and then casually placing them over their mid-section. Standing is the most obvious and common way that the fig leaf position shows itself, but it can also find its way in a seated position as the hands are rested on the lap.

Cue Cluster: The fig leaf is a stand alone posture and does not require additional cues for support, but we expect to see it clustered with leg crossing (usually at the ankle) and various pacifying behaviours such as self touching, stroking, blushing and nervousness.

Body Language Category: Barriers, Body cross, Blocking or Shielding, Clenching and gripping, Defensive, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Low confidence body language, Negative body language, Nervous body language, Protective reflexes, Shy nonverbal.

Resources:

Allen, Jill; Sarah J. Gervais and Jessi L. Smith. Sit Big to Eat Big: The Interaction of Body Posture and Body Concern on Restrained Eating. Psychology of Women Quarterly 2013. 37(3): 325-336. DOI: 10.1177/0361684313476477pwq.sagepub.com
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/sit-big-to-eat-big-how-constrictive-postures-reduce-food-consumption/

Arnette, S. L., & Pettijohn, T. F., II. (2012). The effects of posture on self-perceived leadership. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3, 8–13.

Bohns, Vanessa K. and Scott S. Wiltermuth. It Hurts When I Do This (Or You Do That): Posture And Pain tolerance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2012. 48: 341-345.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/dominant-and-submissive-postures-affects-more-than-public-perception-it-also-affects-felt-pain-and-physical-strength/

Briñol, P., Petty, R. E., & Wagner, B. (2009). Body posture effects on self-evaluation: A self-validation approach. European Journal of Social Psychology, 39, 1053–1064.

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

Boyson, A. R., Pryor, B., & Butler, J. (1999). Height as power in women. North American Journal of Psychology, 1, 109–114.

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Bertamini, Marco ; Byrne, Christopher ; Bennett, Kate M. Attractiveness is influenced by the relationship between postures of the viewer and the viewed person. i-Perception. 2013. 4(3): 170-179.

Cashdan, Elizabeth. Smiles, Speech, and Body Posture: How Women and Men Display Sociometric Status and Power. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1998. 22(4): 209-228.

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/benefits-power-posing-high-stakes-performance/

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Cuddy, Amy J.C., Caroline A. Wilmuth, and Dana R. Carney. The Benefit of Power Posing Before a High-Stakes Social Evaluation. Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 13-027, September 2012.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/benefits-power-posing-high-stakes-performance/

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/downside-power-posing-body-language-looking-power-posing-action-study/

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Welker, Keith M. ; Oberleitner, David E. ; Cain, Samantha ; Carré, Justin M. Upright and left out: Posture moderates the effects of social exclusion on mood and threats to basic needs. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2013 43(5): 355-361.

Walsh, Joseph ; Eccleston, Christopher ; Keogh, Edmund. Pain communication through body posture: The development and validation of a stimulus set. Pain. 2014. 155(11): pp.2282-2290

Yap, Andy J. Abbie S. Wazlawek, Brian J. Lucas, Amy J. C. Cuddy, Dana R. Carney. The Ergonomics of Dishonesty: The Effect of Incidental Posture on Stealing, Cheating, and Traffic Violations, 24(11); 2281-2289.
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Auto contact or self touching, Barriers, Blocking or Shielding, Body cross, Body size reduction, Defensive body language, Low confidence body language, Negative body language, Nervous Body Language, Protective reflexes, Pseudo-infantile gestures, Shy nonverbal

Body Language of The Fetal Position

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of The Fetal Position

Cue: Fetal Position (The)

Synonym(s): Hugging The Knees, Pulling The Knees In, Balling Up.

Description: The knees are pulled into the body and hugged.

In One Sentence: Pulling the knees into the body is akin to the fetal position and is a protective posture signaling the need for emotional comfort.

How To Use it: Use this cue to signal that you are under distress and wish for others to offer care and support. Balling the body in this way can produce a smaller profile making the body feel like a smaller, less noticeable target. Hugging the knees also simulates the sensation of being hugged, thus activating the embodiment of being comforted. The sensation is not unlike being hugged by parents. Thus, the fetal position is a way we can self-sooth when parents or friends are not nearby.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I need to feel the comfort of being held to remind me of the protection I felt in my mom’s womb or when she snuggled me, as I am suffering extreme discomfort and stress.”

Variant: See Bow and Body Bend, Crouching, Self-Hugging or The Double Arm Hug.

Cue In Action: a) She was alone for the first time at camp and hugged her knees while the other girls read scary books and fooled around. b) When she found out about a death in the family, she balled herself up on the couch and a grief filled expression came across her face.

Meaning and/or Motivation: It is a child-like posture because it reminds us of being protected by our mothers. It signifies grief, fear, timidity, shyness, discomfort and pain. The body shows that it needs to take on a smaller profile and seek comfort at the same time. As adults, we must provide comfort for ourselves so we are forced to use our own arms and legs to self-hug. With age, we learn that taking up the fetal position, like thumb sucking, is not an acceptable way of dealing with our insecurity so we drop the extreme form of the gesture in favour of more subtle cues.

In mild forms, it can be simply a posture one uses for comfort. When it appears in public it signifies that a person has an underlying motivation for pacifying and feels insecure. When done at home, can simply be a way to feel embraced and cared for.

While it might seem far-fetched to expect someone in your company to have this posture, it does occur although in more abbreviated adult acceptable ways. While at an informal party, for example, a woman might find herself hugging her knees at the end of a couch. To her, this feels comfortable, which is why she does it, but it reveals her true emotions.

The abbreviated form of this position, of course, and one that is more acceptable in public is to pull the limbs in closer to the body and across the centerline as in the “self hug”.

Cue Cluster: The fetal position is commonly associated with averted or wandering eyes, head turned away or down, being quiet, reading a book, wearing headphones or other ways to escape coupled with an expressionless, worry or pensive facial expression.

Body Language Category: Auto contact or self touching, Barriers, Body cross, Body size reduction, Blocking or Shielding, Defensive, Low confidence body language, Negative body language, Nervous body language, Pseudo-infantile gestures, Protective reflexes, Shy nonverbal.

Resources:

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*No Photo, Aggressive body language, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Dominant body language, Low confidence body language, Low confidence hand displays, Masked body language, Negative body language, Power play, Social touching, Threat displays

Body Language of The Death Grip Handshake

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of The Death Grip Handshake

Cue: Death Grip Handshake.

Synonym(s): Bone Crusher Handshake.

Description: A handshake that employs a macho bone crushing grip.

In One Sentence: The death grip handshake signifies the need for dominance.

How To Use it: Use the bone crusher to show your physical strength through aggression. The application is suited to situations when you want or need to maintain authority over another person. A boss should use a higher than average amount of force over junior managers and low ranking employees especially when he wishes to assert himself.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m really insecure and I’m displaying this by crushing the life out of your hand in hopes you will submit to the pressure of my strength and dominance.”

Variant: See Country Handshake (The), Cold Dead Wet Fish Handshake, Double Gripper Politician Handshake or Double Hander (The), Short Grabber/Finger Grabber Handshake, Oddball Handshake, Palm Up, Palm Down and Palm Even Handshakes, Stiff Arm And Thrust Forward Handshake, Death Grip Handshake, Wrench Forward Handshake, Undershaker Handshake, Wrist Hold Handshake, Wrist Hold Handshake and Upper Arm Grip Handshake, Limp Fish Handshake, Teacup Handshake, Arm Twister Handshake (The), Firm handshake, Fist Bumping.

Cue In Action: Uncle Steve was always the guy you had to watch out for. He was a short, but stocky kind of guy, that worked out all the time and when he shook your hand – you knew he meant business. His grip was strong, firm, and often overbearing.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Those that employ a macho bone crushing grip have aggressive personalities and intend to try to dominant you from the start. However, the true origins of this handshake, usually lies in insecurity. The underlying negative feelings foster a need to prove themselves at every instant.

It says “I have the power over you and can cause you pain if I so desire.” They have no regard for how others perceive them and use pain to put people in their place.

Rings on the fingers can make matters even worse, and they know it! You can put these people in their place by verbalizing your pain, and drawing other people’s attention to it jokingly. Most people wont have enough confidence to be vocal about it, which is how the death gripper gets his power, but if done properly can make others laugh and set yourself apart.

Cue Cluster: Watch for cues of insecurity coupled with aggression such as encroaching on personal space, leaning in, elbow and finger jabs, playful punching, boisterousness, loud talking, pranks, and so forth.

Body Language Category: Arrogance or arrogant body language, Aggressive body language, Dominant body language, Low confidence body language, Low confidence hand displays, Masked body language, Negative body language, Power play, Social touching, Threat displays.

Resources:

Aström, J ; Thorell, L H ; Holmlund, U ; D’Elia, G. Handshaking, personality, and psychopathology in psychiatric patients, a reliability and correlational study. Perceptual and motor skills 1993, Vol.77(3 Pt 2): 1171-86.

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Dolcos, Sanda ; Sung, Keen ; Argo, Jennifer J ; Flor-Henry, Sophie ; Dolcos, Florin. The power of a handshake: neural correlates of evaluative judgments in observed social interactions. Journal of cognitive neuroscience. 2012 24(12): 2292-305.

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Body size reduction, Closed body language, Emotional body language, Low confidence body language, Negative body language, Orienting reflex or orienting response, Pensive displays, Protective reflexes, Stressful body language

Body Language of Cocooning

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Cocooning

Cue: Cocooning

Synonym(s): Rolling Into A Ball, Curling Up, Slumping, Putting On Headphones, Texting In Public, Reading A Book In Public.

Description: There are various degrees of cocooning including putting on headphones, putting up the hands to the side of the face, collapsing the head onto the thighs in a seated position.

In One Sentence: Cocooning is to collapse in one ones-self and indicates the desire to protect and recoil from outside harm.

How To Use it: Use this gesture to show others that you are unwell and that you want to gain their sympathy. When you are depressed, coiling up can help you feel safe and protected from the outside world. Onlookers will immediately spot your discomfort and offer sympathy, care, special assistance, or time alone to reflect.

When in busy locations, a set of headphones or reading material can help drown out the outside world permitting one internal reflection. This too is a form of cocooning. When these are not available, allowing the eyes to glaze over can also allow one to escape and reflect.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “Leave me be, I have my headphones on because I just want to be left alone.” b) “I’m thinking about something, I’m not stressed, but I need a moment to ponder something c) “I’m really upset and feeling bad. I’m grieving and I’m really at a loss for words, I may or may not want some comforting.”

Variant: See Shoulder Shrugs or Shoulder Rise, Body Lowering, Fetal Position (The).

Cue In Action: a) While shopping for groceries, Brenda put her headphones on so she wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. b) When asked if she wanted the chicken or fish, she put her hands on the side of her face and thought to herself. c) When told that her father was sick and was certain to pass way, she collapsed; stricken with grief.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Cocooning indicates that concentration is required, a person is experiencing stress or that a person is emotionally withdrawn and requires escape. Other times, a person cocoons as a way to establish privacy in a public setting when they need time to thing and recover from excess stimulation.

Cocooning is a term used to describe body language that indicates a desire not to be bothered. There are various degrees which include a mild form such as putting on headphones to tell others that social interaction is undesired, putting up the hands to the side of the face while studying (mild cocooning), and an extreme form where the head collapses onto the thighs in a seated position which can indicate grieving.

Cue Cluster: Cocooning is usually accompanied by slumped shoulders, hands to face, eyes, or ear, hand to head in a helmet or protective type gesture. The body almost always slumps forward in a fetal position except in mild cocooning. A blank face is usually coupled with cocooning, but under extreme stress we see a grief expression where the brows come together. At times, there might be tears or sobbing.

Body Language Category: Body size reduction, Closed body language, Emotional body language, Low confidence body language, Negative body language, Protective reflexes, Orienting reflex or orienting response, Pensive displays, Stressful body language.

Resources:

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

Blidstein, Gerald J. The Nonverbal Language of Prayer (review).Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies. 2007 25(2): 195-196.

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Berridge CW,Mitton E, ClarkW, Roth RH. 1999. Engagement in a non-escape (displacement) behavior elicits a selective and lateralized suppression of frontal cortical dopaminergic utilization in stress. Synapse 32:187–197.

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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.

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Hyisung C. Hwang, David Matsumoto. Dominance threat display for victory and achievement in competition context. Motivation and Emotion, 2014.

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Aggressive body language, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Barriers, Crotch display, Defensive body language, Dominant body language, Expansive movements, Low confidence body language, Threat displays

Body Language of The Chair Straddler or Seat Straddling

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of The Chair Straddler or Seat Straddling

Cue: Chair Straddling

Synonym(s): Seat Straddling

Description: A sitting posture where a person sits on a chair backwards with their legs spread wide open and the forearms rested on the back of the chair.

In One Sentence: The chair straddler is perceived as cowardly as his genitals are on display, but he hides behind the shield of the chair.

How To Use it: Use this posture to appear timid and cowardly, but also dominant and aggressive. In other words, its use is limited to appearing socially awkward. Perhaps its use is best left to television characters trying to appear socially challenged.

Context: General

Verbal Translation: “I’m going to spread my legs behind this protective barrier showing myself to be dominant, authoritative and yes cowardly at the same time.”

Variant: See Leg Spreading.

Cue In Action: Charles made himself comfortable by pulling up a chair from another table, turning it around and sitting in it. His folded arms were placed on the back of the chair and his legs spread wide open facing everyone else.

Meaning and/or Motivation: A dominant body position where the back of the chair is utilized as a barrier or shield to separate the individual from others. So while leg spreading appears dominant since the genitals are fully exposed, the back of the chair acts like a shield making the chair straddler appear cowardly. Chair straddlers are people who wish to remain protected while interacting with others.

If the straddler is the type who habitually tosses figurative spears or flings arrows from behind his barrier, then he may be read as insecure and lacking in confidence. The chair straddler might defend his seating style by saying “it’s comfortable,” but the body language reader should ask himself “what it is about the posture, that makes the straddler feel so comfortable?”

Cue Cluster: The arms are usually folded across the back of the chair coupled with a crooked smile, leaning in to invade space, and a boisterous attitude.

Body Language Category: Dominant body language, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Aggressive body language, Barriers, Defensive, Low confidence body language, Expansive movements, Threat displays, Crotch Display.

Resources:

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Appease, Defensive body language, Fearful body language, Low confidence body language, Nonthreatening body language, Readiness to submit postures, Submissive body language

The Body Language of Body Lowering or Body Shrinking

by Chris • October 18, 2014 • 0 Comments

The Body Language of Body Lowering or Body Shrinking

Cue: Body Lowering

Synonym(s): Body Shrinking, Lowering The Body, Shrinking The Body,

Description: A technique whereby a person takes a lower position relative to another which can include the overall body and posture, the head shrunk into the shoulders, sitting down from a standing position and so forth.

In One Sentence: Body lowering signals a desire to shrink the body’s overall size to appear more submissive.

How To Use it: Use body lowering to signal that one is willing to relinquish dominance to another person. In a dating context, a man might lower himself so that he can match his female partner’s eye level and build intimacy rather than tower over and dominant her. A boss might lower himself to the level of an employee to build trust. A server might crouch down at the edge of the table while taking orders. This can help build trust between him and his patrons giving him a shot at a higher tip. As body lowering also shrinks the size of the overall profile it can reduce punishment by appearing more submissive. It can also allow a person to fly under the radar when avoiding being called on such as in a classroom situation. Use body lowering when you want to build trust, show submission, and hide in plain sight.

Context: a) Social, b) Dating, c) Business

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m lowering my body, cowering, so that you don’t see me as a threat and won’t punish me so severely.” b) “I’m lowering my body so that you don’t see me as a threat and protect me, care for me, or give something to me” c) “I don’t want to be called upon so I’m going to slink down in my chair, head down – I don’t know the answer to this question.”

Variant: See Body Raising, Bow and Body Bend, Sinking In The Chair. The curtsey, bow and body bend are examples of body lowering that shows a willingness to submit to the audience and accept their adulation. Some churches also accept a curtsey went entering a pew.

Cue In Action: a) When pulled over by the cops, Jake shrunk down in his shoulders, propped himself against his car with his legs bent at the knee, head drooping. b) Deborah was beginning to like Jeff and whenever she and he were standing next to him, she shrunk her body and melted into his by placing her head down against his chest.

Meaning and/or Motivation: A technique whereby a person takes on a lower position relative to another. This implies that a person wishes to take on a lesser role by submitting and receive care and authority passively from another (this person is more dominant).

Status and dominance are closely related to the relative height of a person which is why people are naturally seen as needing protection when shorter and conversely, naturally as leaders when they are taller.

Height can be artificially reduced by sitting, standing at the bottom of a staircase, slouching, drooping the head and so forth.

Tall men and women might find their posture suffers because they tend to slink down to fit in with the rest of the crowd rather than standing tall. All techniques indicate the desire to reduce overall size so as not to appear threatening.

Cue Cluster: Body lowering is usually associated with other submissive cues such as head lowered and eye contact avoidance. However, in dating, women may couple eye contact with body lowering so as to take a submissive role to appease and flirt with men.

Body Language Category: Appease, Defensive, Fearful body language, Low confidence body language, Nonthreatening body language, Readiness to submit postures, Submissive body language.

Resources:

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