Category: Palm power

Authoritative body language, Confident body language, Dominant body language, Expansive movements, Gravity defying body language, High confidence body language, High confidence hand displays, Leadership body language, Open body language, Palm power, Up nonverbals

Body Language of Wide Arms

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Wide Arms

Cue: Wide Arms

Synonym(s): Arms Apart, Catching The Applause.

Description: The arms are spread wide apart, palms even (neither up nor down) and eye contact is established with the target or targets.

In One Sentence: Wide arms is a long distance embrace-indicator.

How To Use it: Use the wide arms posture to collect adulation from other people at a distance. Presenters, politicians, entertainers, and so forth, should use the wide arm posture to connect and build bonds with many people at the same time.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m opening my arms wide, palms flashed to catch all your applause and adulation – I am your star.”

Variant: See Palm Up Displays or The Rogatory Posture, Arms Up Posture.

Cue In Action: The president approached the audience, flashed his palms out and circled the stage with wide arms held just above his head. He was soaking in the adulation like a rock star.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Wide arms are a long distance embrace-indicator. Entertainers frequently perform this gesture toward their audience after completing a routine in order to catch their applause and adulation. We also see politicians do the wide arms gesture to collect them all in one big long-distance hug.

The posture shows others that they have a positive attitude as it defies gravity, that they are dominant by taking up more space, and that they wish to be noticed.

Other times, the wide arms posture is used to calm an audience. This gesture appears more as a palm moving in an up and down movement.

Cue Cluster: Watch for a big smile, head held high, palm flashing, waving, a swagger, eye contact with the audience, blowing kisses, bowing, pointing to people that are recognized, shaking hands, kiss hello and hugging.

Body Language Category: Authoritative body language, Confident body language, Dominant body language, Expansive movements, Gravity defying body language, High confidence body language, High confidence hand displays, Leadership body language, Open body language, Palm power, Up nonverbals.

Resources:

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*No Photo, Greeting gesture, Honest body language, Open body language, Palm power, Rapport or rapport building, Recognition gestures

Body Language of Wave or Waving

by Chris • October 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Wave or Waving

Cue: Wave or Waving.

Synonym(s): N/A

Description: The hand is raised and moved back and forth palm facing out.

In One Sentence: Waving is a long distance greeting gesture.

How To Use it: Use the wave to signal “hello” or “goodbye” over a long distance or when vocalizing words is impractical.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m flashing my palms over a long distance as a greeting gesture to prove that I carry no weapons and mean no harm.”

Variant: See the various forms of Handshakes.

Cue In Action: a) When approaching the drive on a country walk, his neighbour and he exchanged a wave to say hello. b) While mowing the lawn, Nancy waved to Bill who was claiming his mail from the box.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Waving the hand back and forth is a greeting gesture done over long distance. Compare the wave to a handshake, hug or kiss-hello for example. Waving is appropriate when saying goodbye or hello. Those that live in the country habitually wave rather than shake hands as they are not as accustomed to allowing people into their personal space, as those who reside in the city.

The wave, as a long distance greeting, probably has roots in showing that we aren’t carrying a spear, sword, or bow and arrow. Having the hands deep in a pocket or carried behind the back can be a sign of aggression or passive threat, and our evolutionary history tells us that someone who is hiding something is someone that we shouldn’t trust. While they probably carry no weapon, the hands behind the back produces images other than the hiding a bouquet of flowers.

Showing open palms, facing up, or the “palm flash” is essentially what would have happened thousands of years ago when two foreign tribes met.

Even today we might guess that a stranger approaching us on the street was up to no good especially if they hid their hands at their backs or tucked inside a jacket.

Cue Cluster: A wave has meaning onto itself with no need for supportive cues.

Body Language Category: Greeting gesture, Honest body language, Open body language, Palm power, Rapport or rapport building, Recognition gestures.

Resources:

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Appease, Closed body language, Courtship display, Defensive body language, Disengagement body language, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Escape movements, Fearful body language, Intention movements, Nonthreatening body language, Palm power, Protective reflexes, Readiness to submit postures, Submissive body language, Universal gestures

Body Language of Shoulder Shrugs or Shoulder Rise

by Chris • October 28, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Shoulder Shrugs or Shoulder Rise

Cue: Shoulder Shrugs or Shoulder Rise.

Synonym(s): Shrugs, Ducking, Hunched Shoulders, Turtling, Head Ducking.

Description: The shoulder shrug posture happens as the head seems to sink inside the shoulders, however, what is really happening is that the shoulders are slowly being raised so the neck disappears taking the head with it. It is as if the head is being swallowed by the shoulders. Shrugs can appear as micro-movements barely perceivable or as full on shrugs where the shoulders nearly touch the ears.

In One Sentence: Shoulder shrugs indicate lack of knowledge and ultimately submission.

How To Use it: Shrug the shoulders when you don’t know the answer to a problem or you wish to show submission. Shoulder shrugs can be used to show others that you accept defeat when it is coupled with a lowered head. Therefore, you may consider using it when pleading for forgiveness.

In dating, women can use the shoulder shrug to take on a smaller profile in order to create the impression of submissiveness and therefore elicit a protective and caring partner. Children and men can also do the same. When submission occurs, it produces a sympathetic response when it is seen by an empathetic viewer.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “My shoulders raise for a nano-second showing that I don’t know the answer.” b) “My head pulls down to my shoulders, palms up as a shield, eyebrows raised with my head tilted shows that I’m drawing inward and don’t want to get involved – so leave me out of this.” c) “I’m sorry I don’t know the answer and I’m shrugging to show others that I’m not a threat and wish not to provoke. In other words, I’m sorry I don’t know, but please go easy on me. I’m not a target, I’m submissive.”

Variant: Shrugs contain key elements such as hunched shoulders where the shoulders are raised and lowered, hands twisted into the palms up position (one or both hands), lowered mouth corners (while hands and head remain still), raised eyebrows (which shows astonishment, indifference, and bewilderment). Each variant, independent of one another, can carry the meaning of the shrug.

See Uneven Shoulder Shrugs and Palm Up Displays or The Rogatory Posture.

Cue In Action: a) The teacher called on Dave but he didn’t know the answer because he hadn’t read the report. His shoulders flinched upward, barely raising, as he froze like a deer in the headlights. b) There was a mess in the staff room and the boss had made a point of rounding up the culprits to get the job done. She invited them to step forward, but in unison the staff raised their shoulders as if they were not to blame and didn’t want to help fix the mess. c) After cussing her out without giving her time to explain, he felt it was his duty to offer a box of treats and flowers. He lowered his head, turned his palms up and shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t need to say anything. She understood he felt sorry for what he had done.

Meaning and/or Motivation: A universal expression of doubt and uncertainty. Shoulder shrugs can signify apology, disbelief, ignorance, indifference (lack of interest), helplessness, resignation, discomfort, low self-confidence, insecurity, weakness or powerlessness and shame. Many negative emotions are expressed through shoulder shrugs.

A shrug can also mean that you don’t know the answer, that you don’t want to get involved, or imply submissive apology.

Shoulder shrugs in a business context are usually found when someone is centered out on their poor performance. The origin of the “head turtle” is to protect it from harm. For example, when people hear a very loud bang, they will quickly pull their heads inward and down, and tuck in their chins. However, when it is done out of shame, it happens more slowly and deliberately so as to draw even less attention.

Shrugging is also done when people want to appear less significant so they go overlooked and are ignored rather than called on. In business, the head duck will occur when subordinates meet with superiors as they try to stand out less and look less significant or when employees wish to be overlooked during status reports at a boardroom meeting. It might also happen in class when the professor is calling on students who don’t have the answers, or when athletes have to walk back in shame to their dressing rooms after losing an important match.

The shoulders hunching up with palms up indicate a desire to hold a more narrow and protective posture hence it is submissive like a turtle going up in its shell.

The shoulder shrug can also appear in a dating situation where women appear meek and submissive. Shrugging is a childlike posture and happens when a woman let’s her guard down. It is often subtle and occurs subconsciously as a small raise of the shoulders and sometimes is accompanied by an eyebrow flash. Other times it is more pronounced and the head lowers or bows in unison. In this case, the shrug may be held for some time.

Cue Cluster: Shrugs often appear coupled with cowering, eyebrows lifted, palms up, head lowered, head bowed, eyes cast upward and widened, frowning or downturned smiles.

Body Language Category: Appease, Courtship displays, Closed body language, Defensive, Disengagement body language, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Escape movements, Fearful body language, Intention movements, Nonthreatening body language, Palm power, Protective reflexes, Readiness to submit postures, Submissive body language, Universal gestures.

Resources:

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Amplifier, Gesticulation, Honest body language, Nonthreatening body language, Open body language, Palm power, Rapport or rapport building

Body Language of Palm Up Displays or The Rogatory Posture

by Chris • October 27, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Palm Up Displays or The Rogatory Posture

Cue: Palm Up.

Synonym(s): Palm Flash, (the) Offered, Open Palm, Rogatory Posture.

Description: In the palm up display, the hands are turned palm up rather than palm down or hidden from view (such as in pockets). The “rogatory” posture or “prayer-like” posture are terms used to describe outstretched arms with palms up. The palm-up gesture is used throughout the world. We recognize the gesture as an upward rotation of the palms, usually both hands, with fingers partially, or fully extended. The arms are either straight or flexed at the elbow with the wrist flexed or extended.

In One Sentence: Palm up is a cue indicates uncertainty, helplessness, confusion and deference and often accompanies “who,” “what,” “when,” “why,” “where,” and “how” questions.

How To Use it: Use palms up when trying to appear honest. Palm displays signal to others that you want to both offer and idea or accept an idea. This is the cue used when people want to show that they sincerely believe that they are correct and wish to plead with others to accept their opinion.

Palms up while gesturing is also highly effective in building rapport.

Other times, turning the palms up shows that one simply does not know. To make this appear most honest, turn the palms up in unison and with emphasis. Having only one palm up is uncommitted and if they are not uniform from left to right shows dishonesty.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m displaying my palms because I’d like to offer you my ideas and thoughts.” b) “I’m showing you my hands because I want to show that I’m honest and carry no weapons.” c) “I’m holding my hands palm up because I’m trying to gain your trust through honesty – I carry no weapons and I’m trying to offer you my opinion; will you take it? Please.”

Variant: Palm down means the opposite of palm up. Palm down is a power position and shows dominance. Palm up also tends to expose the delicate and vulnerable wrists so coupled with the palm up display reinforces the overall meaning of palm up – offering and submission. See Palm Down and Palm Even, Wrist Exposure Displays.

Cue In Action: a) When trying to explain his position, he turned his palms up, moved them in and out and gestured in synchrony with his thoughts. He was offering his heartfelt view of the situation and desperately wanted to be believed. b) When asked if he knew where the missing doughnut had gone, he shrugged in submission and turned his palms up with enthusiasm. He sincerely didn’t know.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Palms-up, palms-down and palms even all represent different things, from authority to submission. Palms up are a signal of trustworthiness and are a positive, honest, signal. It signifies the desire to build rapport and is nonthreatening and submissive.

The palm-up cue is used to appease and we present it when we’re putting ourselves at risk. For example, we use the cue when asking a question because we realize that we may be ridiculed for our ignorance. Listeners may react negatively to us or laugh at us. We use the posture to show submission and lesson our chances of being challenged. After all, not knowing is a sign of weakness and our weakness is and should be coupled with visible defeat. All this stems from ancient processes which make our bodies take on a smaller, crouched posture, creating a smaller target for potential attack – referred to as “flexation withdrawal.”

In evolutionary terms, the palm display is an important gesture signifying honesty because it is a way to make evident to others that no threat or weapon is present (such as a spear, sword or bow and arrow). Palm flashes are essentially what would have happened thousands of years ago when two foreign tribes met.

Palm and wrist displays have also been noted to be sexual in nature and more frequently flashed by women during courtship likely because it is such a vulnerable part of the body.

The palm up cue is recognized in sign language of the deaf from the U.S. to Colombia and Papua New Guinea. In other words, the cue is likely universal.

Dr. David B. Givens argues that the palm- up gesture originated from primitive pectoral communication (think fish).

Overall, the palm-up gestures, is said by Givens to be a part of a larger shoulder-shrug display. As such, it originates from a crouched posture, or flexation withdrawal. The main actor is the upper trapezius which functions to lift the scapulas. He reminds us that theses muscular movements are incredibly ancient and much like facial expressions, are motivated by emotions. The same nerves that innervates the trapezius (cranial XI), also feeds the larynx. This is why we often accompany a shoulder shrug with a high-pitched, submissive voice tone. In other words, Givens says that muscles that move the larynx and pectoral girls evolved from muscles that originally opened the mouths and gills of ancient fishes.

The palm up gesture is adapted for social communication. The gestures are often paired with words – or vocal roars, drumming sounds (from swim bladders and “singing” which might come from a whale’s respiratory system.

According to Givens, “We do not ordinarily make conscious choices about these gestures. Emotions responsible for palm-up movements are located above the spinal cord in defensive areas of the forebrain’s limbic system (notably the amygdala), passing through basal ganglia and brain-stem links to the spinal cord below. The emotional brain unthinkingly touches off flexor-withdrawal movements designed to protect from real or imagined harm.”

On the other hand, when we view the posture in others, we intuitively decode the message with the help of mirror neurons. These are specialized structures in the brain which subconsciously activate a motor template, or brain blueprint, which help us empathize immediately with the person emitting the cue.

In other words, the entire process is innate, ancient and totally “out of our hands.”

Givens also challenges the idea that the palm up cue is about “offering.” In this metaphor, it is argued that the palms are a container by which we give an idea to someone else. However, he says this explanation falls short. He says that palm up gesture are more about social relationships. Rather than offering and receiving ideas, the posture is more about how one presents the self in relative status to another. When one is asking, pleading, appealing, showing uncertainty, questioning, or acting in deference, then one should accompany ones relative position with a posture that is congruent.

“What you are seeing when you watch a palm-up sign is a continuation of a movement pattern that has survived for hundreds of millions of years. In essence, you see a “gestural fossil” from antiquity that continues to broadcast today,” says Givens.

In other words, the posture is no accident, not conscious or learned, entirely innate and therefore of predictable nonverbal meaning.

Cue Cluster: Palms up is accompanied by relaxed and open facial expressions, relaxed stance, calm breathing and other natural body postures. When stress is evident, but honesty still present, a person might be seen with a tensed face, but the palms will flash consistently and with enthusiasm. The disconnect comes from the misery of not being believed and the worry that comes from potential negative consequences. The enthusiasm with the palm flash indicates a desire to show honest conviction. When lying is present, a person will flash their palms but with low amplitude and lack of symmetry from left to right.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Gesticulation, Honest body language, Nonthreatening body language, Open body language, Palm power, Rapport or rapport building.

Resources:

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Arrogance or arrogant body language, Authoritative body language, Barriers, Blocking or Shielding, Closed body language, Disapproval cues, Dislike (nonverbal), Dominant body language, Hostile body language, Palm power, Regulators, Rejection body language, Speech-independent gestures

Body Language of Palm Out or Talk To The Hand.

by Chris • October 27, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Palm Out or Talk To The Hand.

Cue: Palm Out or Talk To The Hand

Synonym(s): Talk To The Hand, Hand To Others, Palm Stop, Palm In Your Face.

Description: The hand comes up abruptly like a stop signal toward another person as the head and eyes turn away.

In One Sentence: Placing the palm out toward another person is a nonverbal way to tell them to stop talking.

How To Use it: Use the palm out gesture to nonverbally tell someone to ‘shut up.’ Many nonverbal signals are safer than actual words and this is no exception. A palm out can quiet a person without being forced to be overt and actually tell them to do so. Often this saves us from more dramatic confrontation.

The same gesture works on a large crowd when it would be impractical to yell over them. A flash of the palms, or persistently held palm out, tells others to heed to your dominance, as you are prepared to take over.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m using my hand and palm to tell you to stop talking immediately, I don’t want to hear it.” b) “Talk to the hand, because I’m not listening, that’s enough already.”

Variant: See Palm Down Displays or Palm Power, Palm Up Displays or The Rogatory Posture.

Cue In Action: She had enough, the conversation had gone on long enough. The personal insults were going too far. She put her hand up in her face and turned her head away. It was clear she didn’t want to hear another word from her.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Palms carry important power. This palm out, or palm-in-your-face-gesture, is a conversation ender. It is a way for people to say that they do not wish to entertain any more thoughts and have a strong unwillingness to speak. The combination of palms as power and insisting that someone speak to them implies that we wish to offer our disrespect.

Palms carry very significant power and whereas palms up are accepting or offering, palms out or down, signify power and dominance. The intent of palms in someone else’s face is one of high authority and to send message of disagreement and that they are disgraceful and deserve no respect.

Cue Cluster: Watch for the head to quickly turn away and down, eyes averted.

Body Language Category: Arrogance or arrogant body language, Authoritative body language, Barriers, Blocking or Shielding, Closed body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Disapproval cues, Dominant body language, Hostile body language, Palm power, Regulators, Rejection body language, Speech-independent gestures.

Resources:

Blurton Jones, N. G. (1967). “An Ethological Study of Some Aspects of Social Behaviour of Children in Nursery School.” In Desmond Morris (Ed.), Primate Ethology (Chicago: Aldine), pp. 347-68.

Birdwhistell, Ray. 1952. An introduction to kinesics. Louisville: University of Louisville.

Birdwhistell, Ray. 1970. Kinesics and context. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania.

Chaikin, Alan L. ; Gillen, Barry ; Derlega, Valerian J. ; Heinen, James R. K. ; Wilson, Midge. Students’ reactions to teachers’ physical attractiveness and nonverbal behavior: Two exploratory studies. Psychology in the Schools. 1978. 15(4): 588-595.

Carney, Dana R.; Amy J.C. Cuddy; Andy J. Yap. Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance. Psychological Science, 2010; 21 (10): 1363-1368.

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.

Ekman, Paul & Wallace V. Friesen. 1972. Hand movements. Journal of Communication. Vol. 22, Dec. 1, pp. 353-374.

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

Ferre, Gaelle. 2011. Functions of three open-palm hand gestures. Multimodal Communication, 2011, 1 (1), pp.5-20.
http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/66/60/25/PDF/Multimodal-com-Ferre_final_.pdf

Friesen, Wallace ; Ekman, Paul ; Wallbott, Harald. Measuring hand movements. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1979. 4(2): 97-112.

Engel, George. 1978. Clinical value of gestures, postures, and facial expressions. Public lecture. University of Washington. Seattle. December 5.

Fabrega, Horatio Jr. 1973. Begging in a southeastern Mexican city.” In Romney, A. K. & I. DeVore (eds.). You and others. Cambridge, Mass.: Winthrop, pp. 162-173.

Genthner, Robert W. ; Moughan, James Osipow, Samuel H. (editor). Introverts’ and extraverts’ responses to nonverbal attending behavior. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 1977. 24(2): 144-146.