Category: Stressful body language

*No Photo, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Embarrassment (nonverbal), Emotional body language, Nervous Body Language, Shy nonverbal, Stressful body language

The Body Language Of Blushing

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The Body Language Of Blushing

No picCue: Blushing

Synonym(s): Turning Red, Red Face.

Description: A reddening of the cheeks.

In One Sentence: Blushing is a signal that the body is experiencing emotional distress or is overheating due to exercise.

How To Use it: Blushing is an autonomic process that can not be consciously controlled. However, the use of artificial blush by women can make them appear flush and so more sexually appealing as it signifies that one is excited and youthful. Colouring the cheeks also produces a more healthy appearance. If one is overly flush, make-up can help dull the colouring to appear more normal. A healthy red hew is a sign of youthfulness and can be used to create positive impressions.

Context: General, Stress.

Verbal Translation: “I’m stressed and blood is being pumped all over my body to get ready to do something.” “I’m exercising and blood is rushing to the surface of my face in order to help my body cool off.”

Variant: See Ear Blushing, Blanching.

Cue In Action: It was Stacey’s turn to present next, her heart began to race and her face turned a bright shade of red. She was nervous.”

Meaning and/or Motivation: Blushing is linked to the release of adrenaline and cortisol which courses through the body when people get excited, feel pressure, are nervous, embarrassed or stressed. The hormone also diverts blood flow from the digestive system and shunts it to major muscle groups giving them a burst of energy.

As a side effect, our blood vessels that deliver blood to our faces dilate, meaning they relax or open, allowing more blood to reach the surface causing them to turn red. Blushing usually appears in the cheeks and often the upper chest.

Some people are prone to blushing with relatively low stress levels as a physiological condition. Blushing can also be the result of high activity levels where blood is pumped all over the body including the outer skin as a method for our body to cool itself by dissipating excess heat.

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

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

Resources:

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

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

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

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

Drummond, Peter D and Tahnee Bailey. Eye Contact Evokes Blushing Independently of Negative Affect. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37:207-216. DOI 10.1007/s10919-013-0155-z
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/sit-can-embody-depression-body-language-postures-control-mental-processes/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

*No Photo, Emotional body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Nervous Body Language, Pacifying body language, Stressful body language

The Body Language of Blowing off Steam or Exhaling

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The Body Language of Blowing off Steam or Exhaling

No picCue: Blowing Off Steam

Synonym(s): Exhaling, Blowing Out Air Through The Lips, Sighs, Deflating.

Description: Deflating is done by forcefully exhaling air through a compressed mouth or lips. It is a rapid expulsion of air accompanied with a low huff or tone. Sighs can be so low as to be barely distinguishable from ordinary exhalation. Sometimes air comes out of a gapped mouth as an “Ugh.”

In One Sentence: Exhaling air suddenly indicates that one is suffering from a particular stressor or has recently overcome a stressor successfully.

How To Use it: One might use the huff of air to show that one is suffering and wish for that to be known nonverbally by others. This may work in poker or bluffing while negotiating a contract or to show anxiety over a matter in a relationship. This “honest signal” will show others that you are suffering. The hope is that someone else can resolve the issue for you or offer you a sympathetic ear. You can also forcibly exhale a breath to show others that you disagree with them and that they are causing you frustration. The hope of course, is that your nonverbal signal will be understood and the issue will be resolved without having to use more obvious or costly methods (such as using words).

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I really can’t believe this is happening again!” b) “Finally I can take a load off.” c) “I’m stressed and need to slow down my breath, control my breathing and concentrate on what comes next.”

Variant: N/A.

Cue In Action: a) When her husband was called into a late meeting at work, Jill huffed in displeasure. b) Jill got all the kids organized for school and tucked them in bed. She let out an audible sigh, “ahhh,” as she plopped down on the couch. c) Before taking stage, she forcefully blew air out of her mouth to get in the right frame of mind.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Blowing air out indicates frustration, disapproval, uncertainty and an attempt at pacifying. It signifies that pressure is being released from our bodies usually due to frustration and stress. To imagine this cue, think of the pressure being released from a balloon. We call this “deflating” and it’s similar to the emotional deflating of a person – the person feels deflated. A person might blow out air forcefully to prepare the body to concentrate on a difficult task or in preparation for a stressful event.

Sighs signify frustration, being overwhelmed or weighted down, burdened and thoughts of powerlessness. People often sigh many times throughout a regular day as their level of stress increases and decreases.

At other times, sighs are done at the completion of a difficult task spelling relief and relaxation.

Cue Cluster: Cues that accompany blowing off steam include slumped shoulders, slack arms that seem to hang off the body, and eyes rolling back and pacing. A general relaxation will come over the body at task completion. It might be plopped down on a chair or sofa, allowing the face to relax and relieving tension. Shortly thereafter, joy might appear.

Body Language Category: Emotional body language, Frustration or frustrated body language, Nervous body language, Stressful body language, Pacifying.

Resources:

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

Boredom body language, Closed body language, Defensive body language, Emotional body language, Masked emotions, Stressful body language

Body Language of Blank Face or Deadpan Face

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Body Language of Blank Face or Deadpan Face

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Blank Face or Deadpan FaceCue: Blank Face or Deadpan Face

Synonym(s): Poker Face (the), Pan Face, Stone Face, Block Face.

Description: A neutral, relaxed face, showing no expression. The face and jaw is relaxed and the eyes are generally vacant.

In One Sentence: A blank face is a signal that a person is vacant and is internalizing emotions or thoughts.

How To Use it: Use the deadpan face in poker when bluffing (or otherwise) such that people can not read your emotions. The blank face is also helpful when trying to appear in control of a situation. Emotional outbursts have been shown to be counterproductive in business settings. A face that lacks expression, especially when under high stress, shows others that you can keep things under control.

Context: High Stress.

Verbal Translation: “I really don’t want to be read or give any emotions away so I’m just going to wipe any hint of life from my face.”

Variant: During emotional downtime a person can also support a vacant expression as they relax inside their own mind for some time – even while in public.

Cue In Action: His opponent was searching and studying his face, he wasn’t sure if he had a good hand or was just bluffing. All he saw staring back at him was a Deadpan face.

Meaning and/or Motivation: This expression is used to either conceal emotion (on purpose) or be an actual reflection of a lack of emotion such as watching television, during deep thought or boredom.

Cue Cluster: When someone doesn’t want to be read, they will usually freeze solid and reduce arm and hand movements, their head will be still and unchanging. They don’t want to give others any clues at to their inner thoughts.

Body Language Category: Boredom, Closed body language, Defensive, Emotional body language, Masked emotions, Stressful body language.

Resources:

Burgress R. and C. Baldassarre. 2006. Ultimate guide to poker tells: devastate opponents by reading body language, table talk, chip moves, and much more. Chicago, Triumph Books.

Baumeister, Jenny-Charlotte; Raffaella Ida Rumiati and Francesco Foroni. When the Mask Falls: The Role of Facial Motor Resonance in Memory for Emotional Language. Acta Psychologica. 2015. 155: 29–36. http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/stiff-poker-face-interrupts-emotional-memories/

Browning, E. ; Huynh, C. ; Peissig, J. Show Me Your Poker Face: Are Poker Players Better at Recognizing Emotional Expressions? Journal of Vision. 2013. 13(9): 599-599.

Carvajal, Fernando ; Rubio, Sandra ; Serrano, Juan ; Ríos-Lago, Marcos ; Alvarez-Linera, Juan ; Pacheco, Lara ; Martín, Pilar. Is a neutral expression also a neutral stimulus? A study with functional magnetic resonance. Experimental Brain Research, 2013. 228(4): 467-479.

Channell, Marie Moore ; Barth, Joan M. Individual differences in preschoolers’ emotion content memory: the role of emotion knowledge. Journal of experimental child psychology. 2013. 115(3): 552-61.

Ekas, Naomi V. ; Haltigan, John D. ; Messinger, Daniel S. The Dynamic Still-Face Effect: Do Infants Decrease Bidding over Time when Parents Are Not Responsive?
Developmental Psychology. 2013. 49(6): 1027-1035.

Giuseppe Blasi; Ahmad R. Hariri; Guilna Alce; Paolo Taurisano; Fabio Sambataro; Saumitra Das; Alessandro Bertolino; Daniel R. Weinberger and Venkata S. Mattay. Preferential Amygdala Reactivity to the Negative Assessment of Neutral Faces. 2009. 6(9): 847-853.

Heisel, Marnin ; Mongrain, Myriam. Facial Expressions and Ambivalence: Looking for Conflict in All the Right Faces. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2004. 28(1): 35-52.

Kraft, Tara L ; Pressman, Sarah D. Grin and Bear It. Psychological Science. 2012. 23(11): 1372-1378.

King, Laura A. Ambivalence over emotional expression and reading emotions in situations and faces. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1998 74(3): 753(10)

LaBarbera, J. D., C. E. Izard, P. Vietze, and S. A. Parisi (1976). “Four- and Six-Month-Old Infants’ Visual Responses to Joy, Anger, and Neutral Expressions.” In Child Development (Vol. 47), pp. 535-38.

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

Matsumoto, David ; Hwang, Hyisung C. Desteno, David (editor). Judgments of Subtle Facial Expressions of Emotion. Emotion. 2014. 14(2): 349-357.

Pinkham, Amy E. ; Brensinger, Colleen ; Kohler, Christian ; Gur, Raquel E. ; Gur, Ruben C. Actively paranoid patients with schizophrenia over attribute anger to neutral faces. Schizophrenia Research. 2011 125(2): 174-178.

Rothman, Naomi B. Steering Sheep: How Expressed Emotional Ambivalence Elicits Dominance in Interdependent Decision Making Contexts. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2011. 116: 66-82.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/ambivalent-facial-expression-form-dominance-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/

Schlicht, Erik J.; Shinsuke Shimojo; Colin F. Camerer; Peter Battaglia and Ken Nakayama. Human Wagering Behavior Depends on Opponents’ Faces. PLOS one. July 2010. 5(7): e11663. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011663.g001
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/which-faces-bluff-best-in-poker/

Shah, Rebecca ; Lewis, Michael. Locating the neutral expression in the facial-emotion space. Visual Cognition. 2003. 10(5): 549-566.

Trevarthen, Colwyn (1977). “Descriptive Analysis of Infant Communicative Behaviour.” In H. R. Schaffer, ed., Studies in Mother-Infant Interaction (London: Academic Press), pp. 227-70.

Woud, Marcella L. ; Becker, Eni S. ; Lange, Wolf – Gero ; Rinck, Mike. Effects of approach-avoidance training on implicit and explicit evaluations of neutral, angry, and smiling face stimuli.(Relationships & Communications). Psychological Reports. 2013. 113(1): 1211(18).

Wolf K, Mass R, Ingenbleek T, Kiefer F, Naber D et al. (2005) The facial pattern of disgust, appetence, excited joy and relaxed joy: an improved facial EMG study. Scand J Psychol 46: 403-409. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2005.00471.x. PubMed: 16179022.

Vanderhasselt, Marie – Anne ; Kühn, Simone ; De Raedt, Rudi. Put on your poker face’: neural systems supporting the anticipation for expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. 2013 8(8): 903-910.

*No Photo, Arousal, Automatic gesture, Emotional body language, Fearful body language, Negative body language, Stressful body language

The Body Language Of Blanching

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The Body Language Of Blanching

No picCue: Blanching

Synonym(s): Pale Face, Pale Skin, Pale Complexion, Turning White, Blood Rushing Out Of The Face.

Description: The surface of the skin appears to lose its colour and appears gray.

In One Sentence: When the surface of the skin turns white, it indicates that one is experiencing negative emotions.

How To Use it: As turning white is an autonomic process, it can not be feigned. However, one might use various concealers to add colour to the skin to hide the negative effects if one is experiencing emotional turmoil in one’s life. Chemotherapy treatment often turns skin whitish, so make-up can help hide the illness. Using bronzers and getting sunlight on the face can produce a more healthy looking appearance. However, others find the youthfulness of pale, clear faces to be particularly appealing as it indicates purity.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m scared and all the blood is rushing out of my face and into my core body and legs. I am ready to run.” “I’m sick and my body is not circulating blood well throughout my body.” “There’s nothing wrong with me, my skin is naturally fair-skinned.”

Variant: See Blushing for opposite cue.

Cue In Action: a) When the bad news was delivered, her complexion faded and she appeared faint. b) Due to fighting cancer, she lost most of her colour and appeared white as a ghost. c) Just a natural complexion or lack of sun exposure.

Meaning and/or Motivation: a) It is due to the presence of extremely fearful situations or high anxiety, which create a flight or fight response. The fear draws blood from the periphery and diverts it to the major muscles including the legs and core. It is the body’s way to prepare to escape or mount an aggressive challenge. b) Other times blanching is due to illness, as the body loses its ability to keep proper blood flow. c) Caused by genetics and thus simply a natural complexion in the absence of UV light exposure. This may reflect having few outdoor activities or lacking the superficial drive to use artificial tanning machines like tanning beds. Other reasons include: a health conscious attitude leading a person to protect their skin against harmful rays, a cold climate keeping a person indoors or when sun exposure is limited due to their geographic location.

Cue Cluster: When blanching is due to fear, watch for other stress cues such as an expressionless face, confusion, or bewilderment.

Body Language Category: Stressful body language, Fearful body language, Arousal, Autonomic signal, Emotional body language, Negative body language.

Resources:

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

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

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

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

Drummond, Peter D and Tahnee Bailey. Eye Contact Evokes Blushing Independently of Negative Affect. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37:207-216. DOI 10.1007/s10919-013-0155-z
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/flushed-flattered-nonverbal-truth-blushing/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Appease, Nonthreatening body language, Stressful body language

Body Language of The Artificial Smile or Fake Smile

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Body Language of The Artificial Smile or Fake Smile

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Artificial or Fake Smile 2Cue: Artificial Smile

Synonym(s): Pretend Smile, Fake Smile, Phony Smile, False Smile.

Description: A feigned smile where the orbicularis oculi muscles surrounding the eyes play no part and the lips are only stretched across the face with the help of the zygomatic muscles surrounding the mouth. The tell-tale cue is the fake smile is the lack of “crows feet.” The teeth are often bared, with a tense jaw and the lips show asymmetry.

In One Sentence: A fake smile, where the eyes play no part, shows others that one is not sincere in their happiness.

How To Use it: Use the fake smile to appease others whilst remaining polite. This is the smile used to fake your way through a photograph. The fake smile is often naturally occurring and you may wish to do it to show that you are not really on board with another person or their ideas. A fake smile is a great way to show people that you can be cooperative, but also apathetic to the situation at hand.

Context: General

Verbal Translation: “I acknowledge you are there, but I’m not exactly brimming with joy to see you.” I’m putting on a fake smile just to appease other people so they leave me alone.”

Variant: See Fear Smile, Friendly Smile, Frown (the) or Downturned Smile, Honest Smile or Duchenne Smile, Jaw Drop Smile, Nervous Smile, Polite Smile (the), Uneven Smile Or Lopsided Smile, Upper Lip Smile.

Cue In Action: a) A group of friends flash an artificial smile while posing for a photograph. b) When two strangers pass on the sidewalk, they each perform a fake smile to acknowledge each other. c) While being caught in a lie, the lips of the liar are stretched across his face to cover up his stress. d) It was obvious her statement wasn’t to be believed because it was followed by a fake smile.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Fake smiles are appeasement gestures done to show other people that we’re not threat and mean no harm, but that we aren’t experiencing real joy or happiness. Thus, the fake smile is not genuine.

Artificial smiles can also indicate that a person isn’t telling the truth. For example, the statement “He’s a great boss, I’d switch companies and follow him anywhere if he left” that is followed by a fake smile indicates that the entire statement is false.

Cue Cluster: The fake smile is a sand-alone cue and need no supporting cues to have meaning. Fake smiles can be accompanied by averted eyes, arm crossing, arms in pockets and various other closed body language.

Body Language Category: Appease, Nonthreatening body language, Stressful body language.

Resources:

Abel, Ernest L. and Michael L. Kruger. Smile Intensity in Photographs Predicts Longevity. Psychological Science. 2010. 21(4): 542-544.
Seder, J. Patrick and Shigehiro Oishi. Intensity of Smiling in Facebook Photos Predicts Future Life Satisfaction. Social Psychological and Personality Science. 2012. 3(4): 407-413.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/facebook-smile-predicts-life-satisfaction/

Colonnesi, Cristina; Susan M. Bogels; Wieke de Vente and Mirjana Majdandzic. What Coy Smiles Say About Positive Shyness in Early Infancy. Infancy. 2013. 18(2): 202–220. ISSN: 1525-0008 print / 1532-7078 online
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-7078.2012.00117.x
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/nonverbal-meaning-coy-smiles-infants/?preview=true

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.

Centorrino, Samuele, Elodie Djemai, Astrid Hopfensitz, Manfred Milinski, Paul Seabright. Honest Signaling in Trust Interactions: Smiles Rated as Genuine Induce Trust and Signal Higher Earning Opportunities. Evolution and Human Behavior DOI:
dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.08.001.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/smile-great-gain-smiling-key-negotiation/

Ekman, P., Davidson, R., & Friesen, W. V. (1990). The Duchenne smile: Emotional expression and brain physiology II. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 342–353.

Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1982). Felt, false and miserable smiles. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 6, 238–252.

Ekman, P., Friesen, W. V., & O’Sullivan, M. (1988). Smiles when lying. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54, 414–420.

Ekman, P., Roper, G., & Hager, J. C. (1980). Deliberate facial movement. Child Development, 51, 886–891.

Frank, M. G., & Ekman, P. (1993). Not all smiles are created equal: The differences between enjoyment and nonenjoyment smiles. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 6, 9–26.

Frank, M. G., Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1993). Behavioral markers and recognizability of the smile of enjoyment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 83–93.

Fairbairn, Catharine E.; Michael A. Sayette; Odd O. Aalen and Arnoldo Frigessi. Alcohol and Emotional Contagion: An Examination of the Spreading of Smiles in Male and Female Drinking Groups. Clinical Psychological Science. 2014. DOI: 2167702614548892
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/alcohol-social-lubricant-male-smiles/

Gueguen, Nicolas. Weather and Smiling Contagion: A Quasi Experiment With the Smiling Sunshine. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37:51–55. DOI 10.1007/s10919-012-0140-y
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/weather-smile-not-contagion-smile-linked-weather-conditions/

Gosselin, Pierre; Reem Maassarani; Alastair Younger and Mélanie Perron. Children’s Deliberate Control of Facial Action Units Involved in Sad and Happy Expressions. Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour. 2011. 35:225–242. DOI 10.1007/s10919-011-0110-9.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/childrens-control-facial-actions-improve-age-create-accurate-emotional-expressions/

Gunnery, Sarah D.; Judith A. Hall and Mollie A. Ruben. The Deliberate Duchenne Smile: Individual Differences in Expressive Control. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37:29–41. DOI 10.1007/s10919-012-0139-4
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/can-probably-fake-honest-smile-deliberate-duchenne-smile/

Golle, Jessika; Fred W.; Mast and Janek S. Lobmaier. Something to Smile About: The Interrelationship Between Attractiveness and Emotional Expression. Cognition and Emotion, 2014. 28:2: 298-310. DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2013.817383.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/smiles-arent-just-cameras/

Guéguen, N. The Effect Of A Woman’s Smile On Men’s Courtship Behavior. Social Behavior and Personality. 2008. 36(9): 1233-1236.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/how-women-can-use-a-simple-smile-to-attract-men/

Guéguen, N., & Fischer-Lokou, J. (2004). Hitchhiker’s Smiles And Receipt Of Help. Psychological Reports. 94: 756-760.

Grandey, Alicia A. ; Fisk, Glenda M. ; Mattila, Anna S. ; Jansen, Karen J. ; Sideman, Lori A. Is “service with a smile” enough? Authenticity of positive displays during service encounters. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 2005. 96(1): 38-55.

Harker, L. A., & Keltner, D. (2001). Expressions of positive emotion in women’s college yearbook pictures and their relationship to personality and life outcomes across adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80, 112–124.

Hertenstein, Matthew J.; Carrie A. Hansel; Alissa M. Butts and Sarah N. Hile. Smile Intensity In Photographs Predicts Divorce Later In Life. Motiv Emot. 2009; 33:99-105
DOI 10.1007/s11031-009-9124-6
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/small-smiles-predicts-divorce/

Harker, L., & Keltner, D. (2001). Expressions Of Positive Emotion In Women’s College Yearbook Pictures And Their Relationship To Personality And Life Outcomes Across Adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(1), 112–124. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.80.1.112.

Krumhuber, E., Manstead, A., & Kappas, A. Temporal Aspects of Facial Displays in Person and Expression Perception: The Effects of Smile Dynamics, Head-tilt, and Gender. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2007. 31(1), 39-56.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/slow-onset-smile-best/

Johnson, Kareemj. ; Waugh, Christiane. ; Fredrickson, Barbaral. Smile to see the forest: Facially expressed positive emotions broaden cognition. Cognition & Emotion. 2010. 24(2): 299-321.

Johnston, L., Miles, L., & Macrae, C. N. (2010). Why are you smiling at me? Social functions of enjoyment and non-enjoyment smiles. British Journal of Social Psychology, 49, 107–127.

Krumhuber, Eva ; Likowski, Katja ; Weyers, Peter. Facial Mimicry of Spontaneous and Deliberate Duchenne and Non-Duchenne Smiles. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2014. 38(1): 1-11.

Krause, Michael W. and Teh-Way David Chen. A Winning Smile? Smile Intensity, Physical Dominance, and Fighter Performance. Emotion. 2013. 13 (2): 270–279. DOI: 10.1037/a0030745
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/smile-lose-smile-intensity-predicts-fighting-ability

Krumhuber, Eva G.; Manstead and Antony S. R. Can Duchenne smiles be feigned? New evidence on felt and false smiles. Emotion. 2009. 9 (6): 807-820.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/can-fake-real-smile-practice/

Krumhuber, Eva; Antony S. R.; Manstead; and Arvid Kappas. Temporal Aspects of Facial Displays in Person and Expression Perception: The Effects of Smile Dynamics, Head-tilt, and Gender. Journal Nonverbal Behavior. 2007; 31: 39-56.
DOI 10.1007/s10919-006-0019-x
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/head-tilt-and-slow-onset-smile-nonverbals-trust-attraction-dominance-and-flirting-a-brief-report/

Lewis, David. 1999. The Secret Languages of Success: Using Body Language to Get What You Want. BBS Publishing Corporation.

Lockard, J. S., McVittie, R. I., & Isaac, L. M. (1977). Functional Significance Of The Affiliative Smile. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 9, 367-370.

Labroo, Aparna A.; Anirban Mukhopadhyay; Ping Dong. Not Always the Best Medicine: Why Frequent Smiling Can Reduce Wellbeing. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2014. 53:156-162.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/why-too-much-smiling-can-be-bad-for-you/

Mehu, Marc ; Grammer, Karl ; Dunbar, Robin I.M. Smiles when sharing. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2007. 28(6): 415-422.

Mehu, M., Little, A. C., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2007). Duchenne smiles and the perception of generosity and sociability in faces. Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, 5, 133–146.

Okubo, Matia; Akihiro, Kobayashi and Kenta Ishikawa. A Fake Smile Thwarts Cheater Detection. Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour. 2012. 36:217–225. DOI 10.1007/s10919-012-0134-9
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/fake-till-make-cheaters-fake-smile-make-lies-difficult-detect/

Prkachin, Kenneth M. ; Silverman, Barbara E. Stone, Arthur A. (editor) Hostility and Facial Expression in Young Men and Women: Is Social Regulation More Important Than Negative Affect? Health Psychology. 2002. 21(1): 33-39.

Quadflieg, Susanne ; Vermeulen, Nicolas ; Rossion, Bruno. Differential Reliance on the Duchenne Marker During Smile Evaluations and Person Judgments. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37(2): 69-77.

Reed, Lawrence Ian; Katharine N. Zeglen and Karen L. Schmidt. Facial Expressions as Honest Signals of Cooperative Intent in a One-Shot Anonymous Prisoner’s Dilemma Game. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2012. 33: 200-209.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/facial-expressions-honest-signals-smiling-contempt-predict-cooperation-defection/

Reissland, Nadja; Brian Francis, James Mason, Karen Lincoln. Do Facial Expressions Develop before Birth? August 2011. 6(8): e24081. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024081.g001
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/the-cry-and-laugh-face-in-the-human-fetus/

Surakka, V., & Hietanen, J. K. (1998). Facial and emotional reactions to Duchenne and non-Duchenne smiles. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 29, 23–33.

Thibault, Pascal ; Gosselin, Pierre ; Brunel, Marie – Lise ; Hess, Ursula. Children’s and Adolescents’ Perception of the Authenticity of Smiles. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2009. 102(3): 360-367.

Tidd, K., & Lockard, J. (1978). Monetary Significance Of The Affiliative Smile: A Case For Reciprocal Altruism. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 11, 344-346.

Vazire, S., Naumann, L.P., Rentfrow, P. J., and Gosling, S. D. (2009). Smiling reflects different emotions in men and women. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 32:5, 403–405.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/smiling-reflects-different-emotions-men-women/

Vigil, J. M. (2009). A socio-relational framework of sex differences in the expression of emotion. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 32, 375–428.

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.

*No Photo, Disengagement body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Escape movements, Stressful body language

The Hidden Meaning of Arm Withdrawal or Leg Withdrawal Body Language

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The Hidden Meaning of Arm Withdrawal or Leg Withdrawal Body Language

No picCue: Arm Withdrawal or Leg Withdrawal

Synonym(s): Distancing, Pulling Arms or Legs In, Drawing Arms Or Legs In, Flexation Withdrawal.

Description: When the arms are suddenly pulled inward toward the body rather than away in order to create more distance between oneself and another. There will be times that distancing behaviours are not terribly dramatic.

In One Sentence: Drawing the arms or legs inward shows that a person is not engaged in another person or the topic, and at times, even withdrawn from a person or their ideas.

How To Use it: Pull the arms and legs away from people and their ideas when you wish to demonstrate disagreement. By coupling arm withdrawal in close or even immediate connection to specific spoken words you will tell others that you disagree with them nonverbally. This can be useful in any context including between friends, colleagues or lovers.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I disagree and want to get away but that would be too overt or prohibited at the moment, so I’m just going to do by pull my arms or legs away to make me feel like I’m escaping.”

Variant: See Blading Body Language, Body Angling or Ventral Displays.

Cue In Action: During a meeting over coffee, everything was fine until Dave told a sexist joke at which point Jill pull her arms onto her side of the table in disgust and turned her head away.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Arm and leg withdrawal indicates a lack of agreement or a difference of opinion. It can also indicate stress and anxiety. Even just a few inches of withdrawal can tell us that ideas and the people that voice them are diverging. When the legs or arms are suddenly withdrawn it can be a good indicator that what has been said is offensive or disagreeable to the other party.

When the feet or legs of couples are pulled in rather than neutral or extended toward each other, it can signal that the relationship isn’t going well.

Cue Cluster: Arm withdrawal is often coupled with leaning away, facing away, torso and feet turned toward an exit, disgusted or bored facial expression and postures.

Body Language Category: Stressful body language, Disengagement, Dislike (nonverbal), Escape movements.

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.

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

Cacioppo, J. T., Priester, J. R., & Berntson, G. G. (1993). Rudimentary determinants of attitudes: II. Arm flexion and extension have differential effects on attitudes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 5–17.

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.

Fo¨rster, J. (2004). How body feedback influences consumer’s evaluation of products. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 14, 415–425.

Friedman, R. S., & Fo¨rster, J. (2000). The effects of approach and avoidance motor actions on the elements of creative insight. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 477–492.

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

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.

Hall, Jeffrey A. and Chong Xing. The Verbal and Nonverbal Correlates of the Five Flirting Styles. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2015. 39:41–68. DOI 10.1007/s10919-014-0199-8
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/first-12-minutes-flirting-using-nonverbal-communication-study-reveals-26-body-language-cues-attraction/

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.

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/

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.

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.

Laird, J. D., Wagener, J. J., Halal, M., & Szegda, M. (1982). Remembering what you feel: Effects of emotion on memory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 646–657.

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.

Neumann, R., & Strack, F. (2000). Approach and avoidance: The influence of proprioceptive and exteroceptive cues on encoding of affective information. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 39–48.

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

Reiss, S., Peterson, R. A., Gursky, D. M., &McNally, R. J. (1986). Anxiety sensitivity, anxiety frequency, and the prediction of fearfulness. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 1–8.

Riskind, J. H., & Gotay, C. C. (1982). Physical posture: Could it have regulatory or feedback effects upon motivation and emotion? Motivation and Emotion, 6, 273–296.

Stepper, S., & Strack, F. (1993). Proprioceptive determinants of emotional and nonemotional feelings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 211–220.

Sagliano, Laura ; Cappuccio, Angela ; Trojano, Luigi ; Conson, Massimiliano. Approaching threats elicit a freeze-like response in humans. Neuroscience Letters. 2014. 561: 35-40.

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.

Tamir, M., Robinson, M. D., Clore, G. L., Martin, L. L., & Whitaker, D. J. (2004). Are we puppets on a string? The contextual meaning of unconscious expressive cues. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 237–249.

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.

Zeinstra, Gertrude G.; M.A. Koelen; D. Colindres ; F.J. Kok; C de Graaf. Facial Expressions in School-Aged Children are a Good Indicator of ‘Dislikes’, but not of ‘Likes.’ Food Quality and Preference. 2009. 20: 620-624.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/read-kids-dislike-food-facial-expressions-accurate-detecting-dislike-not-like-children/

Defensive body language, Escape movements, Fearful body language, Negative body language, Stressful body language

Body Language of Arm Freezing Behaviour or Leg Freezing Behaviour

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Body Language of Arm Freezing Behaviour or Leg Freezing Behaviour

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Arm Freezing Behaviour or Leg Freezing Behaviour 1Cue: Arm Freezing Behaviour or Leg Freezing Behaviour.

Synonym(s): Flight or Fight Response, Leg Freezing Behaviour.

Description: Arm freezing refers to the sudden reduction or elimination of movement in the arms or hands such as gesticulation, due to stress or fear.

When hands or arms freeze, the hands can be stuffed into the pockets, be hidden under the table or be placed palm down on the table or held tightly on the lap in order to reduce gesticulation. Additionally, the hands may be coupled hand-in-hand on the lap, fingers entwined and placed on the table, or seem to be praying near chest level.

The cue is especially salient when they seem to freeze suddenly – especially when something particularly damning or incriminating, or something that can be the source of discomfort has occurred.

In One Sentence: Hand freezing is to “hide in plain sight” and indicates that one is fearful.

How To Use it: Use arm freezing behaviour to show others that you are in disagreement with what they are saying. The hands can also be frozen to feign fear. This can be effective in bluffing in poker.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m scared and I’m going to stop moving so I can try to escape detection and hide in plain sight.”

Variant: See Hands In Pockets, Feet Wrapped Around Legs Of Chair.

Cue In Action: a) A child happily plays on the kitchen floor with a truck set when a close relative suddenly appears – the child freezes. In children, a sudden freeze response can indicate the presence of abusive parents or relatives. b) The boss suddenly walks in the room and sees you playing video games on company time – your hands lock up and you can’t click to a new screen.

Meaning and/or Motivation: A fear driven or high stress response.

Hands can suddenly change in terms of use as illustrators and seem to pause, stop or slow in their rate of use. Sudden cessation of gesticulation can indicate a freeze response due to being caught in a lie, especially when the context warrants it. This is part of the flight or flight response as liars are trying to seem less noticeable. They are “hiding in plain sight” and to do this it is necessary to move less as movement attracts attention.

Reducing expressiveness means fewer “tells” or so the lying mind thinks. When hands or feet that are usually busy, suddenly begin to slow, or become less expressive, it can signal a lack of enthusiasm or confidence for the topic. Whatever happens to the hands, when they suddenly change, we know that something internal has changed and it is usually tied directly to whatever is happening in the moment.

Cue Cluster: Arm and leg freezing is accompanied by other minimizing cues such as head lowered, ducked or down, erection of barriers as well as escape movements such as moving feet toward the door.

Body Language Category: Fearful body language, Stressful body language, Defensive, Escape movements, Negative body language.

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.

Baxter, James C., and Richard M. Rozelle (1975). “Nonverbal Expression as a Function of Crowding During a Simulated Police-Citizen Encounter.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 32(1): 40-54.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

LeDoux, Joseph (1996). The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life (New York: Simon & Schuster).

McGrew, W. C. (1972). “Aspects of Social Development in Nursery School Children with Emphasis on Introduction to the Group.” In N. G. Blurton Jones, ed., Ethological Studies of Child Behaviour (Cambridge: University Press), pp. 129-56.

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.

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

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

Reiss, S., Peterson, R. A., Gursky, D. M., &McNally, R. J. (1986). Anxiety sensitivity, anxiety frequency, and the prediction of fearfulness. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 1–8.

Sagliano, Laura ; Cappuccio, Angela ; Trojano, Luigi ; Conson, Massimiliano. Approaching threats elicit a freeze-like response in humans. Neuroscience Letters. 2014. 561: 35-40.

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.

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.

Body cross, Defensive body language, Discomfort body language, Disengagement body language, Fearful body language, Negative body language, Stressful body language

Body Language of The Ankle Cross or Scissor Cross

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Body Language of The Ankle Cross or Scissor Cross

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Ankle Cross 4 Cue: The Ankle Cross or Scissor Cross

Synonym(s): Scissor Cross, Ankle-Ankle Cross, Interlocking Feet, Interlocking Legs, Ankle Lock, Foot Lock, Knotted Ankles, Ankle Cross Under Chair.

Description: While seated or standing, the ankle of one foot wraps around the ankle of the other foot.

In One Sentence: The ankle cross is a sign that one is showing restraint, discomfort or insecurity and also that one is not prepared to immediately leave.

How To Use it: Use the posture while standing to show that you are not immediate ready to vacate but rather are prepared to listen to someone else speak. This posture also shows submission which can be helpful in placating a domineering counterpart such as a boss. Finally, the posture can create a sense of security as it protects the genital area from over-exposure. Thus, in a crowded area, the ankle cross can make one feel more comfortable.

Context: a) Business, b) Social/Friendly and Dating

Verbal Translation: “I’m not totally comfortable, but I’m not going anywhere.”

Variant: The top of one foot locks around the leg of the other while seated or standing (mainly female posture). The feet might suddenly be pulled in under the chair withdrawing emotionally even further. This shows insecurity and discomfort.

Cue In Action: a) It was suggested that the company increase it’s workforce from ten to fifteen employees. Upon hearing the suggestions, Debbie from human resources wrapped her legs together at the ankles and pulled them under her chair showing passive disagreement. b) Long-time friends discussed politics while standing with their feet in a causal shoulder width stance. But when the topic switches to sports, and the discussion evolves, the feet of both parties cross. This shows that they are vested in the conversation, and aren’t thinking about escaping. c) The legs are wrapped around the legs of a chair sometimes called the Ejector Seat Posture (See Seated Readiness or The Ejector Seat Position and Feet Wrapped Around Legs Of Chair) showing anxiety, concern or discomfort.

Meaning and/or Motivation: While seated, a sudden locking of the feet indicates discomfort or insecurity. Conversely, if the feet are suddenly unlocked, the signal that the discomfort has been removed and that comfort is present.

When feet are crossed while standing, it indicates that a person is in no hurry to leave, and are that they comfortable discussing the topic.

a) While seated, it indicates that a person is holding a negative emotion, uncertainty, fear, anxiety, insecurity, reserved self-restraint, lack of confidence, or in general, uncomfortable or timid due to withholding a thought or emotion. It is a closed body posture and indicates that a person does not wish to budge and is likely holding negative attitude.

b) While standing, it is modest and formal and has no meaning at all unless the posture is adopted suddenly. When seated, the ankle cross indicates that modest comfort is present as crossed legs impede a quick escape. Other times it indicates negativity, defensiveness and insecurity especially if coupled with arm crossing or the Fig Leaf. Also shows commitment due to inability of making a quick escape, submission and sometimes vulnerability if coupled with a dipped head.

c) The person who locks their feet around the chair is bracing and locking (freezing) themselves as they have heard things they don’t want to hear, but aren’t permitted to leave.

Cue Cluster: Legs crossed at the ankles coupled with arm withdrawal, a scowling expression, and head turned away, amplifies the negative emotion communicated by the ankle cross. Couple interlocked legs, which is a freeze response meant to reduce foot movement, with pacifying behaviours such as rubbing the thighs palm down, as if to dry them, and you’ve got a cluster signaling that a secret is being covered. If the feet are pulled under the chair, the message is even more exaggerated. The feet are saying exactly what the person is thinking, that he or she is closed and withdrawn from the conversation.

Body Language Category: Disengagement, Defensive, Negative body language, Fearful body language, Discomfort, Stressful body language, Body cross.

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