Category: Threat displays

Aggressive body language, Amplifier, Body pointing, Displacement behaviour, Enthusiasm (nonverbal), Hostile body language, Intention movements, Negative body language, Threat displays

Body Language of Jabbing The Finger

by Chris • October 23, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Jabbing The Finger

Cue: Jabbing The Finger

Synonym(s): Finger Jabbing, Foot Jabbing

Description: A type of finger pointing but with added emphasis and direction, usually aimed at a person who is being spoken to, and repeated rhythmically. At times, a finger might actually physically make contact with another person to make the cue more salient.

In One Sentence: Finger jabbing is a rude gesture symbolizing being poked by a spear.

How To Use it: Use finger jabbing when you want to use nonverbal aggression to make a point. Jabbing the finger with every point tells others that you should be taken seriously through force and intimidation. In an emotionally charged debate one can use the finger jab to drive your point home.

On the other hand, to appear more rational, drop the finger jab and instead use a calm voice and fluid hand movements to make a proper “point.”

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I trying to make a point that I feel strongly about. I’m jabbing my fingers toward you like I would jab a spear. I really want to drive my idea home.”

Variant: The feet are sometimes jabbed or kicked in the direction of other people or during heated situations. Other times, a finger only points in the direction of another person and lacks a jabbing motion. Also see Baton Gesture.

Cue In Action: It was nearing blows. They both exclaimed their case with extreme enthusiasm. At one point, she was shouting and jabbing at close quarters and encroaching on his personal space.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Finger jabbing is a rude gesture. It is as if the person is being stabbed with a spear, especially if is present in a particularly negative or heated context. The voracity and amplitude of the jab outlines the degree of emotion present.

Other times, a jab can be a playful expression between say an uncle and his nephew to tickle his sides and have him giggle.

Cue Cluster: Expect to see violations of personal space, loud voices and shouting, wide focus intense eyes, erratic arm movements, puffing of the chest, arms akimbo and chin jutting.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Aggressive body language, Body pointing, Displacement behaviour, Enthusiasm (nonverbal), Hostile body language, Intention movements, Negative body language, Threat displays.

Resources:

Axtell, Roger E. Gestures: The Do’s and Taboos of Body Language Around the World. 1997. Wiley.

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

Arsenio, W. F., Cooperman, S., & Lover, A. Affective Predictors of Preschooler’s Aggression and Peer Acceptance: Direct and Indirect Effects. Developmental Psychology. 2000. 36: 438-448.
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App, Betsy; Catherine L. Reed and Daniel N. McIntosh. Relative Contributions Of Face And Body Configurations: Perceiving Emotional State And Motion Intention. Cognition and Emotion. 2012. 26(4): 690-698.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/facial-expressions-versus-bodily-expressions-nonverbal-communication/

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

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

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

Bruner, J. (1978). “On Prelinguistic Prerequisites of Speech.” In R. N. Campbell and P. T. Smith, eds., Recent Advances in the Psychology of Language (New York: Plenum Press), pp. 199-214.

Call, B., Hare, B., & Tomasello, M. (1998). Chimpanzee gaze following in an object-choice task. Animal Cognition, 1, 89–99.

Behne, T., Carpenter, M., & Tomasello, M. (2005). One-Year-Olds Comprehend The Communicative Intentions Behind Gestures In A Hiding Game. Developmental Science, 8, 492–499.

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/

Ekman, Paul, and Wallace V. Friesen (1969b). “The Repertoire of Nonverbal Behavior: Categories, Origins, Usage, and Coding.” In Semiotica (Vol. 1), pp. 49-98.

Freedman, Norbert ; Blass, Thomas ; Rifkin, Arthur ; Quitkin, Frederic Lanzetta, John T. (editor). Body movements and the verbal encoding of aggressive affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1973. 26(1): 72-85.

Gräfenhaina, Maria; Tanya Behnea; Malinda Carpentera; and Michael Tomaselloa. One-Year-Olds’ Understanding Of Nonverbal Gestures Directed To A Third Person. Cognitive Development. 2009. 24: 23-33. http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/origins-nonverbal-communication-body-language-infants-study/

Gray, Hilary (1978). “Learning to Take an Object from the Mother.” In Andrew Lock, ed., Action, Gesture and Symbol: The Emergence of Language (New York: Academic Press), pp. 159-82.

Hatz, Jessica L. and Martin J. Bourgeois. Anger as a Cue to Truthfulness. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2010. 46: 680-683.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/anger-nonverbal-cue-truth-telling/

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

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

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

Johnson, Richard R. and Jasmine L. Aaron. Adults’ Beliefs Regarding Nonverbal Cues Predictive of Violence. Criminal Justice and Behavior. 2013. 40 (8): 881-894. DOI: 10.1177/0093854813475347.
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Kret, M. E. and B. de Gelder. When a Smile Becomes a Fist: The Perception of Facial and Bodily Expressions of Emotion in Violent Offenders. Exp Brain Res. 2013. 228: 399-410. DOI 10.1007/s00221-013-3557-6.
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Lagerspetz, K.M.J., Bjorkqvist, K. and Peltonen, T. (1988) ‘Is Indirect Aggression Typical of Females? Gender Differences in Aggressiveness in 11- to 12-year-old Children’, Aggressive Behavior 14: 403–14.

Marsh, Abigail A; Henry H. Yu; Julia C. Schechter and R. J. R. Blair. Larger than Life: Humans’ Nonverbal Status Cues Alter Perceived Size. PLoS ONE. 2009. 4(5): e5707. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0005707. http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/large-life-nonverbal-dominance-affects-perception-size/

Marsh, Abigail A; Karina S. Blair; Matthew M. Jones; Niveen Soliman, and R. J. R. Blair. Dominance and Submission: The Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Responses to Status Cues Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 2009. 21:4, pp. 713–724.

Murphy, Catherine M. (1978). “Pointing in the Context of a Shared Activity.” In Child Development (Vol. 49), pp. 371-80.

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

Núria Esteve-Gibert and Pilar Prieto. Infants Temporally Coordinate Gesture-Speech Combinations Before They Produce Their First Words. Speech Communication. 2014; 57 301-316.
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Olson, Loreenn. ; Braithwaite, Dawno. If you hit me again, I’ll hit you back:” Conflict management strategies of individuals experiencing aggression during conflicts.
Communication Studies. 2004 55(2): 271-285.

Okken, Vanessa ; Van Rompay, Thomas ; Pruyn, Ad. Room to Move: On Spatial Constraints and Self-Disclosure During Intimate Conversations. Environment and Behavior. 2013. 45(6): 737-760.

Sell, A., Tooby, J., and Cosmides, L. Formidability and the Logic of Human Anger. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. 2009. 106(35), 15073-78

Sinke, C.B, Sorger, B, Goebel, R, and de Gelder, B. Tease or Threat? Judging Social Interactions From Bodily Expressions. Neuroimage. A Journal of Brain Function. 2009. 49:1717-1727. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/friend-foe-let-body-language-decide

Sun Jung, Hyo Sun and Hye Hyun Yoon. The Effects of Nonverbal Communication of Employees in the Family Restaurant Upon Customers’ Emotional Responses and Customer Satisfaction. International Journal of Hospitality Management. 2011. 30: 542-550.
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Sell, A., Cosmides, L. and Tooby, J., The Human Anger Face Evolved to Enhance Cues of Strength. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2014.05.008
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/human-anger-face-signal-strength

Topel, Eva-Maria ; Lachmann, Frankm. Nonverbal Dialogues: Orienting and Looking Behaviors Between Aggressive and Violent Children and Adolescents and Their Therapist. Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy. 2007. 6(4): 285-307.

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.

van der Goot, Marloes H.; Michael Tomasello and Ulf Liszkowski. Differences in the Nonverbal Requests of Great Apes and Human Infants. Child Development. 2014. 85(2): 444–455.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-language-pointing-human-infants-point-manipulate-apes-point-reach/

Aggressive body language, Amplifier, Authoritative body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Evaluative body language, Power play, Suspicious body language, Threat displays

Body Language of The Head Lowered In Judgment

by Chris • October 23, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of The Head Lowered In Judgment

Cue: Head Lowered In Judgment.

Synonym(s): Head Down, Lowered Head.

Description: Lowering the head, grimacing, and looking up with an icy glare.

In One Sentence: Lowering the head is a way people show judgment.

How To Use it: Lowering the head makes it appear wider through an optical illusion. A wide head is one that is high in dominance. Therefore, one can use a lowered head to create dominance and also show judgment of others in order to intimidate.

Fathers can use this cue effectively on misbehaving children as can wives on their husbands. When done properly, the cue appears highly aggressive and intimidating especially when coupled with direct eye contact.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I don’t like what I’m seeing so I’m lowering my head in judgment and peering down on you.”

Variant: Lowering the head with up-cast eyes or Forehead Bow (The), can easily be confused with a lowered head in judgment yet means something totally different. A bent head with relaxed up-cast eyes means agreement, confirmation, or even shame, but most importantly, signals submission. Angry eyes, coupled with head lowered, implies judgment. See Head Tilted Back, Peering Over The Glasses, and Bow and Body Bend, Forehead Bow (The).

Cue In Action: The librarian lowered her head, crossed her arms, and cast an icy stare at the boys who were fooling around.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The head down shows judgment or negative internal emotion and disapproval. The head down shows that a person is prepared for a battle. They are daring others to take a punch – instigating.

As with any head motion it is important to examine the adjoining clusters of body language to determine its true origins. For example, head down with eyes up can signal confrontation. The sender of the message wishes to make clear that they are in disagreement, feel anger and contempt. Adding arm crossed to head down would signify more prominently that there was negativity present, especially with arms crossed and an icy stare.

Don’t confuse the Forehead Bow with Lowered Head In Judgment. The two are different in terms of the eye contact and context.

Cue Cluster: My son who is just nine months old, as of this writing, will pull his chin in and put his head down so that I can’t see his eyes when I instruct him not to touch the buttons on my desktop computer tower. He also smirks when he doesn’t want to internalize and obey me. Next, he raises his left arm (usually) to the back of his neck and either (short) grabs his ear or the hair at the side of his head, or reaches all the way and scratches the back of his neck showing restraint. I say short-grab because the real cue is the grab the back of the neck, but his arms, being a baby are short and inflexible. Scratching the back of the neck is like “holding yourself back” by the scruff of the neck. This cue cluster has been important for my wife and I, as we ascertain what level of obedience we should expect based on whether or not he has actually internalized our instructions.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Aggressive body language, Authoritative body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Evaluative, Power play, Suspicious body language or suspicion, Threat displays.

Resources:

Aviezer, Hillel; Yaacov Trope, Alexander Todorov. Body Cues, Not Facial Expressions, Discriminate Between Intense Positive and Negative Emotions.. Science 338, 1225 (2012). http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-language-trumps-facial-expressions-read-my-body-not-my-lips/

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Furley, Philip and Geoffrey Schweizer. “I’m Pretty Sure That We Will Win!”: The Influence of Score-Related Nonverbal Behavioral Changes on the Confidence in Winning a Basketball Game Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology. 2013. 35:316-320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2013-0199
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Hwang, Hyisung C. and David Matsumoto. Cultural Differences in Victory Signals of
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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/head-tilt-and-slow-onset-smile-nonverbals-trust-attraction-dominance-and-flirting-a-brief-report/

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

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

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Nelson, Nicole L and James A. Russell. Children’s Understanding Of Nonverbal Expressions Of Pride. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2012; 111: 379-385.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/can-children-read-pride-body-language/

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/people-can-read-dominance-split-second

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/nonverbal-submission-men-women-depression-critical-examination-use-disuse-submission/

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Tracy, Jessica L. and Alec T. Beall. Happy Guys Finish Last: The Impact of Emotion Expressions on Sexual Attraction Emotion. American Psychological Association. 2011; 11(6): 1379–1387
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Aggressive body language, Amplifier, Anger body language, Clenching and gripping, Closed body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Frustration or frustrated body language, Hostile body language, Intention movements, Masked emotions, Microgestures, Negative body language, Stubborn body language, Threat displays

Body Language of Hand Clenching or Fist Clenched

by Chris • October 22, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Hand Clenching or Fist Clenched

Cue: Hand Clenching or Fist Clenching

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

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

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

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

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

Context: General.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Resources:

Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of
Psychology, 53, 27–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.
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Arsenio, W. F., Cooperman, S., & Lover, A. Affective Predictors of Preschooler’s Aggression and Peer Acceptance: Direct and Indirect Effects. Developmental Psychology. 2000. 36: 438-448.

Berkowitz, L., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2004). Toward an understanding of the determinants of anger. Emotion, 4, 107-130.

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Hohmann, G. and Fruth, B. (2003). Intra- and intersexual aggression by bonobos in
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Hines, N.J. and Fry, D.P. (1994) ‘Indirect Modes of Aggression among Women of Buenos Aires, Argentina’, Sex Roles 30: 213–24.

Marcus-Newhall A, Pedersen WC, Carlson M, Miller N. 2000. Displaced aggression is alive and well: a meta-analytic review. J Pers Soc Psychol 78:670–689.

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Theor. Biol. 47, 223-243.

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Schubert, Thomas W. The Power In Your Hand: Gender Differences In Bodily Feedback
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Szalai, F. and Szamado, S. (2009). Honest and cheating strategies in a simple model
of aggressive communication. Anim. Behav. 78, 949-959.

Schiff, B. B., & Lamon, M. (1994). Inducing emotion by unilateral contraction of hand muscles. Cortex, 30, 247-254.

Szamado, S. (2008). How threat displays work: species-specific fighting techniques,
weaponry and proximity risk. Anim. Behav. 76, 1455-1463.

Schubert, Thomas W. and Koole, Sander L. The embodied self: Effects of making a fist on the implicit and explicit self-concept of men and women. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2009. 45: 828-834.

Tops, Mattie ; Jong, Ritske. Posing for success: Clenching a fist facilitates approach
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. 2006, Vol.13(2): 229-234

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Young, R. W. (2003). Evolution of the human hand: the role of throwing and clubbing.
J. Anat. 202, 165-174.

Aggressive body language, Amplifier, Authoritative body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Hostile body language, Illustrator, Threat displays

Body Language of Finger Wagging (left and right)

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Finger Wagging (left and right)

Cue: Finger Wagging (left and right)

Synonym(s): Wagging The Finger.

Description: A side-to-side or left to right motion done with the index finger.

In One Sentence: Wagging the finger from side-to-side is a way to show disapproval.

How To Use it: The finger wag is useful to mothers trying to signal nonverbally that their children’s behaviour is not proper. Wagging the finger coupled with a stern look on the face can right a child’s wrong behaviour. It can also function as a first warning before things escalate to a verbal confrontation. Since we normally see our mother’s perform this gesture, it is associated later in life with an authoritative figure and therefore, when delivered in adulthood, it tends to be taken seriously. For this reason, adults can belittle and scold other adults with the finger wag.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m moving my finger left and right to say “no” with the help of my finger.”

Variant: The head is turned left and right to say “no.”

Cue In Action: She scolded the little girl for taking toys away from her friend while wagging her index finger back and forth.

Meaning and/or Motivation: It is done to emphasize when someone should not do something or while illustrating a negative thought in speech. Imagine the finger as a replacement for a primitive spear being waved around, threatening.

Cue Cluster: The finger wag can be accompanied by a loud voice, leaning in, furrowed forehead, squinted eyes and one hand placed on the hips.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Aggressive body language, Authoritative body language, Dislike (nonverbal), Hostile body language, Illustrators, Threat displays.

Resources:

Axtell, Roger E. Gestures: The Do’s and Taboos of Body Language Around the World. 1997. Wiley.

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Chandler, Jesse ; Schwarz, Norbert. How extending your middle finger affects your perception of others: Learned movements influence concept accessibility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2009. 45(1): 123-128.
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Cameron-Faulkner, T., Lieven, E., & Theakston, A. (2007). What part of no do children not understand? A usage-based account of multiword negation. Journal of Child Language, 34, 251–282. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2010.08.017

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Fusaro, M., Harris, P. L., & Pan, B. A. (2012). Head nodding and head shaking gestures in children’s early communication. First Language, 32, 439–458. doi:10.1177/0142723711419326

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Guidetti, M. (2005). Yes or no? How do young children combine gestures and words to agree and refuse. Journal of Child Language, 32, 911–924. doi:10.1017/S0305000905007038

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Aggressive body language, Anger body language, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Authoritative body language, Body pointing, Dominant body language, Enthusiasm (nonverbal), Expansive movements, Hostile body language, Space invasion, Threat displays

Body Language of Finger Pointing

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Finger Pointing

Cue: Finger Pointing

Synonym(s): Pointing, Closed Palm Finger Pointing.

Description: The hand is balled up with the index finger remaining extended ready to jab.

In One Sentence: Finger pointing is a way people distract others from things they are doing by refocusing the attention of others.

How To Use it: Use the index finger like a spear and wave it around when you really want to drive a point. It must be used with caution and with a receptive audience or it will be seen negatively and threatening. The finger is also effective at provoking especially when you wish to arouse confrontation. Use finger pointing when you want someone else to lose their emotional cool as it will incite an aggressive counter reaction. Therefore, prodding with a finger can perform two functions including helping to punctuate important points as well as instigate emotional rebuttals. The index finger, regardless, should be used with care.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I want everyone to look at what I’m pointing at and not at me.” “I’ve sharpened my spear. It is my index finger, and it’s extended and ready to thrust. It will jab at anyone or anything that might be in its path – so watch-out! I’m here to make a point.”

Variant: The middle finger is sometimes used rather than the index which is viewed as offensive by many. The thumb in the hand gesture is a more authoritative and acceptable way to make a point. Also see Finger Wagging (left and right).

Cue In Action: During a confrontation, Jill, pointed over and over, stabbing and prodding her husband with her index finger, each time laying in more and more blame.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The pointer is akin to a spear thrower. Every time they thrust their finger forward or shake it rhythmically it is as if they are jabbing their ideas into their audience and turning them submissive. We see this most often during aggressive verbal fights where the accuser is making strong personal attacks against the other. We also see it during passionate presentations when the speaker wishes to strongly emphasis a point.

Pointing finds its place all over the world to indicate direction or to emphasis a point. However, even the pointing gesture shows variation across culture as some will point with the index finger, others will use the middle finger and yet others still will point with a closed fist and use the thumb to indicate. Most cultures find pointing rude altogether, but others are more tolerant of its use. Where the middle finger is seen as a rude gesture, using it to point can be extremely off-putting and should be avoided.

Pointing fingers is a universal gesture that is negative in nature because it is as if the person is throwing spears. Finger pointing usually appears during aggressive verbal arguments. Finger pointing puts the reflection and responsibility onto the listener, and for this reason, they attach negative connotations to the speaker. It creates defensive feelings in the listener and as it persists, these defensive feelings grow into aggression. Parents will often use the pointing finger to scold children but adults will be far less tolerant of other’s authority especially those of equal status so it is unwise to exercise this gesture with abandon.

Cue Cluster: Finger pointing is usually coupled with a loud voice, enthusiastic gesticulation, leaning inward or encroaching.

Body Language Category: Arrogance or arrogant body language, Aggressive body language, Anger, Authoritative body language, Body pointing, Dominant body language, Enthusiasm (nonverbal), Expansive movements, Hostile body language, Space invasion, Threat displays.

Resources:

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

Call, B., Hare, B., & Tomasello, M. (1998). Chimpanzee gaze following in an object-choice task. Animal Cognition, 1, 89–99.

Behne, T., Carpenter, M., & Tomasello, M. (2005). One-Year-Olds Comprehend The Communicative Intentions Behind Gestures In A Hiding Game. Developmental Science, 8, 492–499.

Gräfenhaina, Maria; Tanya Behnea; Malinda Carpentera; and Michael Tomaselloa. One-Year-Olds’ Understanding Of Nonverbal Gestures Directed To A Third Person. Cognitive Development. 2009. 24: 23-33.
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Moore, Monica. M. Nonverbal Courtship Patterns in Women: Context and consequences. Ethology and Sociobiology. 1985. 6:237- 247.

Moore, M. M. Courtship Communication and Perception. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 2002. 94(1): 97-105. doi:10.2466/PMS.94.1.97-105.

Moore, M. M. and D. L. Butler. 1989. Predictive aspects of nonverbal courtship behavior in women. Semiotica 76(3/4): 205-215.

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Moore, M. M. 1985. Nonverbal courtship patterns in women: context and consequences. Ethology and Sociobiology 64: 237-247.

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

Body Language of Eyebrow Lowering

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eyebrow Lowering

Cue: Eyebrow Lowering

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

Description: Eyebrows that are lowered.

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

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

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

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

Context: General.

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

Variant: N/A

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

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

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

Cue Cluster: Varied depending on context.

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

Resources:

Aviezer, Hillel; Ran R. Hassin; Jennifer Ryan; Cheryl Grady; Josh Susskind; Adam Anderson; Morris Moscovitch and Shlomo Bentin. Angry, Disgusted, or Afraid? Studies on the Malleability of Emotion Perception. Psychological Science. 2008. 19(7): 724-732.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/emotions-read-context-study/

Aaron, Sell; Cosmides, Leda and Tooby, John. The Human Anger Face Evolved to Enhance Cues of Strength. Evolution and Human Behavior. 2014. 35(5): 425-429.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/the-universal-anger-face/

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James A. Russell, Naoto Suzuki and Noriko Ishida. 1993. Canadian, Greek, and Japanese freely produced emotion labels for facial expressions. Motivation and Emotion. 17(4): 337 -351.

Kret, Mariska Esther and Beatrice de Gelder. Social Context Influences Recognition of Bodily Expressions. Exp Brain Res. 2010. 203:169-180. DOI 10.1007/s00221-010-2220-8
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Lee, Daniel H.; Reza Mirza, John G. Flanagan and Adam K. Anderson. Optical Origins of Opposing Facial Expression Actions. Psychological Science published online 24 January 2014 DOI: 10.1177/0956797613514451
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McClure, Erin B 2000. A meta-analytic review of sex differences in facial expression processing and their development in infants, children, and adolescents
Psychological Bulletin. 126(3): 424-453.

Mead, M. 1975. Review of “Darwin and facial expression.” Journal of Communication, 25: 209-213.

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/avoid-anger-sunny-days/

Mondloch, Catherine J.; Nicole L. Nelson and Matthew Horner. Asymmetries of Influence: Differential Effects of Body Postures on Perceptions of Emotional Facial Expressions. PLOS one. September 2013. 8(9): e73605.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/facial-expressions-versus-bodily-expressions-nonverbal-communication-2

Matsumoto, D. (1989). Cultural influences on the perception of emotion. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 20(1), 92-105.

Matsumoto, D. (1992). American-Japanese cultural differences in the recognition of universal facial expressions. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 23(1), 72-84.

Matsumoto, D. (2001). Culture and Emotion. In D. Matsumoto (Ed.), The Handbook of Culture and Psychology (pp. 171-194). New York: Oxford University Press.

Matsumoto, D., & Ekman, P. (1989). American-Japanese cultural differences in intensity ratings of facial expressions of emotion. Motivation & Emotion, 13(2), 143-157.

Matsumoto, D., Keltner, D., Shiota, M. N., Frank, M. G., & O’Sullivan, M. (2008). What’s in a face? Facial expressions as signals of discrete emotions. In M. Lewis, J. M. Haviland & L. Feldman Barrett (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (pp. 211-234). New York: Guilford Press.

Matsumoto, D., & Willingham, B. (2009). Spontaneous Facial Expressions of Emotion of Congenitally and Non-Congenitally Blind Individuals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(1), 1-10.

Mesquita, B., & Frijda, N. H. (1992). Cultural variations in emotions: A review. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 197-204.

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

Nao, Misako Sawada and Motonobu Ishii. Development of the Movements Impressions Emotions Model: Evaluation of Movements and Impressions Related to the Perception of Emotions in Dance. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2013. 37:107-121.
DOI 10.1007/s10919-013-0148-y
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/convey-emotion-nonverbally-dance-study/

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*No Photo, Attentive body language, Confident body language, Disengagement body language, Eye Language, Indicator of interest (IoI), Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Threat displays

Body Language of Eye Blinking (Less)

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Eye Blinking (Less)

Cue: Eye Blinking (Less)

Synonym(s): N/A

Description: When the eyes blink less than normal.

In One Sentence: When eyes blink less often than normal, it signals boredom, hostility (staring), or indifference.”

How To Use it: When trying to relax, allow the focus of the eyes to relax.

Conversely, when trying to intimidate another person, persistent, non-blinking eye contact can signal aggression. Use less blinking to show that another person has become an object to you. To be turned into an object is the ultimate insult. Use “staring contests” to test your ability to dominate other people. You may find that more submissive people tend to hold less unblinking eye contact or, in other words, are the first to look away or blink.

In a dating context, less eye contact is called “gazing.” It is a much softer, more relaxed version of eye contact. This should be used to create bonding and intimacy.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m bored, falling asleep, feeling hostile, or indifferent to you so my eyes lack any character of engagement.”

Variant: See Eye Blinking (Rapid), Staring or The Evil Eye.

Cue In Action: His wife began retelling an office gossip story for the third time, his eyes glazed over and he took on a zombie state.

Meaning and/or Motivation: When eyes blink less rapidly or seem to not blink at all, it is due to a zoning out (boredom) or due to anger or hostility, as in staring. Reduced eye blinking can also signify indifference and in some circumstances even confidence. We see this in stare-down competitions where the last person to blink is the victor in the dominance competition.

It has been shown that people with confidence tend to establish more eye contact and hold it longer than normal. Eyes that blink less can also show interest and intensity, but also piercing and assault. When the eyes blink less the eye can blur due to dryness so eyes that blink less are eyes that aren’t interested in seeing due to a lack of emotion.

Cue Cluster: When eyes depict boredom they tend to defocus as well as blink less frequently. The eyes will seem to look through people and there will be no agreement indicators such as head nods and “mhmms” and “yeses.” When eyes blink less due to anger, they will be piercing and follow a target intensely with the eyelids squinting rather than relax with open facial expressions. When eye contact is due to confidence we expect the head to nod, that conversation will be flowing, and that the head will be tilted to the side.

Body Language Category: Attentive, Boredom, Confident body language, Disengagement, Eye Language, Indicators of disinterest (IOD), Indicator of interest (IoI), Threat displays.

Resources:

Barbato, Giuseppe ; De Padova, Vittoria ; Paolillo, Antonella Raffaella ; Arpaia, Laura ; Russo, Eleonora ; Ficca, Gianluca. Increased spontaneous eye blink rate following prolonged wakefulness. Physiology & Behavior. 2007. 90(1): 151-154.

Brefczynski-Lewis, Julie A ; Berrebi, Michael E ; Mcneely, Marie E ; Prostko, Amy L ; Puce, Aina. In the Blink of an Eye: Neural Responses Elicited to Viewing the Eye Blinks of Another Individual. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2011 5.

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Dawson, Michael E. ; Hazlett, Erin A. ; Filion, Diane L. ; Nuechterlein, Keith H. ; Schell, Anne M. Mineka, Susan (editor). Attention and Schizophrenia: Impaired Modulation of the Startle Reflex. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 1993. 102(4): 633-641.

Drew, G. C. (1951). Variations in reflex blink-rate during visual motor tasks. Quaterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 3, 73–88.

Goldstein, R., Bauer, L. O., & Stern, J. A. (1992). Effect of task difficulty and interstimulus interval on blink parameters. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 13, 111–118.

Holland, M. K., & Tarlow, G. (1972). Blinking and mental load. Psychological Reports, 31, 119–127.

Holland, M. K., & Tarlow, G. (1975). Blinking and thinking. Psychological Reports, 41, 403–406. READ

Huang, Zhinjin ; Stanford, Matthew S. ; Barratt, Ernest S.. Blink rate related to impulsiveness and task demands during performance of event-related potential tasks.
Personality and Individual Differences. 1994. 16(4): 645-648.

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Kanfer, F. (1960). “Verbal Rate, Eyeblink, and Content in Structured Psychiatric Interviews.” In Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology (Vol. 61, No. 3), pp. 341-47.

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

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Lying Eyes: Why Liars Seek Deliberate Eye Contact. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. 2013. 20(3): 452-461.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Eye contact while lying during an interview. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society. 1976. 7(1): 87-89.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Children’s Knowledge of Deceptive Gaze Cues and Its Relation to Their Actual Lying Behavior. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2009. 103(2): 117-134.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. The Lying Chicken and the Gaze Avoidant Egg: Eye Contact, Deception, and Causal Order. Southern Communication Journal. 2006. 71(4): 401-411.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Tell-tale eyes: children’s attribution of gaze aversion as a lying cue.(Author abstract). Developmental Psychology. 2008. 44(6): 1655(13).

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. ‘Look into my eyes’: can an instruction to maintain eye contact facilitate lie detection? Psychology Crime & Law. 2010. 16(4): 327-348.

Mann, Samantha ; Ewens, Sarah ; Shaw, Dominic ; Vrij, Aldert ; Leal, Sharon ; Hillman, Jackie. Legal Interviewers Use Children’s Affect and Eye Contact Cues to Assess Credibility of Their Testimony. Early Child Development and Care. 2010. 180(3): 397-404.

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Aggressive body language, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Distancing or moving away, Dominant body language, Escape movements, Hostile body language, Negative body language, Threat displays

Body Language of Encroaching

by Chris • October 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Encroaching

Cue: Encroaching

Synonym(s): Space Invader, Close Talker (The), Moving In Too Close, Invading Space.

Description: When one person approaches someone else too closely and invades their personal space.

In One Sentence: Encroaching on other people’s space is a sign that a person wishes to increase intimacy or to intimidate.

How To Use it: Encroaching on others spaces can be used in order to build intimacy or to intimidate.

In a dating context, encroaching can be a way to test tolerance to space intimacy. Men can approach women and thereby test their reaction. If a woman recoils in the face of an advance, it’s a sign that she is not interested or prepared for romantic involvement. On the other hand, if she tolerates an invasion of space, the reverse is true. Women can also encroach on a man’s space to test his interest and even test him romantically.

Invading space in dating can also be done with the use of inanimate objects. Lending a jacket to a girl is a way men can move his property into her territory. Acceptance of this intrusion is a signal that interest and trust is developing.

Out of a dating context, men can use encroaching to invade the territory of other men. Usually more submissive men will tolerate the advancements of alpha or dominant men. Men can also use closeness on other men in a more fleeting way to build friendships, but rarely tolerate persistent encroachment. When men wish to bond to other men, therefore, it’s best use in handshakes, pats on the back, and when deep friendships form, hugs.

When encroaching is done to the extreme however, people usually see this as overbearing and a sign of social awkwardness.

Women can use encroachment on other women, as it tends to be more mutually accepted and a way for them to create social bonds.

Context: a) General b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m going to move closer to you so you feel awkward and heed to my power and dominance.” a) “Because I lack social skills I’m approaching you too closely.” b) “I’m feeling your attraction so I’m being drawn into your personal space.”

Variant: See Leaning In and Leaning Out, Becoming Loud, Touching or Increase In Touching.

Cue In Action: a) In an attempt to gain affection, Dave snuggled up to Mary. She was taken aback as she thought of him more as a friend than a lover. She leaned back awkwardly. b) The boss typically pulled people in after shaking hands with them. He was a tall man and used his height advantage to intimidate others.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Encroaching involves standing too close, standing over someone by exploiting height differences, touching when un-welcomed, and even raising voices or the volume of music to violate the privacy and comfort of others.

Encroaching is any body language that takes advantage of proxemics to violate a person’s personal space and territory and create defensive body language in others. When someone encroaches it usually indicates a power play to assert dominance and authority.

Other times it is due to inappropriate socialization, such that a person doesn’t understand the social norms and requirements of other people. People from highly populated areas typically require less personal space than those who live in sparsely populated areas. When city people and country people come together there may differences in personal space requirements causing issues. The person from the city might move in close to create connectivity forcing the country person to step backwards. The person from the city feels rejected and the person from the country feels violated.

Getting close to someone else might also spell romantic interest. When women or men wish to send a strong signal, they will approach each other and enter their respective personal space zones in effort to build intimacy.

Cue Cluster: The cue clusters by which encroachment presents itself will be related to the intent of encroachment as well as the feelings surrounding it. When encroaching, a person will lean in, their head will move forward and their toes will point and extend toward. When being encroached upon, a person will lean out, their head will move back, their toes and torsos will point away and their feet will move back. The context will decide the intent of the message, be it sexual in nature or a power play.

Body Language Category: Arrogance or arrogant body language, Aggressive body language, Distancing or moving away, Dominant body language, Escape movements, Hostile body language or hostility or anger, Negative body language, Threat displays.

Resources:

Aranguren, Martin. “Nonverbal interaction patterns in the Delhi Metro: interrogative looks and play-faces in the management of interpersonal distance.” Interaction Studies. 2016. 16(1) forthcoming.

Aranguren, Martin and Stephane Tonnelat. Emotional Transactions in the Paris Subway: Combining Naturalistic Videotaping, Objective Facial Coding and Sequential Analysis in the Study of Nonverbal Emotional Behavior. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2014. 38:495–521. DOI 10.1007/s10919-014-0193-1
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/seriously-stop-touching-use-nonverbal-signaling-manage-unwanted-touching-busy-public-areas

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Cook, M. Experiments on orientation and proxemics. Human Relations, 1970, 23, 61-67.

Coutts, Larrym. ; Ledden, Maribeth. Nonverbal Compensatory Reactions to Changes in Interpersonal Proximity. The Journal of Social Psychology. 1977 102(2): 283-290.

Céline Jacob and Nicolas Guéguen. The Effect of Physical Distance Between Patrons and Servers on Tipping. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research 2012. 36: 25 originally published online 15 November 2010. DOI: 10.1177/1096348010388660g
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/heres-a-tip-dont-stand-too-far-away/

Cook, Mark. 1970. Experiments on orientation and proxemics. Human Relations 23 (1): 61-76.

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Derlega, Valerian J. ; Catanzaro, Diane ; Lewis, Robin J. Lisak, David (editor). Perceptions About Tactile Intimacy in Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Pairs Based on Research Participants’ Sexual Orientation. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 2001, Vol.2(2), pp.124-132

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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.

Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 27–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135231.

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

Chaplin William F.; Phillips Jeffrey B; Brown Jonathan D.; Clanton Nancy R.; Stein Jennifer L.; 2000. Handshaking, gender, personality, and first impressions Journal of personality and social psychology. 79(1): 110-117.

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.

Frumin, Idan; Ofer Perl; Yaara Endevelt-Shapira; Ami Eisen; Neetai Eshel; Iris Heller; Maya Shemesh; Aharon Ravia; Lee Sela; Anat Arzi and Noam Sobel. A Social Chemosignaling Function for Human Handshaking. eLife 2015. 4:e05154
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.05154.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/shake-hands-share-human-scent-curious-case-hand-sniffing-body-language/

Fisher, J; Rytting, M and Heslin, R. 1976. Hands touching hands: affective and evaluative effects on interpersonal touch, Sociometry 39: 416–421.

Gueguen, Nicolas. Handshaking and Compliance With a Request – A Door-to-door Setting. Social Behavior and Personality. 2013. 41(10): 1585-1588.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/handshakes-lead-compliance-study/

Greenbaum, Paul ; Rosenfeld, Howard. Varieties of touching in greetings: Sequential structure and sex-related differences. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1980. 5(1): 13-25.

Ghareeb, P.A. ; Bourlai, T. ; Dutton, W. ; McClellan, W.T. Reducing pathogen transmission in a hospital setting. Handshake verses fist bump: a pilot study. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2013. 85(4): 321-323.

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

Hiemstra, Kathleen M. Shake My Hand: Making the Right First Impression in Business With Nonverbal Communications.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included). Business Communication Quarterly. 1999. 62(4): 71.

Jeffrey D. Fisher; Marvin Rytting; Richard Heslin. 1976. Hands Touching Hands: Affective and Evaluative Effects of an Interpersonal Touch. Sociometry, 39(4): 416-421.

Lipsitz, Rebecca (2000). “A Gripping Start.” In Scientific American (September), p. 32.

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

Nell, Victor. Crueltys rewards: The gratifications of perpetrators and spectators. Behavioral and Brain Sciences. 2006. 29(3): 211-224.

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

Parker, G. A. (1974). Assessment strategy and the evolution of fighting behaviour. J. Theor. Biol. 47, 223-243.

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

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

Szamado, S. (2008). How threat displays work: species-specific fighting techniques, weaponry and proximity risk. Anim. Behav. 76, 1455-1463.

Stewart, Greg L. ; Dustin, Susan L. ; Barrick, Murray R. ; Darnold, Todd C. Zedeck, Sheldon (editor). Exploring the Handshake in Employment Interviews. Journal of Applied Psychology. 2008 93(5): 1139-1146.

Sanda Dolcos; Keen Sung; Jennifer J. Argo; Sophie Flor-Henry and Florin Dolcos. The Power of a Handshake: Neural Correlates of Evaluative Judgments in Observed Social Interactions. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 24; 12: 2292–2305.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/handshake-open-body-language-powerful-nonverbal-effect-brain/

Spezialetti, Brian D. Do’s and don’ts for winning the job interview. (laboratory technicians). Medical Laboratory Observer. 1995. 27(7): 51-53.

Wesson, David A. The handshake as non-verbal communication in business. (marketing technique). Marketing Intelligence & Planning. 1992. 10(9): 61(6).

Aggressive body language, Anger body language, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Authoritative body language, Barriers, Dominant body language, Hostile body language, Ownership gesture, Power play, Space invasion, Territorial displays, Threat displays

Body Language of Cornering and Blocking

by Chris • October 20, 2014 • 0 Comments

Body Language of Cornering and Blocking

Cue: Cornering and Blocking

Synonym(s): Door Frame Proper (The), Doorway Intimidator (The), Blocking Someone In, Hand Against The Doorway, Blocking Someone In, Preventing Someone From Leaving, Cornering Someone.

Description: The act of eliminating exits by preventing people from leaving or moving about freely. Leaning against the doorway to prevent someone from exiting or cornering someone so they can’t leave are examples. Cornering can be done with the arms, legs, tables and so forth.

In One Sentence: Blocking the exits such that people can not escape is a signal that one wishes to control and dominant a person.

How To Use it: It is generally not advised to corner and block other people as it will usually cause others to feel controlled.

One exceptions exist. Here, men can use the cornering tactic on women in a dating context to arouse. However, this should only be done under conditions where trust has been built. When done properly, cornering, such as by moving a girl into a controlled situation including for example, the corner of a room, against a countertop, table, desk, and so forth, can create sexual excitement through dominance. One should be careful to heed any verbal or nonverbal signals of disapproval, as if done against another’s wishes, will result in sexual harassment charges.

Bullies often use cornering tactics to control other people. However, I can not advise such tactics. In the right context, though, as mentioned, cornering can produce desirable sexual excitement – in fact, sexual intercourse physically requires cornering.

Blocking, on the other hand, can be used to nonverbally demarcate territory. When unwanted solicitors arrive at my door, I usually prop myself against the door jam so they understand that I am not prepared to welcome them inside. Arms and legs can be used to create boundaries and private space for which you do not want others to enter.

Context: a) Dating b) Business c) General

Verbal Translation: “I’m going to stop you from exiting the situation with my body until I’m through with you.” “I’m trying to intimidate you by blocking you in.”

Variant: See Encroaching.

Cue In Action: a) She wasn’t happy and wanted to leave but he wrapped each arm around her and pinned her against the bar so she couldn’t leave. a) In effort to seduce her, he worked her into the corner and began to make out with her. His use of force turned her on.

b) Another door-to-door salesman had just solicited him at the house. To prevent this salesman from entering, he propped himself up against the jam of the front door.

c) She was set to confront her husband about his work around the house. She cornered him while he was sitting at his desk with her arms akimbo in the doorway. She used the posture to make it clear that she was prepared to barricade his exit.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The intention of the “doorway intimidator” is to control the situation through dominance. This person will habitually corner a subject and then subject them to confrontation and intimidation.

In some cases, those who corner have sexual interests. They wish to corner in effort to seduce, but the primary motive is to prevent escape and then subject them to a high level dominance.

a) A common mistake done especially by men in dating situations whereby they cut off exit points and block women. It signals aggression, dominance and a desire to control if it’s unwanted. If it is welcomed and she finds him attractive, blocking can excite her and build intimacy through closeness and dominance.

b) In business and other general context, blocking and cornering is an exercise in control and dominance. However, when people become cornered, they become nervous or aggressive due to the fight or flight response. While dominance is achieved in the short-term, the long-term results can be toxic and produce undesirable results. This person is trying to prevent escape while they espouse their thoughts upon others. It is a high confrontation posture because it traps people.

Cue Cluster: Cornering is accompanied by an invasion of space, head lowered in a judgment posture, arms pointing, physical touching, sometimes aggressive and loud or forceful voices, encroaching on space liberally, use of the index fingers to point while speaking, and holding the arms akimbo when not propped against the exit.

Body Language Category: Arrogance or arrogant body language, Aggressive body language, Anger, Authoritative body language, Barriers, Dominant body language, Hostile body language, Ownership gestures, Power play, Space invasion, Territorial displays, Threat displays.