Category: Up nonverbals

Body Language of Wide Arms

Body Language of Wide Arms

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Wide Arms 1Cue: Wide Arms

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

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

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

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

Context: General.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Resources:

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Body Language of Toes Pointed Upward

Body Language of Toes Pointed Upward

No picCue: Toes Pointed Upward.

Synonym(s): Upward Toe Point, Skyward Facing Toe.

Description: The skyward facing toe is a posture that happens while standing. A person will shift their weight to the back foot while raising the toe of the other foot. The toe is therefore pointed skyward with the heel resting on the ground.

In One Sentence: Pointing the toes upward is a sign of positive thoughts and confidence.

How To Use it: Point the toes upward when you want to show others that good things are happening to you as you participate in the battle of life. Pointing the toes upward, like all “up-nonverbals,” signals that you are in good spirits. This can create a positive impression in those who see your positive signal. Often, these sorts of nonverbal expressions tend to rub off on other people making them feel better and more positive by association.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “My toes are defying gravity by pointing to the sky. I’m experiencing positive feelings. I’m confident.”

Variant: See Arms Up Posture, Head Tilted Back, Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture.

Cue In Action: While speaking on the mobile phone, the client was observed tilting their foot upwards. The posture indicated that she was the beneficiary of positive news.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Pointing the toes up is a gravity defying form of body language indicating positive feelings. When we are in a good mood, we feel like expending extra energy and taking up space. In other words, we want to be noticed by others so they can see just how successful we are. That’s why our body seems to become larger by taking up more space and being more expansive.

While standing, a person might rock back and forth on the balls of the feet or seem to stand taller, more confident and more animated. When people are happy their arms are used more to gesticulate during speech. Gravity defying gestures are rarely faked. That’s because they mostly go under the conscious radar of everyone including the person emitting them. In addition, someone carrying a negative mood is not usually able to hold positive gestures for any significant length of time as it requires conscious mental effort.

Interestingly, those with clinical depression are rarely seen doing positive “up” gestures. Instead their shoulders seem to slump and their arms do no more than hang at their sides. Those that are insecure seem to let the weight of life keep them down and pin their arms to their sides and their toes to the ground.

Cue Cluster: Be careful to watch for rocking back and forth coupled with the toe up, honest smiling, head held high, arms gesticulating or raised and torso erect.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Automatic gesture, Emotional body language, Expansive movements, Gravity defying body language, Up nonverbals.

Resources:

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

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Body Language of Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture

Body Language of Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture 3 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture 4 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture 5 BodyLanguageProjectCom - Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture 2Cue: Thumb Displays or Thumbs Up Posture.

Synonym(s): Thumbing.

Description: a) The thumbs up gestures is done by placing all but the thumbs in the front pockets of a vest, or suite jacket, or by knuckling the vest and leaving the thumbs out. b) Where the thumb is raised upward with the remaining fingers clenched together. c) The fingers are placed in pants pockets with the thumbs left out. d) When gesticulating, the thumbs are kept up and out from the rest of the fingers e) The fingers are interlocked with the thumbs pointing upward. f) The hand forms a ball, fingers up, and thumb pointing to someone we wish to dismiss.

In One Sentence: Thumb displays indicate dominance, assertiveness, superiority and sometimes even aggression.

How To Use it: The thumbs up gesture is culturally specific so be careful with how you use it around the world.

However, in the West, one can use the thumbs up gesture to show others that you approve of them, or approve of an event that has taken place.
In other contexts, simple thumb displays can be used to show that you are confident. Putting the hands in the pockets and leaving the thumbs out, or likewise, holding the edge of the jacket with thumbs exposed shows people that you are assertive. This works well in business as well as general contexts.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m showing the world my thumbs because I’m confident and feeling superior.” “I’m gesturing to that guy over there with my thumb because his views are really off-base and I’m dismissing him.”

Variant: The Thumbs Up Gesture, does not have a universal meaning.

It indicates that all is well in North America and Europe, a sexual insult in parts of Africa, Australia, Southern Europe and the Middle East, the number 1 in Germany, and the number 5 in Japan.

Another variation altogether includes flaunting the thumbs by placing them under the arm while folded. This last posture is a closed, yet dominant cue cluster. The crossed arms tell others that they are closed off from communication while the exposed thumbs reveal superiority. See Thumb Hiding.

Cue In Action: a) The smug lawyer felt comfortable posing for his business card with an obvious display of confidence. He clasping his jacket and turned his thumbs up.

b) The presenter waved his hands thumbs-up as he emphasized how important it was to build alliances with others.

f) His wife disapproved of her husband’s drunken antics. She motioned sideways with her thumb, “That guy, over there – is my husband.”

Meaning and/or Motivation: We see the thumb display by royalty and also by lawyers who are trying to seem noble and important. Thumbs-out is a representation of ego, dominance, assertiveness, superiority and sometimes even aggressiveness. The root to “keeping you under my thumb” is due to the immense symbolic and practical power the thumbs carry. Without opposable thumbs, we’d have little ability to use tools. To openly flash this strength is to have confidence in our ability.

Thumbs up shows agreement and success. Thumbs hanging out of pockets shows dominance and self assurance. Thumbing toward another person indicates dismissiveness especially when waved coupled with a sneer. If a thumb is pointed outward with the fingers in a ball in a “that guy over there” it shows that we disagree with their entire point of view and is viewed as a rude gesture.

The thumbs up gesture, wherever it happens, is a form of “gravity defying’ body language. This means that it is related to positive emotions since it requires energy to carry out and people that are depressed aren’t interested in burning energy especially wastefully.

Cue Cluster: Be sure to watch for additional clues of superiority to fall alongside thumb displays including a dismissive tone, chin up, head held high, looking down the bridge of the nose, shoulders back and up, chest puffed out, legs apart, and fluid gesticulating. At times, high superiority can even lead to slouching and relaxed postures as one does not feel the need to hold proper posture.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Arrogance or arrogant body language, Aggressive body language, Authoritative body language, Confident body language, High confidence body language, Hostile body languag, Up nonverbals.

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Body Language of Strutting

Body Language of Strutting

No picCue: Strutting.

Synonym(s): Swagger.

Description: A careless, slow, deliberate gait with shoulders back, chest out, head up, as if swimming through the air. The upper body moves back and forth confidently.

In One Sentence: Strutting is a type of gait displaying supreme confidence.

How To Use it: Use strutting or swagger to show others that good things happen to you and that you are able to control the results in your life. This works well in any context but if done too conspicuously will appear as smug. When using the cue, be sure that it can be backed up with other confident demeanor including a relaxed and slow speech pattern, proper gesticulation and so forth. President Obama is a great example of walking with swagger and he also backs it up with swagger in his speech and gesture. In dating, swagger is highly regarded as it is in business.

Context: a) Dating b) Business.

Verbal Translation: “I’m confident and in control. I walk with my head up, shoulders back, chest puffed out so that others take note of my dominance and show me respect and admiration.”

Variant: See Gait or Walking Styles.

Cue In Action: a) He walked by the girls in full strut, his chest puffed out trying to appear larger than he actually was. b) The boss was confident and this was easy to see. His gait was smooth, deliberate, and effortless. He walked with his head held high, back strait and arms moving smoothly with each stride.

Meaning and/or Motivation: High ranking officials such as presidents and high level business men habitually strut. A swagger occurs while walking and is a display of confidence, dominance and usually sex appeal. Men are said to strut when trying to appear masculine in the eye of women. Women can also strut, but it’s not as typical as it is for men.

If someone is going out of their way to strut, he is likely trying to impress others but might not have the gull to back it up. True strutting appears effortlessly and is backed by real life accomplishments.

Cue Cluster: The strut is a collection of cues in cluster. Head high, back straight but fluid, arms in motion and chest puffed out. Watch for additional cues to verify the honesty of the strut. Those with confidence will also carry open postures such as arms uncrossed and out of pockets, make and hold eye contact easily, touch people freely when appropriate, maintain open postures, gesticulate when appropriate and so forth.

Body Language Category: Arrogance or arrogant body language, Authoritative body language, Confident body language, Dominant body language, Expansive movements, Gravity defying body language, High confidence body language, Indicators of sexual interest (IOsI), Leadership body language, Open body language, Threat displays, Up nonverbals.

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

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

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

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

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

Van Der Zwan, Rick ; Herbert, Natasha. “I like the way you move”: how hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle affect female perceptions of gait.(Research article)(Report). BMC Research Notes. 2012. 5: 453.

Weisfeld, Glenn E. and Jody M. Beresford. Erectness of Posture as an Indicator of Dominance or Success in Humans. Motivation and Emotion. 1982. 6(2): 113-130.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-language-cues-dominance-submission-children/

Body Language of the Prance Gait

Body Language of the Prance Gait

No picCue: Prance Gait (the).

Synonym(s): Prancing, Walking On Air, Walking With A Bounce In The Step, Bound In The Gait.

Description: A playful gait which is peppered with unnecessary leaps and bounces.

In One Sentence: The prance gait signals a high degree of femininity due to happiness and health.

How To Use it: Children can use the prance for best effect to show their good spirits. Women are also permitted by our culture to prance and when men prance, they can use it for comedic effect.

A more muted prance can work in both woman and men, however, and is useful in showing others your good health and good spirits. Rather than an exaggerated prance, a mute prance is simply a youthful gait which produces a slight leap in the steps as if floating on air.

Use the prance in any context in which health and virility will be seen as a positive trait. In dating, a bound in the step will show your partner that you have good character and good genetics. This is especially useful to women whom can show off their youth, and hence fertility, with a bound in their step.

Context: a) General b) Dating.

Verbal Translation: “I’m so happy and healthy and want everyone to notice. When I walk, I like to expend more energy than is practical or necessary.”

Variant: A woman may use the parade style of walking which exaggerates the motion of the hips, forcing them to cant from side-to-side. A playful prance intermixed with a parade style of walking shows a person in good spirit who has good childbearing hips. See Gait or Walking Styles.

Cue In Action: a) The girls and boys happily pranced around the playground while the parents ambled after them – barely keeping up. a) He just won the lottery and you could tell. His head was held high, it was as if he was walking on the clouds with a confident stride, buoyant, and youthful. b) Her youth was apparent. When she walked, she had a noticeable bound in her step indicating her health, vigor and good spirit. She advertised her sexuality with her prance.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The prance indicates good spirit and confidence usually associated with youth and thus health.

A bound in the gait indicates a persons ability and desire to fight the effects of gravity. When people win, they celebrate by thrusting their arms up in the air to draw attention to themselves. The same is true about our gait. It is often found in adults who feel that they have control over their lives and those who have enjoyed successes.

Conversely, those who lack confidence or who are depressed will hang their shoulders and saunter about instead. The prance is a type of gait that advertises to the world that a person is happy and content is worthy of our association.

The prancing gait also indicates the virility of a person when carried by those of sexual maturity. Prancing is a sign that they make a good sexual partner partially due to their optimism and good spirit, but also their youthfulness and health. This makes the prance a strong indicator of physical and mental fitness.

Cue Cluster: Watch for head held high with chin up, smiling face and a smooth stride with straight back.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Confident body language, Childlike playfulness, Enthusiasm (nonverbal), Excited body language, Gravity defying body language, Happiness, High confidence body language, Up nonverbals.

Resources:

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

Atkinson AP, Dittrich WH, Gemmell AJ, Young AW (2004) Emotion perception from dynamic and static body expressions in point-light and full-light displays. Perception 33: 717–746. doi: 10.1068/p5096.

Boone RT, Cunningham JG (1998) Children’s decoding of emotion in expressive body movement: the development of cue attunement. Dev Psychol 34: 1007–1016. doi: 10.1037//0012-1649.34.5.1007.

Brownlow S, Dixon AR, Egbert CA, Radcliffe RD (1997) Perception of movement and dancer characteristics from point-light displays of dance. Psychol Rec 47: 411–421.

Camurri A, Lagerlo¨f I, Volpe G (2003) Recognizing emotion from dance movement: Comparison of spectator recognition and automated techniques. Int J Hum Comput Stud 59: 213–225. doi: 10.1016/S1071-5819(03)00050-8.

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

de Meijer M (1989) The contribution of general features of body movement to the attribution of emotions. J Nonverbal Behav 13: 247–268. doi: 10.1007/BF00990296.

Dittrich WH, Troscianko T, Lea SEG, Morgan D (1996) Perception of emotion from dynamic point-light displays represented in dance. Perception 25: 727–738. doi: 10.1068/p250727.

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

Godøy R (2010) Gestural affordances of musical sound. In: Godøy R, Leman M, editors. Musical gestures: Sound, movement, and meaning. New York, NY: Routledge. 103–125.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lagerlo¨f I, Djerf M (2000) Communicating emotions: Expressiveness in modern dance. Int J Psychol 35: 225–225.

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

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

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

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

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

Moore, M. M. 2001. Flirting. In C. G. Waugh (Ed.) Let’s talk: A cognitive skills approach to interpersonal communication. Newark, Kendall-Hunt.

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

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

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

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

Negriff, Sonya ; Noll, Jennie G ; Shenk, Chad E ; Putnam, Frank W ; Trickett, Penelope K. Associations between nonverbal behaviors and subsequent sexual attitudes and behaviors of sexually abused and comparison girls. Child maltreatment. 2010. 15(2): 180-9.

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

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

Risner D (2009) What we know about boys who dance: The limitations of contemporary masculinity & dance education. In: Shay A, Fisher J, editors. When men dance: Choreographing masculinities across borders. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Sawada, M., Suda, K., & Ishii, M. (2003a). Expression of emotions in dance: Relation between arm movement characteristics and emotion. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 97, 697–708.

Sawada, M., Suda, K., & Ishii, M. (2003b). Relationship between leg movement quality and emotional expression in dance. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science, London, England.

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

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

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

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

Van Meel J, Verburgh H, de Meijer M (1993) Children’s interpretation of dance
expressions. Empirical Studies of the Arts 11: 117–133. doi: 10.2190/V69NVB0T-
A9Q3-TJ04.

Van Dyck, Edith ; Vansteenkiste, Pieter ; Lenoir, Matthieu ; Lesaffre, Micheline ; Leman, Marc Canal-bruland, Rouwen. Recognizing Induced Emotions of Happiness and Sadness from Dance Movement. PLoS ONE. 2014 9(2): e89773.

Van Dyck E, Maes P-J, Hargreaves J, Lesaffre M, Leman M (2013). Expressing induced emotions through free dance movement. J Nonverbal Behav 37: 175–190. doi: 10.1007/s10919-013-0153-1.

Body Language of Happy Feet

Body Language of Happy Feet

No picCue: Happy Feet

Synonym(s): Bouncing Feet.

Description: Happy feet are those that bounce up and down with joy, point upwards when standing, or seem to have a spring in their step when walking. Other times happy feet are feet that point or move in the direction of something they like.

In One Sentence: Feet that bounce up and down signal happiness, confidence, and good health.

How To Use it: Use happy feet to show others that you are healthy, confident and that good things are happening to you. Happy feet will be viewed by others as a symptom of your good fortune. Positive attitudes are transferred through body language and keeping the feet in motion shows others that you are prepared for action.

Bluff in poker by bouncing your feet. If people are attuned, they will read your bouncing feet as a true indicator of a great hand (even if you don’t have one).

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I’m happy with joy so my honest feet defy gravity by bouncing, toes rising and pointing.”

Variant: See Cooperative Feet, Toe Pointing or Pointed Toe, Toes Pointed Upward.

Cue In Action: We always knew it was time to fold. When Kevin had a great poker hand, his feet started bouncing. They were nearly vibrating the entire table.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Throughout our evolution, the feet carried out more traditional tasks like escaping predators, avoiding hot sand or coals from fire, leaping from slithering snakes or poisonous spiders, or navigating rough rocky river bottoms. The feet were therefore connected more to the reptilian brain which reacts to stimuli directly instead of contemplating higher order tasks that require planning. This makes the feet “honest” and reliable as clues to fear as well as happiness.

Bouncing feet are called “happy feet” and is a high confidence ‘tell’, indicating that a person is about to gain something important. It is very reliable and happens as a direct result of having heard or seen something significant that is positive to the person displaying the signal. While high affect happy feet make the entire body bounce, happy feet can be display in a more subdued way by just wiggling the feet. Watching for these cues in poker can be a very important tell and save a pile of money, so be careful to watch for it.

Legs and feet can also become jittery and fidget when a person is bored and wants to leave. Jittery feet, though, can also be due to nervous energy or even the result of happiness such as “happy feet.” It is the context that will help decide what feet and legs are telling in this type of body language.

Happy feet are feet that “defy gravity” are an honest indication of joy. When feet are happy they will bounce up and down and move the body in various playful ways. The feet are often extended toward things they like and point to them. Often the toes will point upward demonstrating confidence. This is done by bearing the weight on one foot and putting the heel down and lifting the toes up.

Cue Cluster: Watch for more open cues such as smiling, head tilted to the side in interest, palm up displays, open and lose body, torso flowing, touching other people, bouncing up and down and excited eye flashes and eye pops.

Body Language Category: Amplifier, Buy signals, Childlike playfulness, Gravity defying body language, Honest body language, Up nonverbals.

Resources:

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/

Astrom, Jan. Introductory greeting behavior: a laboratory investigation of approaching and closing salutation phases. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 1994. 79(2): 863(35).

Atkinson AP, Dittrich WH, Gemmell AJ, Young AW (2004) Emotion perception from dynamic and static body expressions in point-light and full-light displays. Perception 33: 717–746. doi: 10.1068/p5096.

Boone RT, Cunningham JG (1998) Children’s decoding of emotion in expressive body movement: the development of cue attunement. Dev Psychol. 34: 1007–1016. doi: 10.1037//0012-1649.34.5.1007.

Baxter, James C. ; Rozelle, Richard M. Lanzetta, John T. (editor). Nonverbal expression as a function of crowding during a simulated police-citizen encounter. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1975. 32(1): 40-54.

Brownlow S, Dixon AR, Egbert CA, Radcliffe RD (1997) Perception of movement and dancer characteristics from point-light displays of dance. Psychol Rec 47: 411–421.

Camurri A, Lagerlo¨f I, Volpe G (2003) Recognizing emotion from dance movement: Comparison of spectator recognition and automated techniques. Int J Hum Comput Stud 59: 213–225. doi: 10.1016/S1071-5819(03)00050-8.

de Meijer M (1989) The contribution of general features of body movement to the attribution of emotions. J Nonverbal Behav 13: 247–268. doi: 10.1007/BF00990296.

Flack, William F., Jr. Peripheral Feedback Effects of Facial Expressions, Bodily Postures, and Vocal Expressions on Emotional Feelings. Cognition and Emotion. 2006. 20 (2), 177-195. DOI:10.1080/02699930500359617
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-and-facial-expressions-influence-mood/

Fisch, Hans-ulrich ; Frey, Siegfried ; Hirsbrunner, Hans-peter Buchwald, Alexander M. (editor). Analyzing nonverbal behavior in depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 1983. 92(3): 307-318.

Harrison, Cathie. Watching the children watching Play School: indicators of engagement, play and learning. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood. 2012. 37(4): 44(7).

Harrigan, Jinni ; Oxman, Thomas ; Rosenthal, Robert. Rapport expressed through nonverbal behavior. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 1985. 9(2): 95-110.
Rovers, A.F. ; Essen, H.A. Guidelines for haptic interpersonal communication applications: an exploration of foot interaction styles. Virtual Reality. 2006. 9(2): 177-191.

Lagerlo¨f I, Djerf M (2000) Communicating emotions: Expressiveness in modern dance. Int J Psychol 35: 225–225.

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

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

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

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/

Park, Lora E.; Lindsey Streamer; Li Huang and Adam D. Galinsky. Stand Tall, But Don’t Put Your Feet Up: Universal and Culturally-Specific Effects of Expansive Postures On Power. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2013; 49: 965–971.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/are-expansive-postures-of-power-universal-or-cultural/

Ricard, Nathalie C. ; Beaudry, Simon G. ; Pelletier, Luc G. Lovers With Happy Feet: The Interdependence of Relationship and Activity Factors for Individuals Dancing With a Romantic Partner.(Report). Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 2012. 42(4): 939(25).

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.

Sawada, M., Suda, K., & Ishii, M. (2003b). Relationship between leg movement quality and emotional expression in dance. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science, London, England.

Schneider, Sabrina; Andrea Christensen; Florian B. Häußinger; Andreas J. Fallgatter; Martin A. Giese and Ann-Christine Ehlis. Show Me How You Walk and I Tell You How You Feel – A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study on Emotion Perception Based on Human Gait. NeuroImage. 2014, 85: 380-390 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.07.078.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/show-me-how-you-walk-and-ill-tell-you-how-you-feel/

Van Dyck, Edith ; Vansteenkiste, Pieter ; Lenoir, Matthieu ; Lesaffre, Micheline ; Leman, Marc Canal-bruland, Rouwen. Recognizing Induced Emotions of Happiness and Sadness from Dance Movement. PLoS ONE. 2014 9(2): e89773.

Van Dyck E, Maes P-J, Hargreaves J, Lesaffre M, Leman M (2013). Expressing
induced emotions through free dance movement. J Nonverbal Behav 37: 175–
190. doi: 10.1007/s10919-013-0153-1.

Whittock, Trevor. The role of metaphor in dance. The British Journal of Aesthetics. 1992. 32(3): 242(8).

The Hidden Body Language of Hand Steepling

The Hidden Body Language of Hand Steepling

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Hand Steepling 1Cue: Hand Steepling.

Synonym(s): Steepling The Hands, Tenting the Fingers, Finger Steepling, Hand Tenting.

Description: A posture where the hands are propped up by the fingers of each hand to form a bridge – like a church steeple. In this posture fingers are not interlocked and the palms do not touch. Instead, the finger tips simply touch at their tips.

In One Sentence: Hand steepling is a sign of confidence and that one knows something that another doesn’t.

How To Use it: Use hand steepling to demonstrate true or feigned confidence. This can work when portraying an image of strength is beneficial such as in business or legal negotiations. Steeple the hands when you want other people to think that you are privy to beneficial information that they are not.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “I have access to hidden information, and life experience, and this is the source of my power and control over you. I demonstrate this by pressing my fingertips together in a high confidence hand gesture like the roof of a church.”

Variant: Rocking might accompany the steeple where the hands move back and forth by adding and reducing pressure between them. The steeple can be placed low on a lap, or seen hovering slightly above the lap. Other times the steeple is in full view of others with the elbows propped up on the table. The steepler can hold the posture so high that they have to look through the steeple to see others. See Hand Clasping, Hand Wringing, Hand Clasping.

Cue In Action: Donald Trump performed the steeple frequently on his television show The Apprentice, in preparation, of all things, to fire his next apprentice! His steepling was an obvious cue signaling the power he had over his subordinates.

Meaning and/or Motivation: The steepler is someone that is confident, sometimes overconfident, authoritative, and particularly evaluative of others around him.

Confidence, in this case, is held in the power and control they possess and also in knowing things that other people do not. Steeplers are found carrying the gesture when around subordinates, or whenever they seem to have the upper hand. This gesture is effective if you already possess power or want others to think you do, but it is ineffective in team building, since it comes off as arrogant. It does have subconscious manipulative properties though, such as bluffing in poker but in most cases, this gesture is only as effective as that which can be backed up with real confidence and true access to valuable hidden information.

Superiors will also be seen using this gesture in meetings and when giving orders and the higher the steeple is held, the greater the arrogance it depicts. In extreme forms, the person carrying the gesture can be seen “looking right through their hands” between the triangle formed by the pent up fingers and the thumbs.

A high steepler comes off as a “know-it-all” and arrogant and smug especially when coupled with the head tilted backward. A more subtle version is the hidden steeple of which the sender could be trying to hide or shelter their opinion from view by keeping the steepled fingers below the table. The lower steeple is more often used by women and when someone is listening rather than speaking. A low steeple signifies that someone is interested and ready to respond.

Hidden steepling, such as a steeple on the lap under a table, refers to hidden confidence or a desire to limit arrogance in attempt to appear more open and accepting. When the hands are steepled, but holding support of the head, it does not signal confidence, but rather boredom, self-consciousness, or awkwardness.

Steepling can also ebb and flow along with confidence to what is being said which can be useful in negotiations or in arguments. If something is said to drop confidence the steepling might be broken in favour of interlocked hands as if praying but then quickly return when a person feels that their position has improved. Interlocked fingers is a signal of low confidence and the fingers might even be seen wringing themselves. Lawyers quickly learn to control this nonverbal cue in favour of constant steepling rather than any other gesture.

Cue Cluster: The steeple can occur in body language clusters as well, but what is important is not what happens after the steepling, as in the chin stroke and eye glass language, but rather what happens preceding the steepling. By watching for positive open postures such as palms up and arms un-crossed or closed postures such as arms crossed, touching the nose or face and avoiding eye contact, we can tell if the person is trying to be honest or manipulative with his or her apparent power. In other words, steepling is a finish posture serving to punctuate a body language clue cluster rather than the other way around.

Another example of a cue cluster is as follows: crossing the legs by bringing one foot over the opposite leg (the figure-four leg cross), fingers steepling, leaning back in the chair, and tilting the head back and looking down through the nose at others. This cluster shows arrogance and superiority.

Body Language Category: Arrogance or arrogant body language, Authoritative body language, Confident body language, Dominant body language, High confidence body language, High confidence hand displays, Leadership body language, Power play, Up nonverbals.

Resources:

Alibali, M.W., Heath, D.C., and Myers,H.J. (2001). Effects of visibility between speaker and listener on gesture production: Some gestures are meant to be seen. Journal of Memory and Language, 44, 169–188.

Andric, Michael ; Solodkin, Ana ; Buccino, Giovanni ; Goldin-Meadow, Susan ; Rizzolatti, Giacomo ; Small, Steven L. Brain function overlaps when people observe emblems, speech, and grasping. Neuropsychologia, 2013, Vol.51(8), pp.1619-1629

Adams, E.S., Mesterton-Gibbons, M., 1995. The cost of threat displays and the stability of deceptive communication. J. Theor. Biol. 175, 405–421.

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

Beattie, G., & Shovelton,H.(1999). Mapping the range of information contained in the iconich and gestures that accompany spontaneous speech. Journal of Language and social Psychology, 18, 438–462.

Biau, E., & Soto-Faraco, S.(2013). Beat gestures modulate auditory integration in speech perception. Brain and Language, 124(2), 143–152.

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Body Language of Erect Posture or Good Posture

Body Language of Erect Posture or Good Posture

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Erect Posture or Good Posture 1Cue: Erect Posture or Good Posture.

Synonym(s): Postural Tonus, Good Posture, High Stand Display.

Description: Good posture happens when the joints are not bent, the spine is aligned and not twisted and the person is able to optimally balance the mass of the body over its framework without stress.

In One Sentence: Good posture signifies health, confidence, pride, dominance and a body that is in control of itself.

How To Use it: Use good posture to tell others that life is treating you well and that you have conquered past hardships without letting it weigh you down. Good posture should be a default body position as it works to your advantage in nearly every situation. However, in some cases, you may wish to use bad posture such as when trying to convince others to provide you with sympathy. In this case, being slumped over is likely to best provide that kind of support.

Therefore, use good posture when trying to appear authoritative such as when trying to rise in the ranks in employment, in view of a dating partner to show virility, and amongst friends to show them you are in good spirits.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “Because life has treated me well I hold an erect posture full of confidence and pride.”

Variant: See Cocooning, Shoulder Shrugs or Shoulder Rise, Asymmetry, Bad Posture.

Cue In Action: Mark carried his body with pride. His shoulders were back and chest held high. You just knew looking at him that he would never let life dictate how he felt about himself and he would overcome any obstacle in his way on his way to success.

Meaning and/or Motivation: A gravity defying body posture where the head is raised, legs locked and back stiffened in order to appear taller with high vigor.

It signifies a desire to appear more dominant, authoritative, and in control.

Posture is a term derived from the Latin verb “ponere” meaning “to put in place” and refers to the way the body is held including the arms, legs and spine. Posture refers not only to the erectness of our bodies, but also to our body orientation, direction of lean, and the degree to which our bodies are open and inviting.

Posture tells us a lot about a person and their history and feelings about themselves and how they feel about others. For example, shoulders hunched carries negative sentiments whereas shoulders back mean confidence. Posture can give way to feelings of like or dislike, interest or disinterest as well as many other sentiments.

Postural tonus is a term referring to the relative rigidity and erectness of the body and its overall posture. A “slopper” holds his shoulders rounded and head hanging downward proving to be depressed, drowsy or ill. Whereas “the scout” carries himself fully erect with shoulders back and head held high depicting confidence and good spirit. Having an erect posture is a sign of high confidence, strength and vigor. People with erect postures are seen as leaders, content and positive. Erect posture contrasts a slouched or limp posture.

Cue Cluster: Other positive cues are associated with an erect posture such as strong eye contact, good gesticulation, open body language such as arms uncrossed and legs open, as well as relaxed facial expressions.

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

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Mondloch, Catherine J. Sad or Fearful? The Influence of Body Posture on Adults’ and Children’s Perception of Facial Displays of Emotion. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 2012. 111(2): 180-196.

Michalak, J., Mischnat, J., & Teismann, T. (2014). Sitting posture makes a difference: Embodiment effects on depressive memory bias. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 21, 519–524.

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http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/fix-posture-fix-confidence/

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Tracy, J. L., & Robins, R. W. (2007). The prototypical pride expression: Development of a nonverbal behavior coding system. Emotion, 7(4), 789–801.

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Body Language of The Chin Jut and Chin Lift

Body Language of The Chin Jut and Chin Lift

No picCue: Chin Jut

Synonym(s): Chin Lift, Jutting The Chin, Lifting The Chin, Pushing The Chin Out.

Description: Pushing the chin out and up by slightly tilting the head backwards.

In One Sentence: Jutting the chin out and away from the body tells others that one is ready to confront rather than conform.

How To Use it: Use the signal to show your dominance and to intimidate others. In competition you can use the chin to taunt your opponent and tempt them into submission by demonstrating your pride and smugness. The cue can also be done during normal conversation to issue a challenge of another person’s authority. As the cue is subtle, it is often registered under conscious awareness, but the message will be received as an insult against another person and their position.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: a) “I’m sticking my chin out to say hello there, I see and acknowledge you.” b) “I’m sticking my chin out to tempt you into punching me and fighting me. It is a challenge as I’m not going to back down.”

Variant: See Chin Stroking, Chin Tuck, Head Lowered.

Cue In Action: a) When passing each other on their bikes, the two riders tilted their chins upward as an acknowledgement. b) It almost came to blows; he stuck his chin out, balled up his first and made threatening remarks.

Meaning and/or Motivation: When the gesture is not done as a greeting or acknowledgement gesture, jutting the chin out means smugness, confidence, pride and confrontation. It is a challenge display, almost like a dare to attack. Lifting the chin exposes the neck to attack but it also puts the chin on full exposure. During physical conflict, a quick jab to the chin often puts people unconscious because it compresses the nerve that runs behind the jaw. Just ask any professional boxer! Keeping the chin tucked, on the other hand, keeps it protected and reduces it as a target making it a submissive posture.

a) A greeting gesture done by quickly forcing the chin outward and returning it to its origin. It is done to acknowledge someone else without having to directly interact with them and done most often by dominant individuals. It signifies superiority, fearlessness and arrogance. b) This is a signal used to display pride, confidence and smugness because it exposes the vulnerable neck to attack. This can be a gesture done subtly as a slight protrusion of the lower jaw.

Cue Cluster: When the chin jut is used in conflict it is accompanied by other threatening language such as balled up fists, arms either lose at the side of the body taunting, or raised and batoning.

Body Language Category: Greeting gesture, Aggressive body language, Anger, Closed facial gestures, Emotional body language, Hostile body language, Negative body language, Power play, Expansive movements, Threat displays, Up nonverbals.

Resources:

Beall, Alec and Jessica L. Tracy. The Puzzling Attractiveness of Male Shame. Manuscript submitted to Evolutionary Psychology. www.epjournal.net – 2014. 12(x): 1-39
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/male-nonverbal-shame-attractive/

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

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Hehman, Eric; Jordan B. Leitner and Samuel L. Gaertner. Enhancing Static Facial Features Increases Intimidation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 2013; 49: 747-754.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/tilting-the-head-is-display-of-intimidation-study/

Hall, Judith ; LeBeau, Lavonia ; Reinoso, Jeannette ; Thayer, Frank. Status, Gender, and Nonverbal Behavior in Candid and Posed Photographs: A Study of Conversations Between University Employees. Sex Roles. 2001 44(11): 677-692.

Izard, Carroll E. (1971). The Face of Emotion (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts).

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.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/wanna-fight-nonverbal-cues-believed-indicate-violence

Krumhuber, Eva ; Manstead, Antony ; Kappas, Arvid. Temporal Aspects of Facial Displays in Person and Expression Perception: The Effects of Smile Dynamics, Head-tilt, and Gender. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 2007. (1): 39-56

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Li Huang, Adam D. Galinsky, Deborah H Gruenfeld and Lucia E. Guillory. Powerful Postures Versus Powerful Roles: Which Is the Proximate Correlate of Thought and Behavior? 2011, Psychological Science; 22(1): 95–102.
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Matsumoto, D., & Willingham, B. (2006). The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat: Spontaneous expressions of medal winners of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(3), 568–581.

Mouterde, S. C., Duganzich, D. M., Molles, L. E., Helps, S., Helps, R., & Waas, J. R. (2012). Triumph displays inform eavesdropping little blue penguins of new dominance asymmetries. Animal Behaviour, 83, 605–611.

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.

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

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Schubert, T. W. (2005). Your highness: Vertical positions as perceptual symbols of power. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 89, 1–21.

Tracy, Jessica L. and Richard W. Robins. The Nonverbal Expression of Pride: Evidence for Cross-Cultural Recognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2008. 94(3): 516–530. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.94.3.516
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Tracy, J. L., & Matsumoto, D. (2008). The spontaneous expression of pride and shame: Evidence for biologically innate nonverbal displays. Proceedings from the National Academy of Sciences, 105(33), 11655–11660.

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Body Language of Bad Posture

Body Language of Bad Posture

BodyLanguageProjectCom - Bad Posture 1Cue: Bad Posture.

Synonym(s): Slouching Posture, Slumped Posture, Poor Posture.

Description: Bad posture happens when the joints are bent, the spine is misaligned and twisted and the person is not able to optimally balance the mass of the body over its framework.

In One Sentence: Bad posture signifies a lack of overall confidence and can indicate a person’s past history of failure.

How To Use it: Bad posture is universally negative and should be avoided generally. However, one might use bad posture to show that ones is apathetic to the situation such as when one is trying to feign fatigue and does not have the energy for a specific task that one wishes to avoid. A bad posture can garner sympathy from others and be useful in dropping or reducing punishment as people assume that one has already suffered enough.

Context: General.

Verbal Translation: “Because life has treated poorly I hold a defeated, slumped over posture indicating my discomfort, lack of self esteem and misery.”

Variant: See Cocooning, Slouching, Body Raising, Erect Posture or Good Posture.

Cue In Action: Mark carried himself poorly. His shoulders hunched over, his head drooped and hung low. You just knew looking at him that he had experienced grief and depression. He really let life get the best of him and he obviously didn’t know how to take control of his circumstances.

Meaning and/or Motivation: Bad posture means that the bones are not aligned properly throughout the body making the muscles work overtime.

Posture is a term derived from the Latin verb “ponere” meaning “to put in place” and refers to the way the body is held including the arms, legs and spine. Posture refers not only to the erectness of our bodies, but also to our body orientation, direction of lean, and the degree to which our bodies are open and inviting.

Posture tells us a lot about a person and their history and feelings about themselves and how they feel about others. For example, shoulders hunched carries negative sentiments whereas shoulders back mean confidence. Posture can give way to feelings of like or dislike, interest or disinterest as well as many other sentiments.

Postural tonus is a term referring to the relative rigidity and erectness of the body and its overall posture. A “slopper” holds his shoulders rounded and head hanging downward proving to be depressed, drowsy or ill whereas “the scout” carries himself fully erect with shoulders back and head held high depicting confidence and good spirit. Having an erect posture is a sign of high confidence, strength and vigor. People with erect postures are seen as leaders, content and positive. Contrast erect posture with a slouched or limp posture.

Cue Cluster: Other positive cues are associated with a slumped posture such as weak or non-existent eye contact, little or no affect, expressionless faces or grimacing, dropping eyes, and so forth.

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

Resources:

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

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

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

Burgoon, J. K., Johnson, M. L., & Koch, P. T. (1998). The nature and measurement of interpersonal dominance. Communication Monographs, 65, 308–335.

Carney, D. R., Hall, J. A., & LeBeau, L. S. (2005). Beliefs about the nonverbal expression of social power. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 29, 105–123.

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.

Dijkstra, Katinka; Michael P. Kaschak; and Rolf A. Zwaan. Body Posture Facilitates Retrieval of Autobiographical Memories. Cognition. 2007; 102: 139-149. http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/improve-recall-match-posture-memory-study/

Ellis, L. (1994). The high and the mighty among man and beast: How universal is the relationship between height (or body size) and social status? In L. Ellis (Ed.). Social stratification and socioeconomic inequality (Vol. 2, pp. 93–111). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

Eddie Harmon-Jones and Carly K. Peterson. Supine Body Position Reduces Neural Response to Anger. Association for Psychological Science. 2009; 20 (10): 1209-1210.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/supine-body-posture-reduces-aggression/

Flack, William F., Jr. Peripheral Feedback Effects of Facial Expressions, Bodily Postures, and Vocal Expressions on Emotional Feelings. Cognition and Emotion. 2006. 20 (2), 177-195. DOI:10.1080/02699930500359617
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-and-facial-expressions-influence-mood/

Girard, Jeffrey M.; Jeffrey F. Cohna; Mohammad H.Mahoor S.; Mohammad Mavadati;
Zakia Hammal; and Dean P. Rosenwalda. Nonverbal Social Withdrawal In Depression: Evidence From Manual And Automatic Analyses. Image and Vision Computing. 2013.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/body-language-signals-withdrawal-depression

Glenn E. Weisfeld and Jody M. Beresford. 1982. Erectness of posture as an indicator of dominance or success in humans. Motivation and Emotion. 6(2):113 -131.

Hall, Judith ; LeBeau, Lavonia ; Reinoso, Jeannette ; Thayer, Frank. Status, Gender, and Nonverbal Behavior in Candid and Posed Photographs: A Study of Conversations Between University Employees. Sex Roles. 2001 44(11): 677-692.

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/

LaFrance, Marianne. and W. Ickes. 1981. Posture mirroring and interactional involvement: sex and sex typing effects. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior 5: 139-154.

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