The Body Language Of Adornments and Bodifications
Cue: Adornments
Synonym(s): Tattoos, Piercings, Body Piercing, Fashion, Jewelry,
Description: Elective nonverbal traits. Some adornments can be particularly intrusive such as piercings. These can be found in the ear, bellybutton, eyelid, mouth, tongue, nipple, and so forth. Other adornment include tattoos. Adornments also include fashion, jewelry, severely plucked eyebrows, false nails. More severe bodifications are the forms that are permanent such as breast implants, facelifts, liposuction, collagen insertion and so forth.
In One Sentence: Adornments include body piercing, fashion, jewelry, tattoos and so forth that a person uses to decorate their body in order to create a desired impression.
How To Use it: Use adornments in the method you feel best fits your personality. When using adornments be sure to understand that while you may seek to create an individualized personal impression, you will be ascribed traits common to the group you will subsequently fall into. For example, studies show that those with tattoos tend to be risk takers and use drugs and alcohol more often. These traits will be ascribed to you by the attire and decoration of the group you become part of. Therefore, be conscious of how your individual expressions may be linked to you so they work in your favour, rather than against you.
Context: General.
Verbal Translation: “I’m expressing myself in a way that reflects my own personal feelings and beliefs.”
Variant: Any adornment that is not genetic is an expression of a person’s individual personality. See Clothing.
Cue In Action: a) She was mild-mannered after you got to know her, but most of her body was covered in tattoos, giving others a bad first impression. b) The lower back tattoo was something she grew to regret. She got it on her 16th birthday and at 30 years of age, it no longer suited her disposition. c) The skinhead with the facial tattoo meant he had to do very little to put the fear into his opponents. d) He was careful to only be seen in expensive suites and polished leather shoes so he would garner respect from others. e) He mostly dressed in sweats and t-shirts. He didn’t much care what other people thought of him.
Meaning and/or Motivation: Adornments are a form of chosen adornment. Therefore, where and how they are worn is a conscious reflection of the wearer’s personality and style.
At times, the accuracy of the message is lost on others to the detriment of the wearer making adornments something we should all be careful to use properly. Ignoring nonverbal signal emitted by clothing, piercings, tattoos, chains, baggy pants and dirty worn clothing is a surefire way to alienate and turn people off.
Particular bodifications can reveal a need to be different, rebellious, nonconformist, have an artistic nature, or conversely, a desire to fit in on a lower or higher socioeconomic status. Some might choose ill fitting clothing from a thrift store elucidating to their free spirit, while another might choose expensive name brand attire and pricey watches to appear wealthy.
Cue Cluster: Watch for congruency between someone’s bodifications and their nonverbal body language to discover if someone is using them to fake their way into a particular demographic. For example, does the person with the expensive suit walk with confidence? Does the girl with the lower back tattoo really appear trampy?
Body Language Category: Elective nonverbal traits, Adornments
Resources:
Armstrong ML, Owen DC, Roberts AE, Koch JR (2002) College students and tattoos: the influence of image, identity, family and friends. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing Mental Health Services. 40:20–29.
Armstrong ML, Owen DC, Roberts AE, Koch JR (2004a) Contemporary college students and body piercing. J Adolesc Health 35:58–61.
Armstrong ML, Roberts AE, Owen DC, Koch JR (2004b) Toward building a composite of college student influences with body art. Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs 27:277–295.
Carroll ST, Riffenburgh RH, Roberts TA, Myhre EB (2002) Tattoos and body piercings as indicators of adolescent risk-taking behaviors. Pediatrics 109:1021–1027.
Friederike Funk and Alexander Todorov. Criminal Stereotypes in the Courtroom: Facial Tattoos Affect Guilt and Punishment Differently. American Psychological Association. 2013. 19(4): 466-478. DOI: 10.1037/a0034736.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/face-tattoos-make-others-look-guilty-consequences-elective-nonverbal-signals/
Guéguen, Nicolas. Tattoos, Piercings, and Alcohol Consumption. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2012. 36(7): 1253-1256. DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01711.x
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/think-before-you-ink-or-pierce-what-tattoos-and-piercings-tell-about-alcohol-consumption/
Guéguen, Nicolas. Tattoos, Peircings, and Sexual Activity. Social Behavior and Personality. 2012. 40(9): 1543-1548. http://dx.doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2012.40.9.1543
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/the-hidden-body-language-of-tattoos-and-piercings-sex-drugs-and-risky-behaviour/
Guéguen Nicholas. Effects of a Tattoo on Men’s Behavior and Attitudes Towards Women: An Experimental Field Study. Arch Sex Behav. 2013. 42 (8):1517-1524. doi: 10.1007/s10508-013-0104-2. Epub 2013 May 9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23657810
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/power-tramp-stamp-womans-tattoo-double-chances-approached/
Guéguen, Nicholas. Tattoos, piercings, and sexual activity. Social Behavior and Personality. 2012. 40: 1543-1547.
Koziel, Slawomir and Arkadiusz Sitek. Self-Assessment of Attractiveness of Persons with Body Decoration. Journal of Comparative Human Biology. 2013.
http://bodylanguageproject.com/articles/people-tattoos-piercings-think-youll-find-attractive/
Koch JR, Roberts AE, Armstrong ML, Owen DC (2005) College students, tattoos, and sexual activity. Psychological Rep 97:887–890.
Koch JR, Roberts AE, Armstrong ML, Owen DC (2007) Frequencies and relations of body piercing and sexual activity in college students. Psychological Rep 101:159–162.
Koch JR, Roberts AE, ArmstrongML, Owen DC (2010) Body art, deviance, and American college students. Social Sci J 47:151–161.
Koziel S, Krestchmer W, Pawlowski B (2010) Tattoo and piercing as signals of biological quality. Evolutionary Human Behavior. 31:187–192.
MermetG (2010) Francoscopie. Larousse, Paris. Pitts V (2003) In the Flesh—The Cultural Politics of Body Modification.
PalgraveMacmillan, New York. Roberts TA, Auinger P, Ryan SA (2004) Body piercing and high-risk behavior in adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health 34:224–229.
Roberts TA, Ryan SA (2002) Tattooing and high-risk behavior in adolescent. Pediatrics 110:1058–1063.
Suris JC, Jeannin A, Chossis I, Michaud P-A (2007) Piercing among adolescents: body art as a risk marker. Journal of Family Practice 56:126–130.
Swami V, Furnham A (2007) Unattractive, promiscuous, and heavy drinkers: perceptions of women with tattoos. Body Image 4:343–352.
Wohlrab S, Stahl J, Kappeler PM (2007) Modifying the body: motivations for getting tattooed and pierced. Body Image 4:87–95.
Morris, T. L., J. Gorham, S. H. Cohen, and D. Huffman. 1996. Fashion in the classroom: effects of attire on student perceptions of instructors in college classes. Communication Education 45(2): 135.