Some will say that what is most important in communication is not what you say, but the nonverbal aspects of communication.
Should you choose to learn more about nonverbal communication this week, please complete the following:
- Read this article that touches on some aspects of body language.
- Please choose 4 of the aspects of body language discussed in this article and describe in detail how to interpret these nonverbals.
If you are interested, there is an interesting Ted Talk video related to body language and how it shapes you, as opposed to how we interpret body language in others. Here is the description of the video:
"Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident -- can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success."
One aspect of body language discussed in this article is the eyes. According to this article, the eyes are considered the "windows to the soul" because the eyes are capable of revealing much of what a person is thinking or feeling. Eye gaze, blinking, and pupil size is important when paying attention to eye signals. When a person has good eye contact it means they are interested and paying attention. When a person doesn't have good eye contact it may mean that they are uncomfortable or trying to hide his or her true feelings. Discomfort is also shown when people blink a lot. Emotions may cause the pupil size to change. A second aspect of body language discussed in this article is the mouth. Smiling is one of the easiest body languages but it can be one of the hardest to interpret because a smile may be genuine or it may be used to cover up unhappiness. When watching the mouth for verbal cues it is important to watch for pursed lips, lip biting, covering the mouth, and watching to see if the mouth is turned up or down. Pursing the lips, biting the lips, and covering the mouth can be an indicator that someone is worried, anxious, they disprove of something, or they are trying to cover something up. When the mouth is turned up it can represent that the person is feeling happy. If the mouth is turned down it can represent that the person is feeling sad. A third aspect of body language discussed in this article is the arms and legs. Crossing the legs and arms may indicate defensiveness, dislike, or discomfort. While expanding the arms is the opposite. Standing with your hands placed on your hips can show that a person is in control or it can be a sign of aggressiveness. Clasping the hands behind the back and rapidly tapping fingers or fidgeting can reveal that a person may be bored or impatient. A fourth aspect of body language discussed in this article is posture. Posture can show a lot about how a person is feeling. Sitting up straight shows that a person is focused and is paying attention. A person who is slouching shows that the person is bored and that they don't care much about what is going on. Open posture is better than closed posture. Open posture signals friendliness and openness. Closed posture signals hostility and unfriendliness.
ReplyDeleteOne of the aspects of body language and nonverbal communication is the use of facial expressions. Emotions can be universally conveyed through facial expressions; fear, anger, sadness, and happiness facial expressions are all the same throughout the world. Facial expressions are so important because they often convey what we really feel, regardless of what we are saying. We subconsciously make the facial expression of what we are truly feeling even if we are trying to say something different.
ReplyDeleteAnother form of nonverbal communication can be shown through the eyes. I think this is something we all find very fascinating about eyes, as they're usually the first part of someone we notice. Eye gaze, blinking, and pupil size can all say a lot about a person. Eye contact is important because it shows that a person is interested, but too much or too little eye contact can mean something different entirely. On a side note, eye contact varies from culture to culture. Excessive blinking can indicate nervousness or that someone is lying; not enough blinking can also indicate that the person is uncomfortable. Pupil size and dilation can also be affected in situations such as those where the term "bedroom eyes" would be used.
Arms and legs are also a big sign of body language. We use our limbs to make big gestures, whether or not we realize it or not. Crossed arms may literally mean we're "closed off" or "self-protective", while hands on the hips may convey aggressiveness or in control. Tapping fingers or fidgeting indicates that a person might be bored, impatient, or frustrated.
Posture is also another important form of body language. Posture is how we hold our bodies as well as our physical form, giving off hints of how we are feeling as well as personality characteristics (confidence, submissiveness, openness). How a person is sitting (straight up vs. hunched) can indicate whether or not a person is paying attention. Open posture, or keeping the trunk of the body open and exposed, indicates friendliness, openness, and willingness. Closed posture, or closing off the trunk by hunching over or crossing arms and legs can indicate hostility, unfriendliness, and anxiety.
One aspect of body language that was discussed in this article is personal space. While personal space can indicate how acquainted somebody is with somebody else when on the outside of someone else's conversation, it also can indicate feelings, emotions, or motives when used towards the person you are communicating with when inside a conversation. For example, if you are on a first date and the guy enters intimate distance, you can probably guess that he liked you and that he's happy about how the date went. If he is standing at personal distance, however, maybe he's still unsure of things or discovered he didn't quite have the intimate feelings for he had expected to.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect of body language that was discussed is the use of your arms and legs. This is one I never really thought about, especially when talking about crossing your legs, but makes sense now that I've read it. If I sit on a couch next to a friend, it's likely I will either put my feet up and pull my knees towards me, because I'm comfortable doing that around them, but if it's someone I've just met or don't know quite as well, I definitely do cross my legs to the opposite direction of them. If I were to cross my legs inward, it would indicate that I am pretty comfortable around that person.
Another aspect described in this article is body language by using the mouth. I think the mouth is a pretty unconscious thing. I may not be trying to frown or even thinking about frowning, but I definitely could be frowning when walking down the sidewalk. I tend to people watch a lot, and even the slight upturn or downturn definitely depends on mood and definitely makes a difference! Also, lip biting could indicate someone is worried or nervous, and pursed lips could be a sign of distrust or disgust.
The eyes can also be unconscious too, the last aspect of body language in the article that I'm going to discuss. When I am uninterested in a conversation, I find myself watching other things happen around me, or even just looking at everything but the person, just as the article says, and definitely not on purpose. I didn't know that your pupil size could change due to emotion too, not just light. That was interesting to me! It says in the article that bedroom eyes are an example of this, something I've never heard of.
One aspect of body language that is discussed in this article is the eyes. The eyes of a person are described in this article as being "windows to the soul". One of the main things to notice when looking at a persons eyes is if they are looking directly at you or looking around you instead during a conversation. Eye gaze, pupil size, and blinking are also important aspects to look at when looking at a persons eyes.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect of body language is a persons mouth. The mouth can be an essential place on trying to read a person because frowning and smiling are some universal signs of happiness or sadness. Some other details when it comes to a persons mouth include pursed lips, lip biting, covering the mouth, and turned up or down.
A third way in trying to read a persons body language includes gestures. These are nonverbal clues that a person gives when trying to convey a message. Some of these common gestures include a clenched fist, thumbs up or down, the "okay" gesture, and the V sign.
The fourth aspect of body language that can help read a person incudes the arms and legs. This is another way for a person to convey nonverbal messages to another, extended arms are more welcoming and when a person has crossed arms and legs are trying to keep more to themselves. Some other nonverbal signals that involve the arms and legs include crossed arms, standing with hands on hips, clasping the hands behind the back, rapidly tapping fingers or fidgeting, and crossed legs.
One aspect of body language and nonverbal communication as described in the article is the use of facial expressions. Facial expressions are very important because they may reveal our true, initial feelings about the situation. Facial expressions can convey several messages and help to overcome verbal language barriers since many facial expressions have universal meanings. The expressions used to convey fear, anger, sadness, joy, happiness, and surprise are similar throughout the world. I’m sure everyone has been in a predicament when trying to communicate with someone who does not speak the same language. In such situations it is common to turn to facial expressions and other nonverbal cues in order to get your message across.
ReplyDeleteA second aspect to consider during nonverbal communication is the eyes because they are the “windows to the soul.” The eyes are capable of revealing a person’s thoughts or feelings. When interpreting such thoughts it is important to consider the person’s eye gaze (direct eye contact/looking away), the frequency of their blinking, and their pupil size. Each of these can reveal a lot about a person. Let’s consider a person’s eye gaze. When a person holds direct eye contact it is clear that they are interested and paying attention; however, prolonged eye contact can sometimes be intimidating. On the other hand, holding a conversation with someone who rarely looks you in the eyes may show their disinterest in the conversation or their distraction. The rate at which a person blinks could tell you a lot about them as well. When a person blinks rapidly they may be feeling distressed or uncomfortable. When it seems that a person is not blinking it is most likely because they are purposefully trying to control their blinking for a reason. Pupil size is typically controlled depending on light levels, but emotions can also cause small changes in pupil size.
Another aspect is the interpretation of gestures. Gestures can be some of the most direct and obvious body language signals. There are many universal gestures that can contribute to better communication, such as waving, pointing, and using fingers to indicate numbers. However, some gestures have different meanings in different cultures so it is important to understand their possible meanings before making use of them. For instance, the “okay” gesture is just fine to use in the United States, but in Europe it is used as an insult to imply that you are nothing and in South America it is a vulgar gesture. Another example is the hand gesture that we use to mean peace. In the United Kingdom and Australia, it is an offensive gesture. With these very different meaning in mind maybe you will look into cultural gestures prior to traveling abroad.
Finally, posture is another form of body language that can tell you a lot about a person. Posture not only can tell you about how a person is feeling, but also hints about personality characteristics, such as confidence and openness. Sitting up straight may indicate that a person is paying attention, while hunching over can mean boredom. The article describes the difference between open posture and closed posture. Open posture, or sitting straight, can indicate friendliness, openness, and willingness. Closed posture involves slouching or crossing limbs. This type of posture can be an indicator of hostility, unfriendliness, and anxiety. With that being said, I am aware that my posture could use some improvement but I would not say that I am unwelcoming of others simply by slouching.
One body language component that I found very interesting where the eyes. Eyes are usually the first thing someone notices about a person. You can’t really control your eyes so that is why they can be referred to as “windows to the soul”. When someone makes eye contact with you during a conversation it means that they are interested and focused on what you have to say. On the other hand prolonged eye contact and feel threatening, but if you break eye contact to much it may mean that you are trying to hide your true feelings or are uncomfortable with the situation. Blinking is another thing that can give away your feelings. If someone is blinking a lot they may be nervous but if they are blinking very little they may be trying to hide something. The pupils are also a good indicator of your feelings. When you look at your spouse or partner your pupils may be dilated if you are attracted to then.
ReplyDeleteThe mouth can also tell you a lot about how someone is feeling. When someone has pursed lips it may be a sign of distaste, disapproval or distrust. Lip biting can also be an indicator that someone is anxious, worried, or stressed about something. Covering ones mouth may mean they are trying to hide their emotion. Small changes can be good indicators of someone’s emotions. If the mouth is turned up slightly they may be happy or optimistic but if it is turned down they could be sad, or mad.
Your arms and legs can tell others if you are comfortable with the situation or not. If someone’s arms are crossed they may feel defensive or self-protective. If their hands are on their hips they may be in control or angry. when people have their hands clasped behind their backs they may be bored or impatient. Crossed legs can mean that a person is feeling closed off or in need of privacy.
Your posture can say a lot about you. An open posture or sitting up straight can mean that a person is focused, and openness. A closed posture or being hunched over may mean someone is bore or anxious. This is also a good indicator of unfriendliness.
One of the nonverbal cues we may unintentionally use to exhibit our feelings is that of our facial expression. We are capable of making a wide variety of facial expressions, ranging from happiness to sadness and every emotion in between. In order to decipher how a person is feeling, one look at their face is often a good indication. When asked how they feel, an individual's face will initially express what emotion they are experiencing, even if they try to cover it up. An interesting point made was that facial expressions are universal; despite the countless different languages spoken worldwide, such emotions as anger, fear, happiness, and sadness are displayed in relatively similar ways no matter where you are on the globe.
ReplyDeleteAnother form of body language we use is in the eyes. A person's eyes can reveal almost everything about what they are thinking or feeling, and there are three signals we should pay attention to when using eye contact to discern emotions. First, eye gaze/contact will be steady and comfortable if the individual is interested in and paying attention to what you have to say. Someone who holds contact for too long, however, may come off as threatening. In contrast, one who frequently breaks eye contact will display feelings of discomfort or attempts at hiding true feelings. The second signal is blinking; doing so too rapidly or infrequently shows that the individual is intentionally trying to control eye movements and is uncomfortable. The third signal is pupil size, which is more subtle than the other two signals. Dilated pupils are caused by both changing levels of light in the environment but also emotions.
Gestures, like facial expressions, are more obvious indicators of emotions. A friendly wave indicates happiness or good feelings, a "thumbs down" is an expression of disappointment, and so on. Unlike facial expressions, however, gestures are not universal. For example, we in America use the "V sign" to convey feelings of "peace" or "victory"; in places like the United Kingdom and Australia, that same symbol can be exceedingly offensive when the back of the hand is facing outward.
A fourth type of body language is our posture. The way in which we hold our bodies shows how we are feeling in a given environment or situation. Open posture is more positive, giving off emotions of friendliness, openness, and willingness. On the other hand, closed posture involves such actions as keeping arms and legs crossed, and the hunching the body forward. Those who partake in this type of posture exude unpleasant emotions such as hostility or anxiety.
The first aspect of body language discussed in the article was facial expression. This is one of the most common ways to interpret non verbal cues. Some of the most common examples are happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, confusion and desire to name a few. Each one of these faces has specific characteristics from person to person. For example, if someone is confused, their face will wrinkle. If someone is happy, they will smile. If someone is sad, they will frown or cry. These are just of a few of the faces that are easy to interpret without pictures.
ReplyDeleteThe second aspect of body language is the eyes. If someone looks you in the face, they are showing that they care about what is being said. If a person is looking away, it could mean the person is uncomfortable or distracted. If a person is blinking a lot, they could be feeling distressed. If the person is blinking too little, they could be trying to control their expressions to pretend to be less excited. Finally, if a person’s pupil size. If the pupils are large, it could mean the person is attracted to someone.
The third aspect of body language is the mouth. Pursed lips might mean disapproval or distrust. Lip biting could be a sign that someone is worried or anxious. Covering the mouth is used to cover an emotion. This is usually the case if someone is trying to cover a smile or smirk. A smile means the person is happy, and a frown means the person is sad.
The final aspect of body language to be discussed is gestures. A clenched fist can mean someone is anger. A thumb up/down is either a approval/disapproval signal respectively. The ok signal is a signal of approval and saying it is ok to do something. The v sign can vary from culture to culture. Sometimes it can mean peace and other times it can be seen as rude and offensive.
I think that this article is very accurate. There are many aspects of body language. How a person acts and the body language that the express can tall a lot about a person. Body language accounts for about 50-70% of all communication. I find this number to be pretty high, but also accurate. Some of the aspects of body language that the author of this article talks about is facial expressions, the eyes, the mouth, gestures, arms and legs, posture, and personal space.
ReplyDeleteFacial expressions is a huge aspect of body language. There are many emotions a person can express through a facial expression. Some of them include happiness, sadness, anger, suprise, discussed, fear, confusion, excitement, desire, and contempt. Facial expressions are universal and used everywhere across the world. One of the first ways a baby begins to communicate with a person is through facial expressions.
The eyes are also an aspect of body language. By looking at someone's eyes, it can tell a person a lot. If a person is looking into another person's eyes it shows that they are interested and paying attention. If a person looks into your eyes for a long time, it can be threatening. I have noticed this sometimes and it does tend to make me uncomfortable. If a person keeps looking away it could mean they are bored or distracted. Another part of the eyes that can tell a lot about how a person is acting is if they are blinking or not. If a person is blinking a lot it could mean they are distracted or uncomfortable. If a person is not blinking a lot it could mean that they are trying to control their blinking.
Another aspect of body language is gestures. Some gestures that people often do are a thumps up or down, a clenched fist, the okay sign, and the peace sign. A thumbs up or down may mean that the person either approves or disapproves. If someone has a clenched fist it could mean they are angry or mad. They okay sign could show approval or mean that everything is okay. The peace sign may mean peace or what's up?
Lastly, another aspect of body language is personal space. How close a person is to another person tell the relationship or how close they are to another person. The author list that intimate distance is 6-18 inches, personal distance is 1.5-4 feet, social distance is 4-12 feet, and public distance is 12-25 feet.
Body language refers to nonverbal signs used to communicate. These nonverbal cues can be seen through body positioning and facial expressions. The article states that body language makes up 50 to 70 percent of all communication. Facial expression is one example of body language that is probably the most common. Facial expressions can overshadow verbal communication. The main facial expressions are also universal. Facial expressions convey fear, anger, sadness, and happiness are similar throughout the world. Another example of body language related to facial expression is a person’s eyes. The eyes can reveal numerous amounts of aspects about a person and are often referred to as “windows to the soul”. Three features of the eye, eye gaze, blinking, pupil size, are very efficient ways of reading people. Eye gaze, when a person is staring into your eyes, can determine that person is interested in what you are saying. If gaze is held long enough this could mean potential danger. Frequent blinking can mean a person is in distress. On the flip side infrequent blinking can mean the person is purposely doing this for deceptive purposes. Pupil size is also important, although extremely subtle. Gestures are yet another form of body language. Gestures are one of the most common and direct forms of body language. Gestures are also easily understood. Some examples are a peace sign, thumbs up, clenched fist, and “okay”. Finally we have posture, which is one of my favorites. Posture can not only tell you how a person is feeling, but it can convey what type of person you are. Hunched back can mean one is bored where a straight posture can mean a person is alert and attentive. We also have open and closed posture. These can differentiate between anger and openness, friendliness, and anxiety and willingness.
ReplyDeleteThis article made a lot of sense to me. Some of the information given by the article I was already familiar with, however there were some new aspects of body language for me to learn. I never thought about legs being a huge part of nonverbal communication and I only thought pupil size mattered in substance abuse situations.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that we use our legs to convey certain emotions was new to me. Crossing your legs means that you're closed off, and the same applies to crossing your arms. One thing about crossing your arms that the article didn't mention is that sometimes we only do it because we are cold. Crossing your arms in the cold is a pretty common things and doesn't always mean that one is closed off like the article states. I am an example of this. I cross my arms and legs whenever I am the least bit chilly. One part of the article I completely agree with is that fidgeting, like tapping your fingers, is a sign of boredom or anxiety. I see a lot of people fidgeting in my speech class when they know they're up next.
I never thought of posture being a part of nonverbal communication either. The first thought that came to my mind when I read this was how Americans are thought to have bad posture. According to this article, posture can actually tell a few things about someone. There are two types of posture: open and closed. Open posture is keeping yourself exposed and not trying to hide yourself. This type of posture is generally seen as more friendly and approachable. It is the posture of confidence. Closed posture is the exact opposite. People with closed posture bend forward a bit and try to hide themselves with their arms and legs, and this is an instance where crossing your arms and/or legs can mean hostility or being uncomfortable with a situation.
The mouth can show more than a smile. We actually use our mouths to convey emotions outside of happiness. When someone purses his or her lips, that can be a sign of distrust or disagreement. I know I do this sometimes and I generally do this when someone says something that makes me mad and I'm holding myself back. My grandma also does this when she hears of a family member doing something she doesn't agree with. We all use our mouths more than we realize when conveying optimism or pessimism about a situation. Something else interesting is the fact that covering our mouths means trying to cover emotions. I don't pay attention to this, but I'm going to be looking around for this more because I don't usually see people doing this.
We can infer a lot from people's eyes as well. Eye gaze, blinking, and pupil size are all used to show certain emotions and are usually very easy for people to read. If someone keeps a steady gaze, it means he or she is paying attention to you, but if that person isn't looking at you when you're talking, it means they probably aren't paying attention and just don't care. Blinking and pupil size can show nervousness. Blinking a lot can mean a situation is stressing us out and is a sign of our bodies utilizing the sympathetic nervous system. Pupils also dilate when our bodies are handling the fight-or-flight response.
Key Terms: Optimism, Pessimism, Sympathetic Nervous System, fight-or-flight response
One aspect of body language would be facial expressions. Facial expressions are something that is looked at the most, because when you are communicating with someone that is where you’re paying the most attention too. If you tell someone something face-to-face, you can see their reaction just by their facial expression due to it being their first reaction. They can’t control it unless they are prepared to talk about that subject. Such as if you asked your friend if they liked their outfit and their first reaction was a surprised/ confused look. You can definitely tell that they don’t like what you’re wearing. It wasn’t a smile or a look of excitement.
ReplyDeleteThe eyes can also tell a lot about someone when you are engaged in a conversation. If they have a hollow look or glazed over eyes, then they aren’t paying attention and they are thinking of something else. If someone keeps looking away and constantly checking their phone, then they still aren’t engaged in the conversation. They could be late for a class or they are uncomfortable in that situation. The article also talks about the amount of blinking one may have. I never even realized this aspect until reading this article. A lot of blinking can also indicate being uncomfortable. Not blinking enough says that they are trying to control their actions and emotions.
Hand gestures are very common and recognizable. They might not be the same in other countries so it would be best to find those things out before you give someone a peace sign. Hand gestures can give you a definite yes or no answer just by using thumbs up or thumbs down. Hand gestures can also emphasize what you are talking about, such as showing how angry you really are by waving your hands around aggressively or just clenching your fists tight. Gestures can be looked at as approval for certain things you do. One of my friends does the rocker hand gesture when she likes something a lot, so people know what they do is approved when she does that.
Different body language can be read by what someone is doing with their arms or their legs. Usually if you have crossed arms or legs you are very closed off and you don’t really care about the situation that is going on. You could be uncomfortable and not want to be in that situation or in contact with that certain person. Being fidgety and tapping your fingers or feet could mean that you are in a hurry or very frustrated. It could also mean that you are impatient. If you have a wider stance and try to stand taller, that usually means that you are expressing authority and you are better than that person or people that you are engaging with. If you have uncrossed legs or your arms are at your sides, you are being open to that person and situation.
One type of body language to be concerned about is the eyes. It is important to notice if one is looking at you while speaking or if they are glancing around the room. If they are giving you eye contact that shows that they are interested but if they are glancing around the room that indicates that they are bored or feel uncomfortable in the situation. Another thing to look at is if they are blinking. Obviously blinking is normal but if they are blinking rapidly or not that often that means that they are controlling their body movements and that they are nervous. The eyes are known as the “windows to the soul” and this is a good saying to refer to when looking at the eyes to indicate the pupil size. If ones pupils get wide when you are speaking it shows that they are interacting within the conversation and they are intrigued but if they are tiny and normal than they may not be as engaged.
ReplyDeleteAnother type of body language to focus on is the gestures which can be the most obvious and direct sign of body language. It is important to not only know American body language but also other cultures because what is normal gestures for Americans can be offensive to another culture. For example the peace sign which someone may use to say good-bye, hello, or just sign in a picture is quiet offensive to Australians and the United Kingdom. But common gestures like a clenched fist may indicated that the person is upset or that they are taking power. Another common gesture is to give a thumbs up or thumbs down which either indicates whether the situation is good or bad. These gestures will have to do with the situation they are placed in but it is good to be aware of what is said and then how the person reacts to indicate how they are truly feeling.
A third type of body language to look at is one’s body posture. How one holds their posture shows some characteristics of their personality, whether they are confident, lazy, open, or submissive. When a person sits straight up it shows that they are interested and ready to listen. This can also be a sign that they are open, friendly, and willing people. When a person sits hunched over that indicates that they are not engaged in the conversation and that they are bored. When a person hunches over it can be a sign that they are not friendly, have anxiety, and are hostile people.
And a fourth type of body language to be award of is the mouth. This is an essential key to help determine how the individual is feeling. There are multiple different expressions one can make with their mouth. They can smile, frown, bit their lips, purse their lips, and even cover their mouth. These all can be interpreted in all ways. For example many people smile during conversations but the smile may be genuine or it can be fake to show false happiness or even sarcasm. When a person purses their lips this can show that they are not happy and do not feel comfortable. Normally when people bite their lips this means that they are nervous and anxious. People may try to cover their mouths from a yawn or even try to hide that they are smiling. These are just four types of body languages that one should be aware of when they are having conversations. These body languages show that even though the person may be saying that they are fine they may be frowning and that is a huge indicator to continue the conversation to make sure that the person is okay.
one type of body language that was discussed was the facial expressions. You can definitely tell a lot by the way a persons face is. The universal facial expressions are expressing happiness, anger, sadness, disappointment. Judging a persons facial expression can easily give away how they are feeling even without them saying it. Another type of body language is the eyes. I think the eyes are kind of tricky because eye contact in many cultures is not a normal thing. I know this from experience because in my culture it is rude to make eye contact so that is what I'm used to and I always wonder if I seem rude to people I talk to. But when a person gazes into your eyes it means they are interested in what you are talking about and if they look away constantly the person is distracted or uninterested. A third type of body language is the arms and legs. I think this one is important to me because my goal is being a counselor after I graduate so these are things we really pay attention to. Arms or legs crossed means a person is either uncomfortable, defensive, or closed off. Arms or legs open means a person can be comfortable, friendly, and welcoming. Fidgeting can mean a person is bored or uncomfortable also. A fourth type of body language is posture. With posture it basically means two things: if a person has straight and open posture they are interested, friendly, open, and willing. If a person has closed and slouched posture they are unfriendly, uncomfortable, and are not willing to communicate or participate.
ReplyDeleteFour non-verbals that stood out to me are the eyes,legs/arms, mouth, and distance. The eyes: If someone holds direct eye contact, it shows they are interested but if they hold it for too long it may be seen as threatening. Broken eye contact may indicate that the individual is uncomfortable or distracted. Frequent blinking may indicate distress or that the individual is uncomfortable. If the individual is not blinking regularly they may be trying to conceal their eye movements. Also, pupil size may be an indicator of emotions.
ReplyDeleteLegs/Arms: Opening the arms in a broad manner could be seen as an attempt to show command but having crossed arms can be seen as a sign of defensiveness or self-protection. Standing with hands on one's hips shows that they are ready and in control. Holding one's hands behind the head or tapping fingers may indicate boredom or anxiety. Crossed legs can indicate a need for privacy and being closed off.
Mouth: Pursed lips may indicate disapproval and lip biting might indicate worry or stress. Covering one's mouth is typically done to hide an emotion. When the mouth is turned upward it is a sign of optimism and when it is turned down it is a sign of sadness.
Personal Distance: There are four levels of distance. Intimate distance is 6-18 inches and is usually used in intimate relationships. It can involve close hugging or touching. Personal distance is 1.5-4 feet and is usually used between family members and close friends. Social distance is 4-12 feet and is usually used between acquaintances and co-workers. Public distance is 12-25 feet and is used in public speaking settings. Level of distance depends on the person and the culture.
Body language is the nonverbal signals that are used to communicate. Experts say these nonverbal signals “say” a lot of things of things we “don’t” really say. 50 to 70 percent of all communication is nonverbal body language. It is important to learn how to read these nonverbal signals because a person can say one thing and the body language can tell you what they are really thinking.
ReplyDeleteIf you have an IPhone you might have Emoji. If you would like you can tell the person how you are feeling with just one “face.” A face can tell you a lot about how someone is feeling just by their face. You can tell if they are happy or sad, excited or confused, surprised or fearful. Along with nonverbal cues how close you stand next to someone can tell a lot about a relationship between two people. There are certain distances that can tell you how comfortable people are with each other. Public distance is 12 to 25 feet; this is used in setting such as public speaking situation such as a class room. The next step is the social distance 4-12 feet, this is used when people first meet or know each other but they are not close. Personal distance is 1.5-4 feet is used in a close relationship such as old time friends or family members, because people are more comfortable they tend to stand closer. The final step in personal space, or lack of personal space, is the intimate distance of 6 to 18 inches. These are the relationships that people are the most comfortable with each other, this intimate distance usually turns in to contact such as hugging, whispering, or touching. The best way to get be “closer” and more comfortable is to get closer to each other. If we look at all most all ice breakers you see this. In ice breakers, some of them have you touching and holding each other, while others you may not be touching but your faces could be an half an inch apart. Another bodily act that I do not think about very often is the arm and leg cross. By the way a person position their arms can tell you multiply thing, such as; Crossed arms might indicate a person feels defensive or is closed off to the situation, hands on the hips that a person is in control or may be getting aggressive, clasping the hands behind your back can indicate you are feeling anxious or even angry, and when a person is tapping fingers or fidgeting can be a sign of inpatients or frustration. Along with arm being crossed, crossing your legs can indicate feeling closed off or need of privacy. Finally gestures are the easiest to read in my opinion. Some examples of gestures are clench fist (anger) thumbs up for good, thumbs down for bad, throwing up the deuces when you are saying good bye, and the bird when you are pissed. All language is important but this language of the body is used by everyone and can be read by people.
Facial Expressions: Facial expressions are the most universal form of nonverbal communication and can be interpreted simply by look at a person’s face. Are they tense, happy, angry, confused? Facial expressions don’t always convey our true feelings though, sometimes we may be feeling confused about something but have a smile on our face to hide our confusion.
ReplyDeleteMouth: When reading mouth expressions, we are to pay attention to a few key actions: lip biting, pursed lips, covering the mouth and the mouth being turned up or down. If someone is biting their lip they may be showing nervousness or stress and if someone is covering their mouth they may be doing it out of politeness if they are yawning or coughing or they might be hiding a laugh or smile if they are doing such things at inappropriate times.
Arms and Legs: Reading a person’s body language by looking at their arms and legs can be kind of tricky because some people just naturally stand with their arms crossed or sit with their legs crossed, however some people might have their arms crossed in defense or because they’re closing themselves off.
Gestures: Gestures, like facial expressions, can be some of the most obvious uses of body language. If someone waves at you it’s most likely that they are doing this to say hello, goodbye or to get your attention. Most gestures are pretty straight forward and easy to read.
Body language makes up for a lot of our day-to-day conversations, if we are able to decipher the cues. The four body languages eye movement, limb positioning, mouth movements, and body positioning interested me.
ReplyDeleteThe eye movements of a person can be used as nonverbal communication. The ability to detect one’s attention is through gaze, blinking, and pupil size. A person’s eye gaze determines if a person is paying attention within an interaction or not. If good eye contact is held, without diverting to another area, then full attention is focused on the conversation. If the person’s eyes divert away from good eye contact, then one may feel uncomfortable or uninterested. Another eye signal is keeping a close look at a person’s blinking. Rapid blinking can mean that the person is feeling uncomfortable, whereas slow blinking can mean that they are controlling one’s eye movement. Pupil size is the last characteristic to look for when reading a person’s body language. Smaller pupil size could be due to the persons emotions.
Paying close attention to a person’s arms and legs can convey a lot of nonverbal communication as well. A person with crossed arms could mean a closed-off attitude or manner. Standing with hands on one’s hips can suggest that a person is ready for action, or possibly a sign of aggression. If a person puts their hands behind their back, this is not a good sign, because it could mean that the person is feeling bored or even angry. Lastly, a fidgety movement can indicate that a person is feeling impatient or bored during a conversation.
Other than paying attention to what the person is talking about, paying attention to one’s mouth can give off nonverbal communication as well. A person with pursed lips could be feeling uncomfortable or unaccepting about the topic. The biting of the lips represents a nervous or anxious feeling. Covering of the mouth during a conversation could mean one is hiding a smile or smirk from the receiving. Lastly, noticing if the mouth is turned up or down. Small movements can indicate happiness or sadness if interpreted correctly.
The body’s positioning can determine if a person is feeling open or closed-off. If a person has an open posture, then they are most likely friendly and willing to listen. Whereas a closed of posture can be interpreted as unwelcoming and hostile.
Body language is a vital component of communication. This article suggests it accounts for 50-70% of all communication. One type they discussed is arms and legs. I find nonverbal communication interesting, so I have researched this before. I have always found it intriguing that cross arms and legs can imply defensiveness because I consistently cross my legs because I find it comfortable, and I often cross my arms when I am cold. This presents some confliction with the nonverbal signals I could be projecting. Other nonverbal communication of the arms is hands on hips, clasping hands behind the back, and rapidly tapping fingers or fidgeting. Another type of nonverbal communication is the mouth. I often purse my lips. Other communicational clues include biting lips, covering the mouth, or turning the mouth up or down. A third type of nonverbal communicate is the eyes including gazing, blinking and pupil dilation. I have experience being “stared down” i.e. when an individual gazing at you for a prolonged period of time. It is usually perceived as a threat. Another type of communication is posture. This relates with the arms and legs. A closed posture could indicate hostility or anxiety while an open posture implies friendliness.
ReplyDeleteThe eyes can be used as 1 form of nonverbal communication. First, notice the person’s eye gaze. If they look straight at you while you are talking, it means they are probably genuinely interested, but if they look away frequently breaking eye contact can mean that they are uninterested or uncomfortable. When someone blinks too often, it can also mean they are feeling uncomfortable or even distressed. While attempting to hide emotions, a person may blink not often enough. Pupil size can also convey nonverbal communication, such as dilated pupils being correlated to attraction.
ReplyDeleteArm and leg posture can also convey important nonverbal communication. Expanded arms can be used to seem more intimidating or large, while arms kept close to the body can convey that attention is unwanted. Crossed arms show a person may be feeling defensive or closed-off from communication, as with crossed legs, which can show dislike or the need for privacy. Hands on hips can be a sign of readiness or aggression. Holding your hands behind you back can show that you are anxious or bored.
Facial expression is the most obvious form of nonverbal communication. Humans use our faces to convey emotions ranging from happiness to contempt, and these expressions are largely innate and carried across cultures. Facial expressions can be unavoidable and therefore reveal true feelings even when we want them to remain hidden.
The mouth is another way to convey nonverbal communication. The mouth is used in smiling, but also in frowning, both of which can be covered with a hand. Even a smile can express anything from happiness to sarcasm. Pursed lips can show that the person is feeling distaste for what is happening. Biting of one lip and occur when someone is feeling worried or anxious about something. Optimism can be shown by an upturned mouth while sadness or disapproval can be shown by a downturned mouth.
Body language is an extremely important piece of nonverbal communication that everyone should understand on a basic level. In fact, there are certain things that invoke base reactions from an individual in reaction to some nonverbal cues. The body language cues I have decided to discuss are: facial expressions, the eyes, gestures, and posture.
ReplyDeleteFacial expressions are about the easiest way to convey a nonverbal communication, in fact, there are 7 emotions that are considered universal. I find it very interesting how subjective body language can be, however, facial expression can be consistent throughout several countries. Facial expressions generally convey what is truly being felt by the individual, for instance, if an individual is sitting in class with a blank expression, then they are probably not understanding the material. This can also speak to smiles, frowns, and other expressions, however several of those are more centered on the mouth which has its own category.
The eyes speak more in-depth to an individual’s true feelings than the facial expressions. Often referred to as ‘windows into the soul’ eyes can reveal changes in the arousal level of an individual. When one becomes more aroused the pupils will dilate, this occurs often when an individual becomes excited, perhaps at a sporting event or when they are around a potential mate. Another interesting aspect of the eyes is the blink rate, when an individual blinks more it speaks to excitement or discomfort. I found it interesting, that, although the high blink rate is an indicator it was also noted that when an individual blinks too little it could prove the opposite to be true, that the individual is making a conscious effort to appear calm.
Gestures are always interesting to me because unlike facial expressions they are extremely subjective and vary country to country and culture to culture. I always find it fascinating how some of the things we take for granted and perform in every day can be considered rude in other places. For instance, eye contact is not recommended in several countries, it is seen as threatening. Same with physical contact, individuals are not supposed to touch, particularly males to females, without explicit permission, oftentimes from the guardian of the female. However, no matter what the country, gestures are their own language in themselves, providing a quicker means of communication often when spoken communication is not applicable.
Posture is a part of body language that is easily applicable. One hardly has to read on the implications of an open versus closed posture to understand what it insinuates. When an individual is standing tall and opening their body to others it indicates confidence, and yet in some instances it also indicates a threat. When an individual is hunched and closing their body to others it indicates anxiety, unfriendliness, and in extreme cases hostility.
One of the body language components I really enjoyed reading about was the eyes. I have always had a huge fascination with eyes. Especially, since I was young I was taught that when you speak to someone, you always use eye contact. My parents would get very upset with us when we would not keep eye contact with them when we spoke. So, for me it becomes more uncomfortable when a person does not keep eye contact with me. The way the article broke down the different eye movements was very interesting and makes complete sense. Eye gaze was the first discussed. When a person is looking into your eyes while you are talking to them, it indicates that they are interested in what you are talking about. Though, sometimes the constant eye gaze can also be seen as threatening or cause an uncomfortable feeling if someone is not used to be looked in the eyes. Next was blinking, and as the article stated, blinking is a natural thing, but in a conversation, if a person is blinking too much or too little it can indicate how they are feeling about the conversation. If the blinking is rapid, the person may be distressed or uncomfortable. If it’s too slow, it could be they are trying to control his/her eye movements. Lastly, is pupil size, if a person pupils get larger or smaller could show different emotions.
ReplyDeleteAnother important body language component to watch when having a conversation with someone is their lips. When a person covers their mouth, it could be because they are trying to be polite or it could be they are trying to hide a disapproving frown, or pursed lips. One thing I know I do is lip biting, which can be when a person is nervous, anxious, or uncomfortable. If lips turned up is when a person is satisfied, happy, or optimistic. If lips turned down it could show sadness, disapproval, or a grimace. Gestures are another very important body language aspect. The gestures that show disapproval or negativity are clenched fists, thumbs down. Some that show approval are thumbs up, the okay hand gesture, or the “v” sign. One last gesture I want to discuss is one that I personally have to pay much attention to are legs and arms. I know that these can really affect the way a conversation goes. Crossed arms can show may indicate self defensiveness or closed off. Hands on hips can be a very rude way to stand when having a conversation with a person. It causes someone to think you are not interested in what they have to say. If a person has their hands clasped behind their backs or finger tapping, can show boredom, anxiety, or sometimes even anger. All these types of body language gestures are very important to recognize in others and yourself.
ReplyDeleteOne of the aspects of body language discusses in this chapter is gestures. The articles states that gestures can be some of the most direct and obvious body language signals. There are common ones that are easy to understand, such as waving and pointing. Gestures may also differ between cultures, such as a thumbs-up or peace sign. Some common gestures may include a clenched fist, a thumbs up or down, the “okay” gesture, and the V sign. A clenched fist may indicated anger or solidarity. When a person gives a thumbs up or down is often used for feelings of approval or disapproval. The “okay” gesture can be used to mean okay, but in some parts of Europe it implies that you are nothing and it is a vulgar gesture in some South American countries. Lastly, the V sign means peace or victory, but in the UK and Australia, it takes an offensive meaning when the back of the hand faces forward. Being cultural aware of your body gestures is important when traveling. Interpreting these nonverbal gestures take patience and time because it is critical to take them in the appropriate context. Researching before traveling will help you learn how to interpret different gestures.
Another aspect discussed is the arms and legs. These are often used to convey nonverbal information. Crossing the arms and legs indicate defensiveness or discomfort. Standing with hands placed on the hips can possibly be a sign of aggressiveness or indication of control and readiness. Rapidly tapping fingers or fidgeting may indicate boredom or frustration. The arms and legs of person tell a lot about a person’s mood or unconscious thoughts of others. It is important to be aware of how we use our arms and legs because they can portray multiple nonverbal messages.
Posture is another important aspect of body language. Posture is how we hold our bodies as well as the overall physical form of an individual. Posture can reveal a lot about a person’s personality or mood. For example, sitting up straight can indicate focus while a person hunched over portrays boredom. Keeping an open posture indicates friendliness, openness, and willingness. A closed posture indicates hostility, unfriendliness, and anxiety. Posture is a key factor in identifying a person’s personality characteristics.
Lastly, personal space is another important aspect of body language. The physical space between individuals can communicate a great deal of nonverbal information. The intimate distance is determined to be between 6-18 inches. This is common with closer relationships, like hugging or whispering. Personal distance is between 1.5-4 feet, common with family members or friends. This distance can indicate the strength of the relationship between two people. The social distance is between 4-12 feet, used with individuals who are acquaintances. This is the comfortable distance for interactions. Distance increases with the level of familiarity between the individuals. Personal space can also tell comfort levels and is a good indicator of relationship status.
One aspect of body language that was discussed in this article was facial expressions. Paul Ekman was a psychologist who studied facial expressions and found their importance. Facial expressions are very important nonverbal cues to how you are feeling. While you may be feeling one way, your facial expression could signal to others that you are feeling another way. Based on facial expressions it is hard to hide how you really feel from somebody because more often than not facial expressions are easy to read. Some of the main facial expressions include happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, disgust, fear, confusion, excitement, desire, and contempt. These are just a few of the facial expressions. Some people show shock or horrifying facial expressions.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect of body language is arms and legs. Crossing your arms or legs can send different nonverbal cues. Crossing your arms could signal to others that you are feeling defensive or self-protected. IN my opinion sometimes crossed arms could represent annoyance or anger, maybe even disgust or frustration. Crossing one’s legs represents the feeling of wanted to be closed off or privacy. I don’t necessarily agree with this one I think that sometimes crossing one’s legs is just proper and respectful in certain situations. Other times it could just be more comfortable! Playing with your hands or fidgeting could mean that the person is bored or frustrated. Standing with your hands on your hip could mean that a person is ready for control or aggressiveness. I sometimes think that when I see a person with their hands on their hips that they are stern or serious or that they are ready and mean business.
Posture is also another aspect of body language. Posture refers to the overall way that we physically hold our bodies. How you are feeling and even the kind of characteristics that you possess can be brought through with one’s body posture. Sitting up straight and slouching are two very familiar types of posture. Slouching may give off the idea that the individual is bored or not focused while sitting up straight can mean that the person is attentive. There are two other types of posture as well, open posture and closed posture. Open posture indicates openness and friendliness while closed posture means you are obscure and hidden, sometimes closed posture is a sign of anxiety.
The mouth is another key to body posture and reading expressions. A smile is a very common very well-known form of expression from the mouth. Some specific examples pursed lips, lib biting, covering the mouth, or a turned mouth up or down. Pursed lips may indicate disproval while lip biting may indicate anxiety or stress. When one covers the mouth , this may indicate that they are trying to hide their emotion or hide their smile. A mouth turned up most of the time means that the person is happy when a mouth turned down often times means that this person is sad or upset.
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS: Facial expressions are a very good way to communicate non-verbally. Many emotions can be portrayed through a simple look including the following: happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, disgust, fear, confusion, excitement, desire, and contempt. Some facial expressions are universal meaning that they mean the same thing worldwide. For example, a smile is always interpreted as happiness, and sadness can be portrayed by crying. I have a very difficult time hiding my facial expressions, and many people say that my facial expressions give away how I truly feel.
ReplyDeleteMOUTH: The mouth can portray certain aspects of emotion such as anger, sadness, and surprise. If a person purses their lips, he or she may be expressing anger or disgust. A lip bite may mean someone is worried or anxious, while covering the mouth may mean someone is trying to hide an emotion. When a person’s mouth is turned up or smiling, he or she is usually considered happy. When a person’s mouth is turned down or frowning, he or she is usually considered sad or disheartened.
DISTANCE: Have you ever felt like someone is invading your personal space? How physically close or far away someone is standing from you is often a good indicator of how emotionally close you are to that person. If a two people are intimate, they often stand closer together or sit closer. I definitely notice a difference between when I sit by one of my friends and when I sit by a stranger, especially because I am not a very “touchy feely” person in the first place.
POSTURE: Open posture is when a person is exposed or seems willing to talk with others due to the way they are positioned. A close posture is often when someone is slouched with his or her legs crossed. This person usually avoids eye contact and seems unfriendly. I usually try to keep an open posture but often have a slouch.
One aspect of body language is the eyes. Eyes can tell alot about a person. Eyes can tell you if a person is paying attention to you. If a person keeps gazing off into the distance, they are probably not that interested in you, but if they maintain normal eye contact, they are interested in you or what you are saying. Blinking is also important part of the eyes. If a person is blinking excessively, they are probably stressed. If a person appears to be blinking infrequently, they are most likely trying to control their eye movement. The last part of the eyes is the pupils. Certain emotions can trigger a pupil response and give away emotions. A very good example of this is Bill Clinton's grand jury testimony about using a cigar on Monica Lewinsky. If you watch his eyes closely, his pupils expand noticeably for just a moment.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect of body language is arm and leg placement. A person crossing their arms is trying to avoid attention or feeling defensive. Hands on the hips suggest a aggressive stance or a feeling of in control. Hands behind the back suggest the individual is bored, anxious, or possibly angry. Fidgeting suggest frustration, boredom, or impatience. Crossed legs suggest a closed off state or a need of privacy. Legs spread open suggest a state of confidence. Hands on the back of the neck or scratching their neck is a sign of high stress levels. It is advisable to take a step back from people doing this, as they are likely to lash out physically.
Another aspect of body language is the mouth. The mouth can convey a lot of information in a short amount of time. Pursed lips convey negative feelings like distaste, disapproval, or distrust. Lip biting shows signs of stress, being anxious or worried. Covering of the mouth is a individual trying to hide emotions, such as a smile. A simple smile would be an optimistic expression while a frown would indicate disapproval.
A fourth body language is hand gestures. A clenched fist reflects anger. A thumbs up or thumbs down indicated approval or disapproval respcetively. The "ok" gesture conveys that everything is ok. This symbol outside the United States can mean some vulgar things. The v-sign of the index and middle finger stands for peace in the United States, while being a offensive meaning in the UK.
I never knew of some of the types of body language talked about in this article, so it was rather interesting reading about them. I think the most obvious aspect of body language is the facial expressions. There are so many facial expressions used all over the world, and there are few that are common between different cultures, known as the universal facial expressions. Those expressions are happiness, sadness, anger, and fear. Another common form of body language is gestures. Gestures are a common thing in America, and according to the article, they are many gestures we make here that come off as something totally different in another part of the world. Some of those gestures are a clenched fist, a “peace” sign, an “okay” gesture, and even thumbs up. Another form of body language that we hear about a lot is the arms or legs; crossing either of these appendages is considered to be closing off or protecting your body. In contrast, when someone stands with their hands on their hips, it is said to be a sign of control. Something I had never known, when a person fidgets, it is considered a form a body language; when doing this, a person is said to be bored, impatient, or even frustrated. The last form of body language is one that I have never really considered to be body language; that is personal space. Personal space is something that we all know we have, but yet don’t realize that we do it. The distance a person stands away depends on the social environment and how close those particular people are.
ReplyDeleteI think that facial expressions are one of the most important nonverbal communication signs. Understanding what each facial expression is portraying will help you out tremendously. Some of the most common facial expressions we understand are happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust, and surprise. Throughout the world, these are the most similar. Picking up on facial expression will help tell you how someone is feeling if they say otherwise.
ReplyDeleteAnother important form of nonverbal communication is eyes. I feel that eyes can tell a lot about a person. Whether they are interested in you or the conversation, how they feel, or what they are thinking. When talking about the eyes there are three main eye signals: eye gaze, blinking, and pupil size. When looking directly into each other eyes, it can tell you that they are paying attention and interested in what you’re saying. However, too long of eye contact can come off as threatening. Also, looking away and looking down can tell you that that person may feel uncomfortable. Blinking rapidly can also come off as they are uncomfortable; while blinking to little means that they are trying to control their eye movement. Pupil size can also tell you about someone’s emotions, such as ‘bedroom eyes’.
Posture is another form of nonverbal communication. Posture can give hints about someone’s personality characteristics as well as their mood. Standing or sitting up straight can mean that the person is paying attention while slouching can mean that you are uninterested. Open posture, meaning parts of the body are exposed, but not too much, portrays friendliness or openness. Closed posture, meaning body is hidden or obscured, portrays unfriendliness or anxiety.
Another important form of nonverbal communication is your arms and legs. For instance, crossed arms represent defensiveness or closed-off. Having hands on the hips shows control or aggressiveness. When people cross their legs away from another can show that they are uncomfortable or dislike for the person. Fidgeting portrays that the person is bored, frustrated, or anxious.
All of these nonverbal communication signs are important to learn. Knowing what they mean can help you understand how people are feeling. I would have to say that I am very good at picking up on nonverbals. This topic is very interesting to me and I want to expand on nonverbal communication.
Body language is the nonverbal communication used to express feeling or emotion. The main aspects of body language are facial expressions, eyes, mouth, gestures, arms and legs, posture, and personal space. The eyes as body language are determined by three categories, eye gaze, blinking, and pupil size. Eye gaze would be either eye contact to show interest or frequently looking away to show one is uncomfortable; blinking, when done too much could show discomfort; and pupil size, pupil size can how attraction to another. Another body language aspect is gestures. Gestures would be a clench fist showing anger, a thumbs up showing approval, the “okay” gesture which is means different things in different countries, and a V sign which shows victory in North America, or offense in Australia. Another aspect is your legs and arms. Crossed arms may show you are defensive, standing with arms on hips shows control, clasping your hands behind your back can show that you are anxious, fidgeting can show impatience, and crossed legs can indicate a person is closed off. Another aspect of body language is posture. They classify two types of posture, open and closed. Open posture is keeping your trunk exposed and this can indicate friendliness and willingness. Closed posture involves hunching forward of hiding parts of your body; this can indicate hostility, unfriendliness, and anxiety. This body language Ted Talk is actually one of the first Ted Talks that I saw. It speaks how you can show confidence, and the exercise of putting your arms up is something that I plan on trying before going to my next interview.
ReplyDeleteThe eyes, I believe, can be one of the hardest nonverbal communications to control. Many movements of the eyes are involuntary. This makes it harder for people to control what their eyes are doing. For examples I tend to roll my eyes when I don’t mean to, and most of the time I don’t even know that I do it. If I was speaking to my boss and I rolled my eye, it would seem like I don’t care what he is saying. I think that it is especially hard to control your blinking and pupil dilation. I think that eye contact is very important and is something you can somewhat control.
ReplyDeletePosture is a very import nonverbal communication, and I think that my generation has forgotten that. When you go into a college class room you can see all types of posture, but mostly it is students slumped over the desks. I don’t think that college students try to do this. It is just habit for them. To the professors though, it might look like you don’t care. I think this can travel into our professional careers once we graduate. I would agree with the article that an open posture communicates friendliness, openness, and willingness. I also think that young adults need to start to realize how their posture communicates positive or negative things.
I agree with the article that smiling is one of the greatest body language signals. When someone smiles at you, you cannot help but smile back or be a little happier. So when someone wants to give a good impression smiling would be very helpful. I also agree with the article about how biting your lips can show that you are anxious, worried, or stressed. People should be careful when they are biting their lip because it can make people think negatively about you.
Gestures are a very important part of body language. I think that hand gestures can add or take away from a speech or a conversation. If you over use gestures, the audience or the person you are talking to might be distracted and have a hard time paying attention to you. If you use them in the right way, such as gesturing when you are trying to get an important concept across to the audience, it can make your speech or conversation easier to understand. When it comes to gestures, a person just needs to make sure to use them in the right way.
The eyes, I believe, can be one of the hardest nonverbal communications to control. Many movements of the eyes are involuntary. This makes it harder for people to control what their eyes are doing. For examples I tend to roll my eyes when I don’t mean to, and most of the time I don’t even know that I do it. If I was speaking to my boss and I rolled my eye, it would seem like I don’t care what he is saying. I think that it is especially hard to control your blinking and pupil dilation. I think that eye contact is very important and is something you can somewhat control.
ReplyDeletePosture is a very import nonverbal communication, and I think that my generation has forgotten that. When you go into a college class room you can see all types of posture, but mostly it is students slumped over the desks. I don’t think that college students try to do this. It is just habit for them. To the professors though, it might look like you don’t care. I think this can travel into our professional careers once we graduate. I would agree with the article that an open posture communicates friendliness, openness, and willingness. I also think that young adults need to start to realize how their posture communicates positive or negative things.
I agree with the article that smiling is one of the greatest body language signals. When someone smiles at you, you cannot help but smile back or be a little happier. So when someone wants to give a good impression smiling would be very helpful. I also agree with the article about how biting your lips can show that you are anxious, worried, or stressed. People should be careful when they are biting their lip because it can make people think negatively about you.
Gestures are a very important part of body language. I think that hand gestures can add or take away from a speech or a conversation. If you over use gestures, the audience or the person you are talking to might be distracted and have a hard time paying attention to you. If you use them in the right way, such as gesturing when you are trying to get an important concept across to the audience, it can make your speech or conversation easier to understand. When it comes to gestures, a person just needs to make sure to use them in the right way.
Body language is about 60% of all communication. Eyes are described as the windows to the soul. It is important to take note of the eye gaze; if the person is looking directly into your eyes, that means that they are paying attention to the conversation. If a person is blinking rapidly or more often than normal, that means that they are feeling distressed or uncomfortable. If a person is blinking abnormally slow or hardly at all, that means that they are purposely trying to be in control. Oftentimes, a person's pupils will dilate when they are looking at someone that they are attracted to.
ReplyDeleteThe mouth and lips may also indicate a person's thoughts. Pursed lips probably mean distress and distrust. Lip biting may mean the person is stressed or anxious. Covering the mouth may mean they want to hide their emotion. When the mouth is slightly turned up, the person is feeling happy. When the mouth is turned down, then he or she is probably feeling sad.
Gestures are the most obvious ways to portray feelings. Clenched fists mean anger. A thumbs up or thumbs down mean approval or disapproval accordingly. The "okay" sign made with the hand used to also approve of something or agree. The V sign ussually means 'peace' or 'victory', but may be seen as very offensive in other countries.
The arms and legs are great for conveying messages to others without having to speak. Crossed arms mean that the person is feeling closed-off or offended. Standing with arms on the hips means that the person is ready and control or else feeling aggressive. By holding the hands behind your back, you are showing people that you are feeling bored or even angry. Crossed legs mean that the person is wanting some privacy.
The eyes can be nonverbally interpreted by paying attention to the eye gaze, such as when a person looks directly into your eyes or when they are breaking eye contact frequently and looking away, during a conversation. The first means they paying attention to the conversation while the later means that they are not. Blinking can also tell alot about the eyes. If a person blinks too much or too little it could be that they person is feeling uncomfortable while the later means that the person is trying to control their eye movements. Pupil size tells alot about a person. Dialated pupils or constricted pupils can give cues that indicates a person is attracted to another person.
ReplyDeleteThe mouth also tells alot about a person. Pursed lips indicate distate or disapproval of an individual while biting the lip indicates that the person is worried, anxious, or stressed. Covering the mouth means the person is trying to hide their emotional reaction. The mouth being turned up or down indicates that a person is happy or optimistic while the later indicates sadness or disapproval.
Gestures also tell alot about a person. A clenched fist indicates that a person is angry while a thumbs up or thumbs down indicate approval or disapproval of a situation. The "Okay" gesture indicates that things are okay, however, in some places like Europe the gesture indicates the person means nothing and in South American countries the gesture is vulgar. The V sign indicates peace or victory while in countries like the U.K and Australia is offensive if the back of the hand is facing outward.
Postures also indicate alot about a person. An open posture where a person is keeping the trunk of the body open and exposed indicates friendliness, openness, and willingness. Closed posture indicates hostility and unfriendliness indicated by crossed legs, hunching forward and keeping the arms crossed.
These are a couple of postures that indicate what a person might be feeling inwardly.
Facial expressions are very important part of nonverbal communication. When people are communicating they are usually talking face to face. Each person looking at each other trying to figure out their expression while the person is talking. It tells how a person is feeling about the situation. Also some facial expressions are universal, which means that many people can figure out the emotion one is displaying on their face even though he or she may not speak the same language as the other.
ReplyDeleteThe eyes are also part of nonverbal communication. When a person is speaking looking at the speaker shows that the person is interested. If he or she is not paying attention the person will look away. Blinking is another thing to look at. A person blinking a lot may mean they are nervous.
Another part nonverbal communication is the mouth and how it moves. The lips are important. If someone is biting their lips the person is nervous while pursed lips mean that the mean is upset about a situation or does not what is happening. How the lips turn can show emotion like if they are up they are happy or down if they are sad. Lastly if the mouth is covered someone could be happy or trying to hide the emotion because it might not be appropriate to convey at the time.
Lastly posture is important in nonverbal communication. Open posture means that they are open to communication and are friendly while closed posture like cross arms convey they do not want to communicate and to leave them alone. Posture that is straight can show interest while a slump posture shows they are tired, possibly bored, and they are not paying close attention.
In this article one aspect of body language was the eyes. Often times it is said that one can tell how someone is feeling just by looking them in the eyes. The eyes are the windows of the soul many believe and in many cases I believe this to be true. When a person is interested in what someone is saying they make good eye contact. Also according to the different emotions they are facing their pupil size changes and their blinking might increase if they are uncomfortable in a certain situation. A second aspect of body language is facial expression. Facial expression plays an important role in determining how someone is feeling. Most times peoples’ emotions are subconsciously written on their face even if what they are saying is contradictory. Thirdly personal space is key in body language. Personal space varies from culture to culture, but each culture’s personal space has great meaning. From the outside looking in on a conversation one can determine how well the participants know each other or how they feel about one another. The fourth aspect is arms and legs. A lot can be determined by how people hold/position their limbs. If someone has their arms crossed someone might guess that they are feeling protective or uncomfortable. At my job at the human services center we are taught not to stand with our arms crossed because people are more likely to respond negatively to someone that stands that way. We are also told not to stand with our hands on our hips because many people assume that someone who stands that way is authoritative and can be seen as an aggressive stance.
ReplyDeleteFacial expressions are one of the most obvious of all nonverbal expressions. They very often can tell exactly how someone is feeling whether the person wants their feelings known or not. Facial expressions are one of the most obvious because they are rather universal fear, anger, and happiness looks the same on almost anyone anywhere. Some people may think that they have a really good “poker face” and that people can’t tell what they are thinking. I have to disagree because I learned about something called microexpressions. These are very similar to microaggressions and they are very small changes in the facial muscles that people who are watching for them can see. The people making these expressions often don’t know that they are making the expressions.
ReplyDeleteThe next expression I want to talk about is the eyes. I am a someone who looks into peoples eyes when I talk and because of that I feel like I am often aware of peoples eye expressions. The most obvious eye expression to me is eye contact. I have learned through various classes that eye contact is not always appropriate and in some cultures not even acceptable so when I say eye contact is the most obvious I mean with my friends and people I know rather well. When a good friend of mine stops making eye contact with me there is often something they aren’t telling me. On the other hand there is also blinking as an eye expression the article talks about people blinking unnaturally when they feel distressed or uncomfortable. I never knew that was an eye expression so I had never paid attention to it before. After this article though I may pay more attention to it though.
People that I surround myself with are often hand talkers or people who are constantly using gestures when they are talking to exemplify their point. I am also one of those people. Gestures can do other things besides enhance what someone is saying they can say things on their own. For example waving can either be high or goodbye, people can use their thumbs to show approval or disapproval of something, and people can let others know they are ok simply by putting two fingers together. There are many different gestures that have many different meanings throughout the world so people should be aware of what they are saying if they are in a foreign country.
The final expression I will be discussing is personal space. I am someone who in general doesn’t have a very large personal space bubble unless I am somewhere completely unfamiliar to me. There are four bubble sizes laid out in the article. They include intimate distance, personal distance, social distance, and public distance. I would say that with the majority of people I am ok with them being within my personal distance while when I am in a extremely uncomfortable situation a far social distance may be best. It is good to be aware of how someone else feels about his or her personal bubble. For instance if you are talking to someone and they take small steps back it may mean they are uncomfortable with the distance between the two of you. If someone you are in a very close relationship with starts creating more physical distance between you something could be troubling them and needs to be addressed.
Facial Expressions- I feel as if facial expressions are a big factor as in how people perceive your attitude. Whether your smiling or straight faced, the people around you know exactly what your attitude is at that moment. Showing your sparkling smile shows people that you are happy and have an open-minded attitude at that moment. If your are straight faced it can be taken one of two ways; you're either bored or just being a brat. And I wouldn't exactly want to be perceived as either one of those attitudes.
ReplyDeleteThe Eyes- I think the eyes were quoted as being "The windows of the soul". That is perfectly said. The only way I can think of this is being with your significant other. When looking in his/her eyes, you can see what they are feeling. You can tell if a person is happy or sad just by looking at the eyes. In order to see this for sure, I had both of my parents put a piece of paper over their nose and mouth so I could only see their eyes. I always say to smile with your eyes and that showed its truth in this little experiment of mine.
Arms and Legs- My mom always gets frustrated with me because I always cross my arms. She says it looks snobbish. And she is probably right but it is just so comfortable! Now that she always brings it to my attention, I am always aware when I cross my arms. I try really hard not to in public or when I am meeting new people because I don't want my attitude to be perceived in the wrong manner. It is said that if you stand in a positive, fierce stance at the beginning of your day, your day will be better. Now I didn't do this this morning so I couldn't test it out for my entire day but I did do it before writing this post and 1. my evening is going great and 2. the Dallas Cowboys are winning so I must have done something right!
Last but not least: Posture- Slouching in a chair is not only bad for your back, it makes you look lazy and like you don't care about life happening around you. Sitting straight up gives off the impression that you are a confident human being and that you know what you want. And on another positive spin to sitting up straight, it's an easy abdominal workout!
One of the body languages discussed in this article is facial expression. There are many emotions that can be expressed via the face, including happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, etc. Facial expressions are one of the most universal body languages! Fear, anger, sadness, and happiness are all conveyed the same throughout the entire world.
ReplyDeleteAnother popular known body language is expressed within the eyes. The eyes are continuously known as “the window to the soul”, which I believe is true! The eyes can reveal a lot of things without an individual having to say a word. Eye gaze, blinking, and pupil size are all elements to this specific language. For example, if a person is not blinking often it could potentially signify that they are intentionally controlling their blinking, which could mean they are trying to hide something.
The mouth is another body language that expresses emotion. The mouth can convey many things about how a person is currently feeling. Smiling is one of the most well known body language signals, however it does not solely reveal happiness. Smiling can also indicate sarcasm, cynicism, or even fake happiness. Another example of how the mouth conveys emotion is by pursed lips. Pursed lips can indicate distaste, disproval, or distrust. I have definitely seen this one a lot, especially where I work at. One of the men I support will often purse his lips, can you suggest to him things that you know he doesn’t like for instance taking a shower.
The hands are another one of the great body languages discussed in this article. The hands may convey a lot of things, and it’s especially crucial to know that certain things may mean something completely different in another part of the world. For example, in our culture we understand the okay signal, as meaning okay. However, in some parts of Europe the same exact signal can mean ‘you are nothing’. This is why it is important to understand body language.
One form of body language is posture. Posture is how we hold our bodies and can portray different emotions such as confidence with proper posture, boredom with slouching, or hostility through a closed off posture.
ReplyDeleteA second aspect of nonverbal communication is the eyes. I can personally attest to the fact that my best friend from high school and I can tell exactly what each other is thinking just by watching each other’s eyes. When interpreting someone’s eyes it is important to watch first of all for eye contact, then blinking rate, and pupil size.
Thirdly, arms and legs can tell others of your comfort level. Crossed arms or legs can mean defensiveness or feeling closed off while hands at a person’s hips can portray anger or impatience.
Finally, facial expressions may be the easiest nonverbal communications to recognize. It is very easy to read someone’s expression when they are excited, wide eyes and raised eyebrows, or disgusted, scrunched nose and furrowed brows.
The aspects of communication I am going to discuss are eyes, personal space, facial expression and gestures.
ReplyDeleteEyes are very important when it comes to communication. You can pick up on a lot of non-verbal information by paying attention to a person's eye contact, pupil size, and blinking rate.
Another aspect of communication is personal space. I find this very true and very easy to read as well. Sometimes a person's eye contact can give off the wrong idea as well as gestures that are used but personal space is normally picked up on pretty easily and very understood. There are four spacial bubble sizes that include intimate distance, personal distance, social distance, and public distance. These are all different sizes of a personal space bubble. For example someone you allow in your intimate distance is probably in a lot smaller of a bubble than someone in your public bubble.
Facial expression is another important aspect of communication. I'm sure you've talked to someone who by their facial expression you could tell they were or weren't very interested and they didn't even have to say anything, right? It's pretty noticeable sometimes.
Another aspect of communication are gestures which I believe are probably the most misunderstood. There are too many times where someone is taken the wrong way simple because of their gestures. Like someone with their arms crossed which I do a lot but it doesn't mean anything, I just do it out of habit.
The eyes- you can learn a lot about a person by there gaze maintaining eye contact for the majority of the conversation says your interested but if overdone it can be perceived as threatening. if they are adverting gaze it may be a sign of anxiety or hiding something. Another point they made was on blinking if someone blinked too much it ment they were nervous and blinking too little means they are controlling there blinking which is a sign of a person sheltering there true emotion.
ReplyDeleteFacial expressions- facial expression is most of the time a more reliable factor in defining a persons emotion then what there actually saying. they could say they our fine but have a discouraged look on there face saying otherwise. basic facial expressions such as a smile meaning happy or a frown for sad are the same for every culture across the world.
personal space- how close people are when interacting shows how comfortable they are with the other person. If they 8-16 inches of each other it is referred to an intimate relationship where the two people are highly comfortable with each other, and if someone who isn't close with that person it would be taken as a violation of there personal space getting that close. If they are 1.5 to 4 ft. it means they are usually friends or family members the closer they stand the more intimate the relationship.4-12 ft would be for acquaintances and 12 to 25 for public speaking situations.
Posture- an open posture keeping the trunk and the body exposed, represents friendliness, openness and willingness. If a person has a closed posture such as a hunched over position crossed arms or legs they could be preserved as aggressive, or anxious.
Body language can tell you a lot about a persons nonverbal communication. One aspect of evaluating body language is the eye gaze. The eye gaze to me seems to tell you if someone is telling the truth or not. If they can not keep eye contact they are normally lying to you, but if they are a person who normally does not keep eye contact then I would think anything different, but most of the time if you are not looking me in the eye I will think that you lying. A second aspect is closed posture. When someone has closed posture it usually tells me that they are not interested in what you are saying or they are bored. Posture can tell you a lot about someone when talking with them. A third aspect are gestures. Gestures are very important, they can tell you a lot when talking with someone. You can usually tell if something is up with someone who does not use hand gestures start to use them to get their point across. This can also be a sign that someone is lying or they could be very upset. A fourth aspect is lip biting. When someone bites their lip is can be a sign that someone is stressed, anxious, or nervous about something. I sometimes tend to bite my lip when I get nervous like for example when I have to give a speech.
ReplyDeleteFacial expressions are an easy way to tell how someone is feeling. A simple smile or frown and show how someone is feeling. Some of these facial expressions are happiness, sadness, fear, joy and anger. These facial expressions are a good indicator of how a person feels about something without any communication needed. Non-verbal communication is a large part of communication and facial expressions show true feelings.
ReplyDeleteWhen communicating with someone it is important to have strong eye contact no matter if you are the one speaking or the person receiving the message. A persons eye are a good indicator of their emotions. The three things you should look for with eyes include pupil size, eye gazing and blinking. Putting all these things into consideration are a good sign of a persons non-verbal communication skills.
Gestures are an easy showing of a persons true feelings. A lot of people talk with their hands which makes it even easier to notice someone's gestures. Some easily noticeable gestures are thumbs up or down, tight fists and the 'okay' gesture. Gestures are obvious signs of someone's feelings about what someone is saying and how they feel about it.
Everyone feels different about personal space, but it is very common to enjoy having their own space. No one likes having their personal space invaded for too long, because it becomes awkward and uncomfortable for them. There is a set standard for distance with people. Strangers should stay further away than close friends. Personal and intimate distance are very similar but still have differences. When communicating with someone it is important to not invade their personal space.
Understanding the eyes is one way to understand body language. Looking directly into someone’s eyes indicates interest and that you are paying attention to that person. Frequently looking away, though, can indicate that the person is uncomfortable or distracted. People who blink more rapidly can also indicate the person is distracted or feeling uncomfortable with the situation. Pupil size can also give subtle cues to how a person is feeling.
ReplyDeleteWith the lips, pay attention to pursed lips, which can indicate distrust or distaste. Lip biting can signal stress or someone who is anxious. Covering the mouth hides an emotional reaction. Lastly, when the mouth is turned up, it might signal happiness and when the mouth is turned down, it might signal sadness.
Arms and legs are another aspect of body language discussed. Crossed arms indicate that a person Is closed-off. Hands on the hips can be a sign of aggressiveness. When a person clasps their hands behind their back or fidgeting their fingers might tell you that the person is bored or anxious. When a person is in need of privacy, their legs may be crossed.
Open posture and closed posture are more body language aspects. Open posture indicates openness and close posture indicates the opposite; hostility or anxiety.
Gestures can be a huge give away to how a person is feeling. This type of body language is one that I see many people use. When someone gets excited or angry about something they may wave their hands above their head. One gesture that I use a lot is when I am giving directions; I will point my hands in the direction that you need to go or if you need to take a turn I will point to the left or right. Another gesture that I see a lot of people use that gives away their emotion is when they are talking in depth about a subject; if someone really likes a certain subject that they are discussing they will more than likely use more gestures.
ReplyDeleteArms and legs are another dead give away to a persons feelings. If someone is crossing their arms they are giving the signal that they do not want to be bothered. If their hands are at their side then they are more than likely in a neutral mood. While when their hands are behind their back it is hard to decipher what their mood is because they could be clenching their hands or twisting them. Legs are a little bit harder to decipher but you can tell when someone is in a relaxed mood because their legs are crosses at the ankles, either standing or sitting, or one leg is resting on the other. It is hard to always tell but every now and then you can just tell by the way a persons legs are tensed up that they are not in a good mood.
Facial expressions is another easy body language to read. A personal experience was when I was just out of surgery and my mom could tell by the look on my face, a huge wrinkle that wouldn't go away, that I was in pain. The face has so many muscles that they are easily seen even by a stranger.
Personal space is something that everyone enjoys. There are times where a stranger will invade my personal space and I always wonder if they are just looking of a reaction; which I usually try to casually move away from them so I won't uncomfortable. The normal space that you should give a stranger is at least a couple of feet, maybe a little farther than arms length away. However, personal space goes out the window most of the time when you are around close friends and family because you are used to being in close proximity.