How to Read Body Language

How to Read Body Language. Understanding body language can lead to closer relationships since nonverbal communication constitutes up to.
Table of contents

When people exhibit anxiety, they display increased blinking and facial movements, and their mouth stretches into a thin line. Look for expressions of embarrassment. Embarrassment can be signaled by averting the eyes or shifting them away, turning of the head, and controlled or even tense smiles. People also tend to look down when they are upset, or trying to hide something emotional. People are often thinking and feeling unpleasant emotions when they are in the process of staring at the ground.

Notice any manifestations of pride. People show pride by displaying a small smile, tilting their head backward, and putting their hands on their hips. Method 1 Quiz What is one display of anger or threatening body language? Glancing at the floor. Arms crossed tightly across his or her chest.

10 Proven Tactics for Reading People's Body Language

Increased blinking and jittery movements. Assess proxemics and haptics, or distancing and touching. This is one way to communicate the status of an interpersonal relationship. Physical closeness and touch signal liking, affection, and love. People in close relationships require less personal space than with strangers. Read the person's eyes.

They don't only focus on the other person's eyes, however, but focus on the eyes for a few minutes, then move down to the nose or lips, then back up to the eyes.

They may look down at table every once in a while, but they always return to meeting the other person's eyes. Keep in mind, however, that many substances can cause the pupils to dilate, including alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, LSD, and others. Overly persistent or even aggressive eye contact suggests that a person is very aware of what messages he is trying to send out.

A person who tries to deceive someone, thus, may distort his eye contact so that he doesn't appear to be avoiding it, which is a widely recognized indicator of lying. Look at the person's posture.

10 Things Body Language Says About You in Hindi

If someone rests their arms behind their neck or head, the person is conveying that he is open to what is being discussed or may just laid back in general. Tightly crossed limbs are usually a sign of resistance and low receptivity to another person. In general, when the body is arranged in such a manner, this is a sign that a person is mentally, emotionally, and physically closing themselves off from another person.

Method 2 Quiz What is a common indicator a person is lying? When someone in a conversation looks up and to the right. Making eye contact is a sign of attraction, as is blinking more than the average times per minute. However, keep in mind that this may be culturally-specific; some Asian cultures frown upon winking and consider it rude. Watch for certain facial expressions. Smiling is one of the clearest signs of attraction. Make sure you know how to decipher a forced smile from a real one. You can tell fake smiles from real ones because the smile doesn't reach all the way to their eyes.

Genuine smiles usually result in tiny crinkles around a person's eyes crow's feet. When people fake smile, you won't see the wrinkles. Consider the person's posture, gestures, and stance. Generally people who are attracted to each other try to close the distance to one another. This may mean leaning forward towards the other person more but can also be more direct, in the form of touching.

A light tap or stroking of the arm can be a signal of attraction. Attraction can also be signaled by the person's feet staying pointed toward or facing the object of his interest. Be aware of gender differences in showing attraction. Men and women can show differences in demonstrating attraction via their body language. A man is likely to lead forward and turn his torso toward the person of his interest, whereas a woman reciprocating attraction turns her torso away and leans back.

Method 3 Quiz True or false: Eye contact, a channel of kinesics, is the primary way that people communicate dominance. People establishing dominance will take the liberty of staring at and surveying others while making direct eye contact. They will also be the last person to break eye contact.

A person asserting dominance will also refrain from smiling in order to communicate seriousness and may instead frown or purse his lips. Evaluate gestures and stance. Gestures can display dominance; pointing at others and using large gestures is a way to show others your status. In addition, when someone takes a wider and taller stance while also being relaxed, this is another show of dominance. They will usually place their hand on top with their palm facing downwards; the grip will be firm and sustained in order to demonstrate control.

Consider how the person manages their personal space. Those with high status will generally enable more physical space to exist between themselves and lower status people. High-status individuals will also take up more physical space to show their dominance and mastery of the situation. Standing - and particularly in the foreground - is seen as a more powerful pose. Slouching and slumping, by contrast, convey a lack of confidence. They like to be up front.

Watch how and when the person touches. People asserting their status will have more options when it comes to touch because they feel more confident in their position. Generally, in an unequal situation where one person has a higher status, he will touch the lower-status person with greater frequency. Method 4 Quiz How can you recognize a person is asserting dominance through body language? Walking through a door first. Sitting rather than standing. Shaking hands in a relaxed manner. Know that reading body language is a complex task. Nonverbal behavior is itself complex since all people are different and present themselves differently.

For example, did that person already mention to you today that he had a fight with his wife or didn't a get a promotion at work? Or was he visibly anxious over lunch? While this information is not always available, it can be helpful to read body language. People are complex, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that how they convey themselves with their bodies is complex too! You could compare reading body language to watching your favorite TV show; after all, you wouldn't just watch one scene in your favorite TV show, but the whole episode in order to properly understand the meaning of that one scene.

You need to look at this bigger picture also when it comes to reading body language! Remember to consider individual differences. There is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to body language. If you are invested in being able to read a person's body language accurately, you may have to 'study' that person for some time. What is true for one person may not always be true for another. For example, when lying, some people break eye contact, while others attempt to maintain even more eye contact than usual so that they won't be suspected of lying.

Body Language: How to Read It & The Science Of Understanding It

Be aware that body language can differ according to culture. For some emotions and expressions of body language, the meaning of the messages is culturally-specific. For instance, in Finnish culture, when a person makes eye contact, it is a sign of approachability. By contrast, when a person makes eye contact, it is considered to be an expression of anger for the Japanese. For example, autistic people often avoid eye contact while listening, and fidget frequently. Note that while some physical expressions of emotion vary from culture to culture, some research suggests that certain expressions of body language are universal across cultures.

This is especially true for the communication of dominance and submission. For example, across different cultures, a lowered posture indicates submission. Note that understanding differs according to nonverbal channel. Calero videotaped more than 2, negotiations for a book they wrote on reading body language, and not a single one ended in an agreement when one of the parties had their legs crossed while negotiating.

Real smiles crinkle the eyes. Copying your body language is a good thing. Have you ever been in a meeting with someone and noticed that every time you cross or uncross your legs, they do the same? Mirroring body language is something we do unconsciously when we feel a bond with the other person.

What is Body Language?

Posture tells the story. Have you ever seen a person walk into a room, and immediately, you have known that they were the one in charge? That effect is largely about body language, and often includes an erect posture, gestures made with the palms facing down, and open and expansive gestures in general. The brain is hardwired to equate power with the amount of space people take up.

By continuing to browse the site, you agree to this use. For more information on how we use cookies, see our Privacy Policy. You can learn a lot about someone's intentions and emotions from their body language, if you know what to look for. We've compiled some tips in the graphic below to help you better understand what people are really telling you. Worry, surprise, or fear can cause people to raise their eyebrows in discomfort. So if someone compliments your new hairstyle or outfit with raised eyebrows, that person may not be sincere. Whether you know it or not, your vocal range shows your interest.

When you look at someone in the eyes, it sets an arousal state in the body. A leering stranger can evoke fear, while the stare of a lover can kindle romance. In an attempt to avoid looking shifty-eyed, some liars will purposefully hold their gaze a touch too long, so that it's slightly uncomfortable.