Your Body Languages Shapes Who You Are

Your Body Languages Shapes Who You Are

Name: 杨雨婷   No.2014053147   Major: CPA    Date: June 24th 

   Body language is nonverbal communication, which includes body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Human subconsciously send and interpret these signals. Scientists believe that a large part of human communication is through body language and only a small percentage consists of words.

   There are four main types of body languages

1.Facial Expression

Facial expression is integral when expressing emotions through the body. Combinations of eyes, eyebrow, lips and cheek movements help form different moods of an individual. A few studies show that facial expression and bodily expression are congruent when interpreting emotions.Behavioral experiments have also shown that recognition of facial expression is influenced by perceived bodily expression. This means that the brain processes the others’ facial and bodily expressions simultaneously.Subjects in these studies showed accuracy in judging emotions based on facial expression. This is because the face and the body are normally seen together in their natural proportions and the emotional signals from the face and body are well integrated.

2. Body Postures

Emotions can also be detected through body postures. Research has shown that body postures are more accurately recognized when an emotion is compared with a different or neutral emotion. For example, a person feeling angry would portray dominance over the other, and his/her posture displays approach tendencies. Comparing this to a person feeling fearful, he or she would feel weak, submissive and his or her posture would display avoidance tendencies, the opposite of an angry person.

Gestures

Gestures are movements made with body parts and they may be voluntary or involuntary. Arm gestures can be interpreted in several ways. In a discussion, when one stands or sits with folded arms, this is normally not a welcoming gesture. It could mean that he or she has a closed mind and is most likely unwilling to listen to the speaker’s viewpoint. Another type of arm gesture also includes an arm crossed over the other, demonstrating insecurity and a lack of confidence. Hand gestures often signify the state of well-being of the person making them. Relaxed hands indicate confidence and self-assurance, while clenched hands may be interpreted as signs of stress or anger. If a person is wringing his/her hands, this demonstrates nervousness and anxiety. Finger gestures are also commonly used to exemplify one’s speech as well as denote the state of well-being of the person making them.

4.Handshakes

   Handshakes are regular greeting rituals and are commonly done on meeting, greeting, offering congratulations or after the completion of an agreement. They usually indicate the level of confidence and emotion level in people. Studies have also categorized several handshake styles, e.g. the finger squeeze, the bone crusher , the limp fish. Handshakes are popular in the US and are appropriate for use between men and women. However, in Muslim cultures, men may not shake hands or touch women in any way. Likewise, in Hindu cultures, Hindu men may never shake hands with women. Instead, they greet women by placing their hands as if praying