It's a tool to improve non verbal language

1. Beyond Words . . .
Understanding and Interpreting
Body Language

2. Introduction
• Humans pride themselves on their
seemingly unique ability to verbalize
feelings and ideas.
• While the mouth tells one story, gestures
and posture may tell a different story.

3. Taking Gestures Out of
Context
(attaching significance to a single gesture)
• Gestures should be observed in clusters to
provide a more accurate picture of person
being observed
• Each gesture is like a sentence
• The sum total of postures and gestures
relate a non-verbal story

4. “Gut Feelings” & Congruence
• When intuition tells you that certain people
are not being straightforward even though
they sound logical & appropriate
• This “intuition” or gut feeling results from
subconscious ability to read another
person’s body language

5. Evolution and Refinement of
Inherent Gestures
• Behavioral scientists have found that some
basic communication gestures are universal
and believed to be inherent
• Examples are: smiling, shrugging, nodding
• Children tend to exaggerate these gestures
making their body language easy to read
(See Fig. 1)

6. When children are small and tell a lie, their
hands fly over their mouth.
Fig. 1

7. A teenager might “refine” this inherent gesture by
simply bringing tips of fingers to the mouth
This gesture is inherent and continues to be used
throughout a lifetime in more refined and varied forms.

8. An adult may bring the little finger to edge of
mouth.
Sometimes adults will refrain from using hands and bite
lower lip, purse lips, or skew mouth from side to side.

9. The Palm
Historically, an open palm has
signified honesty, truth,
allegiance, and submission.

10. Two Basic Palm Positions:
• Open palm in upward position- gesture
signifies appeal or request to others
• Open palm facing outward or
downward-a gesture that indicates desire to
stop or hold something down; signal of
restraint
(Fig. 4 & Fig. 5)

11. An Appeal or Request to
Others
Fig. 4

12. A Desire to Stop or Hold Something Down
Fig. 5

13. Palms-up Expresses Submission
Fig. 6

14. Palms-down Expresses Authority
Fig. 7

15. Closed Palm With Extended Finger
Fig. 8
Expresses Authority That Borders on Tyranny

16. Veterans of Palm Deception!
Body language is an important
consideration for certain individuals:
• Politicians – generally expose palms of
hands as though appealing to public
• Remember—this is a position of
submissiveness and demonstrates to voters
that he/she is their public servant!

17. Handshakes
• Three basic attitudes are transmitted
through the handshake:
Dominance
Submission
Equality

18. Dominance is shown by turning hand
so that palm is facing down during
the handshake.
Fig. 9

19. Submission is shown by turning hand
so that palm is facing upwards during
the handshake
Fig. 10

20. Equality is shown by turning palm so
that it faces neither up nor downwards.
Fig. 11

21. Hybrid
Handshakes

22. The “Glove” Handshake
-Demonstrated by initiator clasping both hands around the
recipient’s hand.
-It is intended to give impression of companionship and
warmth.
-Sometimes referred to as “politician’s handshake”.

23. Clasping the Arm Handshake
-Variation of the glove handshake whereby initiator shakes
person’s extended hand in conventional fashion while
grasping receiver’s upper arm with free hand.
-This too is intended to demonstrate sincerity and warmth
but is often seen as a violation of personal space.

24. Knuckle Cruncher Handshake
-The hallmark of aggressive handshake whereby one or
both participators firmly squeeze offered hand.
-Sometimes referred to as the “Texas Vice”.
-Thought to be due to socialization process which
encourages boys to demonstrate their assertive, powerful,
“manly” attributes.

25. “Dead Fish” Handshake
Fig. 15

26. Fingertip Clasp
-Occurs when one party stops short of grasping other
participant’s palm and instead clasps his/her fingers.
-Sometimes happens when one party “misses his/her mark
due to lack of confidence or nervousness.
-Other times, this technique is used when people want to
maintain spatial distance and less intimacy.

27. Straight-Arm Extension
Handshake
Fig. 17

28. The Hands

29. Hand Clenching
This gesture can have several meanings:
-when clenched hands are held at chest level and against
body, this if often indication of personal pleading
-when clenched hands are at chin or chest but not next to
body, this is signal of frustration or negativity.

30. Hand clenching not next to body is a
signal of frustration or negativity.
Fig. 19

31. Hand Chop
-An aggressive gesture that speakers sometimes use when
they want to accent what is being said.
-Although this is a forceful gesture, it does not have the
violent connotation as does the chopping fist with extended
finger.

32. Hand Steepling
Fig. 21
Fig. 22

33. Hand-Holding Behind the Back
-When individual holds both hands behind back, this
signals confidence.
-Note that this position allows individual to expose trunk of
his/her body and signals unconscious act of fearlessness.

34. Don’t confuse handholding behind back with
wrist or arm holding!
-These gestures indicate an attempt at self-control (hence
the phrase, “Get a grip on yourself”).
-Generally speaking, the higher the hand grips the arm,
the angrier the individual and the greater the attempt at
self-control.

35. Thumb Presentation
-Presentation of thumbs is a gesture, which signals
superiority or dominance.
-Often displayed from pockets and usually part of gesture
cluster that signals an authoritative attitude.

36. Fingers & Hand
To Face, Head, & Neck

37. Finger(s) to Mouth
-A signal that he/she is
under pressure or feeling
insecure.

38. Hand to Chin & Cheek
Indifference/Boredom Gesture
-Resting jaw and cheek against hand as though to support
weight of head.
-The more assistance from the hand, the greater degree of
boredom.

39. Gesture of Interest
-If the hand is closed and resting on cheek with index
finger extended towards temple (and not used as head
support), this indicates interest.
-Men tend to hold their head in a vertical position, whereas
women tend to tilt their head when using this gesture.

40. Forming a Decision Gesture
-One hand moves to lower jaw and begins chin-stroking.

41. Deceit Gestures
Hand to Mouth, Ear, or Eye
Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil . . .

42. The Mouth Guard Gesture
-When an individual’s hand covers mouth (partially or
entirely).
-A signal that he/she is exaggerating or lying.
-If, however, someone covers his/her mouth while you are
speaking, it indicates that listener doesn’t believe you!

43. The Nose Touch Gesture
-A modified version of mouth guard gesture.
-May be physiological reason for this gesture: researchers
determined that lying can cause sensitive nerve endings at
base of nose to tingle and itch.

44. The Eye Rub
-A subconscious gesture that is used when a person is
intentionally trying to deceive others.
-Whereas a teenager will obviously look down at his/her
feet when trying to deceive, an adult might rub the corner
of his/her eye which allows a break in eye contact.

45. The Ear Rub
-A subconscious gesture that indicated the individual is
perplexed about what he/she is hearing.

46. Hand to Neck:
Back Neck Rub
Has a couple of meanings:
-Sometimes people who are lying will rub back of neck
while looking down and avoiding your gaze.
-Other times this gesture is a signal of frustration or
anger (“pain in the neck”).

47. Hands Behind Head
Fig. 37

48. Language of the
Arms

49. Folded Arms
Fig. 38

50. Folded Arms With
Clenched Fists
Fig. 39

51. Arm Gripping
Fig.
40

52. Single Arm
Cross
Fig.
41

53. Sophisticated Arm
Cross Barriers
Fig. 42

54. Language of the
Legs and Feet

55. Crossing
at the
Knee
Fig. 43

56. Ankle on
Knee
Fig. 44

57. Leg Lock Position
Fig. 45

58. Ankle to
Ankle Leg
Cross
Fig. 46

59. Foot Tapping or Wagging
Fig. 47

60. Language of the
Hair, Head, and
Face

61. Hair Stroking
and Head
Tossing
Fig. 48

62. Hair Twisting
Fig. 49

63. Head Tilt
Fig. 50

64. Backward Head Tilt
Fig. 51

65. Lifted Eyebrow
Fig.
52

66. Raised Eyebrows
Fig.
53

67. Wide-Eyes
Fig. 54

68. Nose Flare
Fig. 55

69. Skewed Mouth
Fig.
56