Body LanguageBy: Natasha Kostuck

body language is a form of nonverbal communication

body language includes body movement, gestures, mannerisms, motion, and visual communication (http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/body language)

kinesics is the study of body movement (Floyd, 2009)

body language can have multiple meanings

improving your body language can change the way people respond to you (Sayer, 2009)

Body Language

55% • body language

38% • tone of voice

7%• what is

actually said

(Sayer, 2009)

the body doesn’t lie

actions speak louder than words

when people like one another they subconsciously begin mirroring each other (Pease, 2006)

body language is important because it reveals to people how you are feeling (Sayer, 2009)

The Truth

put a smile on your face

keep your head up

roll your shoulders back

pull in your stomach

deflate your chest

Making a Positive Impact with Body Language

(Sayer, 2009)

arms folded across the chest

tapping your foot or finger

propping your head with your hands

resting hands behind your head or on your hips

looking down when in conversation

Making a Negative Impact with Body Language

(Pease, 2006)

if the feet are pointed towards you this means you have their attention

both men and woman that play with their hair can imply they are attracted to one another

touching of the hands means they enjoy your company

Body Language and Relationships

(http://www.livingtv.co.uk/relationships/bodylanguage.php)

the shoulder shrug implies that the person does not understand what is being said

nodding the head is a indication of “yes”

head shaking shows disagreement or indication of “no”

Common Universal Body Language

(Pease, 2006)

the ring sign in the United States generally means OK

in some Mediterranean countries it is used as a signal to imply a man is a homosexual

Throughout Europe it can mean zero, nothing, or worthless

In Japan it can mean money or asking for a bribe

The Ring Sign

(Pease 2006)

commonly used as another OK signal in the United States

used by hitchhikers to get a ride or telling someone “up yours”

in Greece the main meaning is “get stuffed!”

Europeans use thumbs-up for meaning “one”

The Thumbs-Up Sign

(Pease, 2006)

in the United States the v-sign usually stands for peace or meaning “two”

in Britain it was used to show their enemies that they still have their shooting fingers

if the palm is facing out it stands for victory

if the palm is facing the speaker it can mean “up yours”

The V-Sign

(Pease, 2006)

when someone strokes their head or hair it is because that is how their mother comforted them when they were young

shaking the head side to side is learned through infancy by breastfeeding, it is a way of saying “no” to not wanting more to eat

most people, even people born blind use gestures before they begin to actually speak

Before We Began Speaking

(Pease 2006 )

1) Body Language. (n.d.). Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition. Retrieved March 26, 2010, from Thesaurus.com website: http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/body language

2) Floyd, K. (2009). Interpersonal Communication.(Vol. 1st ed., Michael. Ryan, Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

3) Pease, A., & Pease, B. (2006). The Definitive Book of Body Language. New York, NY: Bantam Dell.

4) Sayer, M. (2009). Read the Signals: The Body Language Handbook. Molly Aloian, (Ed.). New York, NY: Crabtree Pub.

5) (2009). It’s All in the Body Language. http://www.livingtv.co.uk/relationships/bodylanguage.php

Works Cited