KinesicsBody movement and gestures

Presented By: Avish Shah – 12MICT21

“ A man stands inside of a closed glass phone booth. You cannot hear a word he says, but you see his postures, gestures, and facial expressions. “

You see his kinesics. Marjorie F. Vargas (Louder Than Words)

p. 67

Kinesics is the study of  body movement, facial expressions, and gestures. 

Postures Gestures Emblems Illustrators Affect displays Regulators Adaptors

Points Covered In Presentation…

Posture & GaitExpressions related

to posture, gait◦ “grow a spine”◦ walking with a

“spring in your step”◦ “stand up for

yourself”◦ “stand up straight”◦ “hold your head

high”◦ “don’t slouch.”◦ “stand still”

In Western culture, an upright, yet relaxed body posture, is associated with confidence, positivity, high self esteem (Guerrero & Floyd, 2006).

Posture & Gait

Posture and Body Movement

Nonverbal indicators of Liking◦ Forward lean◦ Body and head orientation facing

the other person◦ Open body positions◦ Affirmative head nods◦ Moderate gesturing and

animation◦ Close interpersonal distances◦ Moderate body relaxation◦ Touching◦ Initiating and maintaining eye

contact◦ Smiling◦ Mirroring (congruent posture)

Posture and Body Movement

Nonverbal indicators of dislike◦ Indirect, oblique body

orientation◦ No eye contact, or eye

contact of short duration◦ Averted eyes◦ Unpleasant facial

expressions◦ Relative absence of

gestures◦ Body rigidity, bodily tension◦ Incongruent postures

Politician’s postures

nonverbal faux pas

Humans have uniquely expressive hands.

Gestures

GesturesGestures may be

conflicting◦ Yawning while

saying you are not tired.

◦ Looking involved but saying, “I don’t care,”

Emblems : Movement communicates meaning

Emblems are body movements that substitute for words and phrases. 

We beckon with are index finger to mean “come here.”

  We use an open hand held up to mean “stop.”

However, be wary of emblems,they may mean something different in a different culture. 

EmblemsEmblems are used

intentionally.They have verbal

equivalentsThey have a clear,

consistent meaning within a particular culture◦ Cross my heart◦ Shame on you◦ Peace sign◦ I’m crazy

In much of the world today, the thumbs up means, "O.K.", "Right On!", or "I like this”

But in Iran, Afghanistan

, Nigeria and parts

of Italy and Greece.. it

is an obscene insult,

especially when

combined with a

sweep of the arms.

.

Illustrators Illustrators are used

intentionally. Illustrators are tied to

speech.◦ They reinforce or

supplement what is being said.

Illustrators are most common in face-to-face interaction

Illustrators are so habitual, people use them when talking on the phone

Examples of illustratorsTwo palms held up signify “I don’t know.Wagging a finger while making a pointRolling one’s eyes in disbelief“For example” gestureJust a pinchHitting one’s fist for emphasisA double head nodPointing when giving directionsI caught a fish this big.After you

Affect displaysAre these people expressing the same emotion, in differing degrees, or different emotions altogether?

Affect displaysAffect displays may

or may not be intentional

Affect displays convey feeling and emotion

They are often communicated via facial expressions

They can be difficult to interpret

Interpreting affect displays:◦ Look at the face to

determine the emotion◦ Look at body cues to

determine the strength or intensity of the emotion.

RegulatorsRegulators are primarily

unintentionalThey regulate turn-taking

behaviorConversational give and

take depends on regulators

Types of turn-taking

Turn-requesting cues

Turn maintaining cues

Turn yielding cues

Turn denying cues

RegulatorsRegulate the ebb

and flow of conversation

AdaptorsAdaptors are usually

unintentional.Adaptors include self-

touching behaviorsAdapters signal

nervousness, anxiousness, boredom

Generally speaking, adapters are perceived negatively◦ However, adaptors

may be perceived as more genuine, authentic

Examples of adaptors◦ Fiddling with one’s hair◦ Chewing one’s fingernails◦ Tapping one’s foot or leg◦ Biting one’s lips◦ Scratching one’s arm◦ Wringing one’s hands◦ Clenching one’s jaw

AdaptorsHair twirling

is an adaptor, but does it always mean the same thing?

AdaptorsObject adaptors

include:Tapping a pencilDrumming one’s

fingersAdjusting one’s

clothingPlaying with

jewelry

Adaptors when students take tests◦ Hair twirling◦ Scratching◦ Ear pulling◦ Forehead rubbing

How does it help to know about kinesics? 

Understanding nonverbal communication can help us communicate better.  We avoid misunderstandings.    We are clearer in the meanings we transmit.

Hope It Helps Folks !

Sources: 

http://www.ooze.com/finger/html/foriegn.html

 http://members.aol.com/doder1/kinesic1.htm

 http://www.psychcorp.com/catg/pdf/p187.pdf