BY K A P I L

BH AT T

BODY LANGUAGE

Body language is a kind of nonverbal communication, where thoughts, intentions, or feelings are expressed by physical behaviors, such as facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space.

DEFINITION

• It exists in both animals and humans.

• Oculesics :  is the study of eye movement, eye behavior, gaze, and eye-related nonverbal communication.

• Haptics :  is the study of touching and how it is used in communication.

• Proxemics :  is the study of measurable distances between people as they interact with one another.

SUBCATEGORIES OF BODY LANGUAGE

INTRODUCTION

• How Well Do You Know the Back of Your Hand?(less than 5%)

• Most men and nearly half of all women don't know what they look like from the neck down.(15%M & 42%w)

UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS• In the Beginning Silent movie actors like Charlie Chaplin

were the pioneers of body language skills.• It's how you looked when you said it, not what you

actually said.• Inborn, Genetic or Learned Culturally :

Seven out of ten people cross their left arm over their right.

THREE RULES FOR ACCURATE READING

Rule 1. Read Gestures in Clusters : One of the most serious errors a novice in body language can make is to interpret a solitary gesture in isolation of other gestures or circumstances. For example, scratching the head

Rule 2. Look for Congruence : Research shows that non-verbal signals carry about five times as much impact as the verbal channel and that, when the two are incongruent people - especially women - rely on the nonverbal message and disregard the verbal content.

Rule 3. Read Gestures in Context : All gestures should be considered in the context in which they occur.

TRUE-LIFE STORY : THE LYING JOB APPLICANT

…..We were interviewing a man who was explaining why he had quit his last job. He told us that there had been insufficient future opportunity available to him and that it was a hard decision to leave as he got on well with all the staff there. A female interviewer said she had an 'intuitive feeling' that the applicant was lying and that he had negative feelings about his former boss, despite the applicant's continual praising of his boss. During a review of the interview on slow motion video, we noticed that each time the applicant mentioned his former boss a split-second sneer appeared on the left side of his face. Often these contradictory signals will flash across a person's face in a fraction of a second and are missed by an untrained observer. We telephoned his former boss and discovered the applicant had been fired for dealing drugs to other staff members. As confidently as this applicant had tried to fake his body language, his contradictory micro-gestures gave the game away to our female interviewer

THE POWER OF HANDS• Researchers at the

University of Oregon determined that people can retain up to three times more information about things they see in their right visual field than they do in their left. • Turning your

palm from facing upwards to facing downwards completely alters how others perceive you.

• Submissive dogs reveal their throats. Humans show their palms.

HANDSHAKES• Equality:

'I feel comfortable with this person.'

• Dominance: 'He is trying to dominate me. I'd better be cautious.'

• Submission: 'I can dominate this person. He'll do what I

want.'

THE DOUBLE-HANDER

This handshake increases the amount of physical contact given by the initiator and gives control over the receiver by restricting his right hand.

• It is like a miniature hug and is acceptable only in circumstances where a hug could also be acceptable.

THE WORLD'S SIX WORST HANDSHAKES

The Wet-Fish The Vice

The Pump-Handler

The Finger Tip GrabThe Stiff-Arm Thrust

The Bone-Crusher

TRY THE LUNCHEON TEST

Try this simple test next time you eat with someone. Unspoken 200 Space Invaders — Territories and Personal Space territorial rules state that a restaurant table is divided equally down the middle and the staff carefully place the salt, pepper, sugar, flowers and other accessories equally on the center line. As the meal progresses, subtly move the salt cellar across to the other person's side, then the pepper, flowers and so on. Before long this subtle territorial invasion will cause a reaction in your lunch-mate. They either sit back to regain their space or start pushing everything back to the center.

HOW THE LEGS REVEAL WHAT THE MIND WANTS

TO DO Jiggling the feet is like the brain's attempt to

run away from what is being experienced.

THE FOUR MAIN STANDING POSITIONS

4. Leg Cross : This is how most people stand when they are among people whom they don't know well. If you interact with them you would find that one or all of them are unfamiliar with others in the group. While open legs can show openness or dominance, crossed legs shows a closed, submissive or defensive attitude as they symbolically deny any access to the genitals.

1. At Attention : This is a formal position that shows a neutral attitude with no commitment to stay or go. In male—female encounters, it is used more by women than men.2. Legs Apart : As mentioned earlier, this is predominantly a male gesture and is like a standing Crotch Display. The Crotch Displayer plants both feet firmly on the ground, making a clear statement that he has no intention of leaving.

3. The Foot-Forward : The body weight is shifted to one hip, which leaves the front foot pointing forward.

SPACE INVADERS - TERRITORIES AND PERSONAL SPACE

3. The Social Zone (1.22~3.6m)We stand at this distance from strangers, a plumber or carpenter doing repairs around our home, the local shopkeeper and people whom we don't know very well.

1. The Intimate Zone (15-45 centimeters) Of all the zone distances, this is by far the most important, as it is this zone that a person guards as if it were his own property. Only those who are emotionally close to us are permitted to enter.

2. The Personal Zone(46cm—1.22m) This is the distance that we stand from others at cocktail parties, office parties, social functions and friendly gatherings.

4. The Public Zone (over 3.6m). Whenever we address a large group of people, this is the comfortable distance at which we choose to stand.

15-45cm 46-122cm 1.22-3.6m 3.6m

WHERE TO SIT, AND WHY

• Take B1, the Corner Position, to conduct the interview, as this allows you to see the person clearly without seeming competitive or aggressive, as you might in B3, or too familiar as in B2.

• Take position B2, the Co-operative Position, to help with the crossword puzzle, because this is where we sit to give help or build rapport.

• Chose position B3 to play chess against the person. This is called the Competitive/Defensive Position and is the one we choose to compete against an adversary because it lets us have a full view of their face and what they're doing.• Finally use the Diagonal Position,

B4, in the library to communicate your independence or non-involvement.

A B2

B4B3

B1

THE NINE GOLDEN KEYS TO MAKING GREAT FIRST IMPRESSIONS

• In the Reception Area

• The Entry• The Approach• The Handshake• When You Sit• Seating Areas• Your Gestures• Distance• Your Exit

THE SIX SECRETS OF ATTRACTIVE BODY LANGUAGE

• Face: Have an animated face and make smiling a part of our regular repertoire. Make sure you flash your teeth.

• Gestures: Be expressive but don't overdo it. Keep your fingers closed when you gesture, your hands below chin level and avoid arm or feet crossing.

• Head Movement: Use Triple Nods when talking and Head Tilt when listening. Keep your chin up.

• Eye Contact: Give the amount of eye contact that makes everyone feel comfortable. Unless looking at others is a cultural no-no, lookers gain more credibility than non-lookers.

• Posture: Lean forward when listening, stand straight when speaking.

• Territory: Stand as close as you feel comfortable. If the other person moves back, don't step forward again.

• Mirror: Subtly mirror the body language of others.