Nonverbal Behavior and the Expressions of emotions

Made by Agne Dambrauskaite

Content Emotions The nature of emotions Which culture most controls their facial

emotions? Nonverbal behavior Nonverbal behavior in different countries Examples of body language

Emotions People feel at least 6 basic

emotions:1. Anger

2. Joy

3. Disgust

4. Fear

5. Sadness

6. Surprise

          

   

Emotions The basic emotions appear very early, and

people learn to identify the same emotions before they go to school.

It is claimed, that certain facial expressions and emotions are programmed into human beings by their genes.

Emotions

First of all, newborns make an early sign of fear, interest and disgust.

Babies are smiling at people they recognize at about 4 to 6 weeks of age.

At 3 or 4 months they are expressing anger, surprise and sadness.

The nature of Emotions Emotions are made up of subjective, behavioral

and psychological components.

1. Subjective components: Harold Schlosberg found 3 dimensions that

describe feelings reflected on faces:a) The first dimension goes from pleasant to

unpleasant;b) The second scale goes from attention to the

experience, at one end, to rejection of it, at the other ;

c) The third dimension goes from intense, at one extreme, to neutral, at the other.

The nature of EmotionsBehavioral components:

a)Facial expressions affect observers more directly.

a)Gestures and actions.

In young children, emotion are often accompanied by predictable behavior.

The nature of Emotions

Psychological components:

1. Are psychological reactions to all emotions similar?

2. Are psychological reactions to the same emotions uniform?

Which Culture Most Controls Their Facial Emotions?

Russians most tightly control the display of their emotions .

Americans display the least control over their facial expressions .

Nonverbal behavior

Mehrabian (1971) found that non-verbal aspects were a significant part of communication, particularly when mixed messages are sent ;

Nonverbal behavior is usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages.

Nonverbal behavior

It can be used for:

1. Expressing emotion (e.g. smiling to show happiness)

2. Conveying attitudes (e.g. staring to show aggression)

3. Demonstrating personality traits (e.g. open palms to show accepting qualities)

Examples Of Body Language

NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR INTERPRETATION

Brisk, erect walk Confidence

Standing with hands on hips Readiness, aggression

Sitting with legs crossed, foot kicking slightly Boredom

Sitting, legs apart Open, relaxed

Arms crossed on chest Defensiveness

Nonverbal behavior in different countries Non-verbal behavior also varies across

cultures .1. People from collectivist countries (Japan)

try to hide both positive and negative emotions.

2. Asian and African cultures are taught to avoid eye contact.

3. Cues communicating immediacy in western culture may be considered aggressive in other countries.

Can you guess the meaning of this Japanese gesture?a. I'm scared like a bunny

b. I've been hearing things about youc. I'm angry

Can you try to guess what this French gesture means?a. I don't believe you

b. I wish I hadn't seen thatc. I am looking at a very handsome man

Conclusion

From our handshakes to our hairstyles, nonverbal details reveal who we are and impact how we relate to other people.

By paying closer attention to other people's nonverbal behaviors, you will improve your own ability to communicate nonverbally.

Sources

http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/which-culture-most-controls-their.php[2008-04-26]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_language [2008-04-26]

http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/body [2008-04-26]

http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/which-culture-most-controls-their [2008-04-26]