Here are some tips I want to share with you on how to recognize and interpret body language: Head The head shows the most expressive body language characteristics. There has been a lot of research done on reading facial features and here are some generalizations that you can rely on when trying to read a person’s face to determine whether or not they’re being sincere: Contempt – lip corner tightens and lifts on one side of the face Happy – a real smile will always have crow’s feet wrinkles and pushed up cheeks Surprise – lasts for only a second: eyebrows raised, mouth open, eyes wide open Anger – eyebrows down and together, narrowing of lips Eyes As a general rule, breaks in eye contact are the most important non-verbal gesture. If you suspect deception in a conversation, here are some eye clues to watch for at the point at which they tell a lie: Closing the eyes Covering the eyes Glancing at watch Showing intense interest in fingernails Looking out the window or at the floor Avoid looking you in the eye during the moment of deception Rapid eye movement Raising eyebrows Eye movements can reveal what a person is focusing on during your conversation. Recalling a visual memory—eyes move upward. Recalling something they heard—eyes move to the side Recalling a feeling—eyes look down and to the right Thinking to oneself—eyes look down and to the left Hands There are more connections between the brains and the hands than any other body part. Palm up—nonthreatening. Even animals recognize this approach as friendly. Palm down—authority. Think of the Nazi salute. Pointing finger—leaves a negative feeling in most listeners Squeezing thumb against the fingertips—avoids intimidating the audience Shaking with two hands is meant to convey sincerity and trust. Don’t do this unless you and the other person have a strong bond of some sort. Otherwise, you end up coming across like a smarmy politician. Grasping elbow with left hand—communicates depth of feeling and was commonly used by Bill Clinton with everyone. Holding the shoulder with left hand—invades personal space and may result in a hug People notice and form opinions of you based on your behavior. This includes nonverbal messages. Effective communicators realize that the intangibles we associate with positive character traits are most often expressed nonverbally. What positive character traits do you convey nonverbally? What tips do you have for interpreting body language? What nonverbal clues do you pick up when someone is being deceitful?
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 12:12:27 +0000
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