By: Natasha Kostuck
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
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

body language can have multiple meanings

improving your body language can change the
way people respond to you (Sayer, 2009)
(Floyd, 2009)
55%
•body
language
38%
7%
•tone of
voice
•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)

put a smile on your face

keep your head up

roll your shoulders back

pull in your stomach

deflate your chest
(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
(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
(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”
(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
(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 thumbsup for meaning “one”
(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”
(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
(Pease 2006 )
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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
Floyd, K. (2009). Interpersonal Communication.(Vol. 1st ed., Michael.
Ryan, Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Pease, A., & Pease, B. (2006). The Definitive Book of Body Language.
New York, NY: Bantam Dell.
Sayer, M. (2009). Read the Signals: The Body Language Handbook.
Molly Aloian, (Ed.). New York, NY: Crabtree Pub.
(2009). It’s All in the Body Language.
http://www.livingtv.co.uk/relationships/bodylanguage.php