The Cryptic Language of Non-Verbal Communication - Elemental...further mucking-up the field with simplistic assertions,” says Former FBI agent Joe Navarro, who used the science of

8/11/2019 The Cryptic Language of Non-Verbal Communication - Elemental

https://elemental.medium.com/the-cryptic-language-of-non-verbal-communication-c3deee315326 1/13

TheCrypticLanguageofNon-VerbalCommunicationScientistsarestartingtodecipherthethingswedon’tsaywithwords

RobertRoyBritt Follow

Jun25·13minread

Photo:SciencePhotoLibrary/GettyImages

ravelingthroughtheAtlantaAirportrecentlyduringaperiodofheavy

delays,PattiWoodcouldseethepainandstressetchedontravelers’



bedraggledfaces.Anybodycould.Youdidn’tneedtobeanexpertinbody

languagetopickupthecues.Peoplewereleaningononeanother,slouchingintheir

seats,orwalkingslowlyasifthroughwaterwithphased-outzombie-likestares.But

Woodisanexpert,authorofsevenbooksoncommunication,includingSNAP—Making

theMostofFirstImpressions,BodyLanguage,andCharisma.Soshedidwhatshe’s

compelledtodoinsuchsituations,shestoppedandspokewithsomeofthem.

“WhatIcoulddoreasonablyissitwithafewpeopleandlistentotheirpain,”she

explains.“Becauselisteningdeeplyinvolveswatchingandlisteningforcues.Whenyou

listendeeplyandsomeonefeelsheardandunderstood,itlightenstheirload,andthey

maynothavetokeepgivingoutthemessageverballyandnonverbally,‘Iaminpain!’”

ButasWoodandanyoneelsewhostudiesbodylanguageseriouslywilltellyou,it’s

rarelysoeasytoreadpeople.

Thescienceoffacialexpressionsandbodylanguageisincrediblycomplex,ever-evolving,

andriddledwithmyths.Amongthefewcertaintiesisthatthenonverbalcuesyougive

offcanpackmanydifferentmeaningstodifferentpeople,andyoucan’tfullypredicthow

yourlittlequirkswillbeperceived—whetherbycoworkers,acquaintances,orstrangers,

orevenhorses.

Amongthebiggestmistakeswemakewhentryingtoreadsomeone’sbodylanguage:

“Wethinkit’sallaboutus,”saysWood,whospeakstoandconsultswithFortune500

companiestoimprovetheirsalesandleadershipwithnonverbalcommunication,and

hasappearedonjustaboutanypopularTVtalkshowyoucanthinkof.

“Nonverbalcommunicationisalanguage,it’saverycomplexlanguage,andjustlikeanylanguagethecues,likewords,canmeanmorethanonething.”

“Peoplereadsomeone’sbodylanguageandassumetheyare,say,standingfarawayand

leaningback,frowning,withtheirfeetturnedawayfromyoubecausetheydon’tlike

you,”Woodexplains.“Themostlikelymotivationfromsomeone’sbodylanguageiswhat

isgoingonwiththem,soyourfirstlevelofinterpretationshouldbe,‘Iwonderwhat’s



goingonwiththemthattheywouldhavethesecues.’”Next,considerthesituation,the

environmentandwhatever’sbeingdiscussed,shesuggests.Couldbeyou’vebroughtupa

topicthat,unbeknownsttoyou,strikesdeepintheirheart.Onlythenshouldyouwonder

ifyouforgottobrushyourteethorifyou’velostyoursocialmojo.

Allthewhile,keepthisinmind:“Theothermisconceptionisthatweareallthesame,so

everycuemeansthesamethingforeveryperson,”Woodsays.“Nonverbal

communicationisalanguage,it’saverycomplexlanguage,andjustlikeanylanguage,

thecues,likewords,canmeanmorethanonething.”

Still,there’sasignificantbodyofsciencetoprovideinsightintowhatnonverbalcues

mostoftenmeanand,moreimportantly,howthey’relikelytobeperceived.

. . .

Inanewstudy,peoplelookedatpicturesoffaceswithneutralexpressions.Onewas

head-on,onehada10-degreeupwardtilt,andonehada10-degreedownwardtilt.The

peoplewereaskedtoratetheiragreementwithstatementslike“thispersonwouldenjoy

havingcontroloverothers”and“thispersonwouldbewillingtouseaggressivetacticsto

gettheirway.”



Peopleratedtheirperceptionsofthedi�erentheadtiltsofrealpeopleinthesephotosaswellastheavatar

atthetop.Credit:Witkower&Tracy,PsychologicalScience

Whentheheadwastilteddown,76%ofpeoplesaidthepersonlookedmoredominant.

Bycoveringtheeyesandeyebrowsinoneviewing,thencoveringeverythingelsein

another,theresearchersisolatedwhy.

“Thattiltingone’sheaddownwardleadstotheartificialappearanceofloweredandV-

shapedeyebrows—whichinturnelicitperceptionsofaggression,intimidation,and

dominance,”theyexplaininthejournalPsychologicalScience.

“Whenpeoplewerelookingatonlytheeyesandeyebrows,thedownwardsheadtiltwas

ratedasa5.3onperceiveddominanceusinga7-pointratingscale,whereastheneutral

headanglewasratedasa3.7,”explainsoneoftheresearchers,ZacharyWitkoweratthe

UniversityofBritishColumbia.“Whenparticipantswereshownotherpartsoftheface,

headtilthadnoeffectonperceiveddominance.”

TheresearchwasacollaborationbetweenWitkowerandJessicaTracy,alsoatthe

UniversityofBritishColumbia.

“Thesefindingssuggestthat‘neutral’facescanstillbequitecommunicative,”theywrite.

“Subtleshiftsoftheheadcanhaveprofoundeffectsonsocialperception,partlybecause

theycanhavelargeeffectsontheappearanceoftheface.”



Therewereother,secondaryinterpretations.

“Peoplewhotiltedtheirheaddownwerealsoperceivedasbeingcoldandinfluential,”

Witkowersaysbyemail.And,headds:“Insomeemergingwork,weshowthatpeople

tiltingtheirheadupareperceivedasprestigious,competent,andproud.”

InaseparatestudypublishedearlierthisyearintheJournalofPersonalityandSocial

Psychology,thesametworesearchers,alongwithotherscientists,usedsimilar

techniquestouncoverotherbehaviorsthatwereperceivedasdominant,includingthe

lackofasmileaswellas“bodilyexpansiveness,”ortakingupspacewiththearmsspread

awayfromthebody.

Whetherdominanceisagoodorbadthingdependsonhowyoulookatit.The

perceptionofdominanceandprestige(orinfluence)canallowpotentialleaderstoattain

andthenretaintheirrank,thethinkinggoes.Therestofuscanbenefitfromatleast

beingawareofhowourbodylanguagemightelevateourstandingormerelymuddleour

intendedmessages.

Theupshot,Witkowersays:“Anupwardsheadtilt,smile,andanexpandedchestcan

communicateprestige—definedasthedemonstrationofknowledgeandexpertisefor

earnedrespect.”

. . .

Facialexpressionsarejustonewaywegivenonverbalcluestoourintentionsor

emotionalstate,consciouslyorotherwise,Witkowerandothersarecleartonote.And

thosecluesarerarelydefinitive.Shiftyeyesoranavertedgazeareoftensaidtobedead

giveawaysthatsomeoneislying,forexample.Notso,severalexpertsagree.Infact,

there’snoperfectcluefordeception,arguesBellaDePaulo,authorofThePsychologyof

LyingandDetectingLies.

“Thereisnobehaviorthatalwaysoccurswhenpeoplearelyingandneveroccursatother

times,”DePaulohassaid.“Thedeadgiveawayneverdidexistandneverwill.”

Thefalsenotionthatpeoplecouldbereadsoeasily,alreadyingrainedinthepopular

culturefordecades,waselevatedbythepopularTVshowLietoMe,whichranfrom



2009to2011.ThefictionalDr.CalLightman(TimRoth)usedhisamazingface-reading

abilitiestobustthebadguysandcarryoutsomedeceptionofhisown.

Lightman’ssleuthingskillswerelooselybasedonthereal-liferesearcherPaulEkman,a

pioneerinfacial-expressionresearchwhoretiredfromtheUniversityofCalifornia,San

Franciscoin2004.Now80,Ekmanstudied,inparticular,involuntarymicro-expressions,

tinyfacialticsthatgiveaway,well…that’snotalwaysclear.

Onhisownwebsite,Ekmanalsocommentedontheshowepisode-by-episode,not

critiquing,butrevealinginthefollowingexamplesjusthowcomplexandconvolutedthe

scienceoffacialrecognitioncanbe:

“Peoplelookawaywhentheyarethinkingcarefullyandconsideringeachwordbeforeit

isspoken,notjustwhentheyaremakingitup,”EkmanwritesofSeason1,Episode1.

And:“Obliqueeyebrowsareaveryreliablesignofsadness.Veryfewpeoplecanmake

thismovementvoluntarily,soitisvirtuallyneverfaked.Andfewpeoplecanpreventitif

theyfeelsad.”

OfSeason3,Episode4,hewrites:“Fearisregisteredinmanypartsoftheface:Thelips

stretchedhorizontally,theeyebrowsraisedandpulledtogether,butthemostobvious

signisthewide-openeyes,verywide,upperlidspulledupandlowerlidstensed.Itis

unmistakable,butitisthepartofthefearexpressionthatismosteasilyfaked;itisnot

hardtododeliberately.”

It’sawonderCalLightmancouldferretoutanyone’ssecretsorintentions.Andinfact,

theshowledtohundredsofsupposedrealexpertsteachingtheartofdeception

detection,“ignoringortwistingwhatscienceactuallysupportedandunfortunately

furthermucking-upthefieldwithsimplisticassertions,”saysFormerFBIagentJoe

Navarro,whousedthescienceofnon-verbalcommunicationtohelpwith

counterintelligenceeffortsfor25years.HeistheauthorofTheDictionaryofBody

Language:AFieldGuidetoWhatEveryBodyisSaying.

“Thereisnosinglebehaviorindicativeofdeception,”Navarrowritesonhisblog,adding:

“Wehumansarenobetterthanacointossatdetectingdeception—amere50–50

chance.”



Navarro’sresearched216casesofDNAexoneratingpeoplewhowereondeathrow.

Noneoftheconvictionswerebasedonanybodilyfluids—frombloodtosaliva—found

atthecrimescene.

“Ineachandeveryinstance,thelawenforcementofficersweresurethesuspectwas

lying,butnotoneofficercoulddetectthetruth,”hewrites.“Andthatisonewayyou

windupwiththeinnocentondeathrow.”

. . .

Researchofnon-verbalcommunicationisn’tjustforthesakeofscience,ortelevision,or

evencatchingcriminals.Itcanhelpusunderstandourselves.

PrincetonUniversitypsychologyprofessorAlexanderTodorovstudieshowweuseother

individuals’facialexpressions,bodylanguage,andothercuestoevaluateandmake

senseofourworld.HisbookFaceValue,forexample,explainshowinamere10thofa

seconduponseeinganewface,wetendtodecideifthepersonisattractive,trustworthy,

andcompetent,amongothertraits.

Inonestudy,Todorovandcolleaguesshowedpeoplepicturesofotherpeople

experiencingextremeemotions,suchasgreatloss,painorvictory.Thepictured

emotionsweremoreaccuratelyguessedwhenpeoplebasedtheirdecisionsonbody

languagealone,orbodylanguageandfacialexpressions,comparedtowhentheyrelied

onjustfacialexpressions.Forexample,atennisplayerwouldhaveafreehandclenched

inafistafterwinningapoint,butnotafterlosing,Todorovexplains.

However,whenaskedhowtheyarrivedattheirguesses,mostofthepeoplesaidthe

facesgaveitaway.Thatsuggestspeoplecan’ttellthedifferencebetweenextreme

positiveandnegativeemotionsbasedonfacialexpressions,Todorovsays,“although

theythinktheycan.”



Thisisoneoftheimagesetsusedinthestudy.Whichfacesbelongtoathleteswhojusthadasweetvictory

oracrushingdefeat?Jotyourguessesdown,thenseetheanswersbelow.Credit:ScienceJournal

Thestudy,publishedinthejournalSciencein2012,“counterspopulartheoriesholding

thatfacialexpressionsareuniversallyconsistentindicatorsofemotion,”accordingto

Todorovandhiscolleagues.

Quizanswers:

Losers:1,4,6

Winners:2,3,5

TodorovsaysthenewstudybyWitkowerandTracyisvalidinthecontextofratingor

evaluatingisolatedfacialimages.Buthesetsahighbarforresearchthatmightyield

broaderconclusions:“Oneneedstodoasetofstudiesmanipulatingbodyshapesand

gesturestofindoutwhetherthesefacialcuescanbeoverwrittenbybodilycues.”

“Thegreatestmythisthatfacialexpressionsprovidecompletelyunambiguous

informationabouttheemotionalstateoftheperson,”hesaysinanemail.“Reallife

expressionsareinherentlyambiguous.Ofcourse,thisistrueforbodygestures,too.

[But]werarelyexperiencetheambiguity,becausewerapidlyintegratemultiplecuesin

thecontextofthespecificsituation.”



Psychologistsalsopointoutthatagivenexpressionorgesturecanmeansignificantly

differentthingscomingfromdifferentpeople,orevenjustinvaryingsituations.

Takethecrossingofthearms,forexample.

Thecommonwisdomholdsthatapersonwhodoesthisisstandoffish,blockingout

others.Butjustcheckoutanybouncer.Crossedarmsareawaytosignalpower,Navarro

says.Copsdoit.SodoesSuperman.“Aswithmanyprimatebehaviorsthatmakeuslook

larger,thisdoescommunicatethatthereareissueshereandIambigenoughtohandle

them,”NavarrowritesatPsychologyToday.

Butcrossedarmscanalsosignalinsecurity,fearorfrustration,amongmanyother

things.The“selfhug,”asNavarrocallsit,cansimplybeawaytocomfortourselves,

whetherinacrowdorwhilewaitingforsomething.Orjustbecauseit’scold.Oritcanbe

aformofstressrelease(infact,peoplewillsometimesmassagetheirownarmswhilein

thisposition,henotes).

Thisisexactlywhytryingtoreadpeopleisfraughtwithchallenges.

“Don’ttakeonebody-languagecueanddecideyou‘know’whatanotherpersonistrying

tocommunicate,”Woodwritesinoneofherbooks,SuccessSignals.“Youmustreadthe

wholeperson.”

Nonverbalcuestypicallycomeinclusters,sheexplains,“agroupofmovements,

postures,andgesturesthatshouldhaveroughlythesamemeaningoradduptothesame

meaning.”Thinkofasinglecueasawordinasentence,shesuggests.Aspowerfulasthe

word“love”is,youwouldnotknowthemeaningofasentencejustbyreadingthatone

word.Andhere’swhereWoodofferssomeadvice:Ifyouwanttobewellunderstood,

makesureyourgesturesarecongruent.

“Ifyousay‘Ireallyloveyou,’butyou’returnedawayandyoureyesareontheTVscreen,

youareincongruent,”shewrites.

. . .



Whatcausedhumanstobesouniquelyandsupremelyexpressiveinsuchcomplex,often

inexplicableways?

Tostartwith,ourspecieshasincrediblyexpressiveeyesandeyebrowscomparedtoother

animals.Thatpartofthehumanfaceisnottheonlykeytomuchofournonverbal

communication,itmayhaveevolvedforthatpurposeandhelpedusbecomewhoweare,

accordingtoareviewofstudiespublishedearlierthisyearinthejournalNatureEcology

andEvolution.

Thehumanfaceisshorterandlessbulkythanthoseofourancientancestors.With

smoothermodernforeheadsandwigglyeyebrows,thethinkinggoes,earlyhumans

couldgetbeyondexhibitingthecrudestofemotions,likeanger,andbegintoexpress

moresocial-orientedemotionslikesympathyandtherecognitionofothers.

“Wecannowuseourfacestosignalmorethan20differentcategoriesofemotionviathe

contractionorrelaxationofmuscles,”saidstudyteammemberPaulO’Higgins,professor

ofanatomyattheUniversityofYork.“It’sunlikelythatourearlyhumanancestorshad

thesamefacialdexterityastheoverallshapeofthefaceandthepositionsofthemuscles

weredifferent.”

Thesechangesalongwithotherevolutionaryshiftsallowed“moreopportunitiesfor

gestureandnonverbalcommunication—vitalskillsforestablishingthelargesocial

networkswhicharebelievedtohavehelpedHomosapienstosurvive,”O’Higginsandhis

colleagueswrite.

Humansalsoevolvedtohaveafargreatervarietyoffacialexpressionsthanmostother

animals.Whileothercreaturesrelyonsoundsorbuttsniffingtorecognizeoneanother,

forus,theeyesgenerallyhaveit.

“Humansarephenomenallygoodatrecognizingfaces;thereisapartofthebrain

specializedforthat,”explainsMichaelSheehan,aresearcheratUCBerkeley’sMuseum

ofVertebrateZoology.Ina2014studypublishedinthejournalNatureCommunications,

Sheehanandhiscolleaguesexplainhowtheevolutionofourvisualskillswaslikelytied

totheevolvingsocialinteractionthatmadeushuman.

“Ourstudynowshowsthathumanshavebeenselectedtobeuniqueandeasily

recognizable,”Sheehansays.Itisclearlybeneficialformetorecognizeothers,butalso



beneficialformetoberecognizable.Otherwise,wewouldalllookmoresimilar.”

. . .

Researchevensuggestshumanbodylanguagehasmeaningthatextendsbeyondour

species.

Whenhorseslookedatpicturesofangryhumanfaces,theirheartratesrose,according

toa2016studyinthejournalBiologyLetters.Ahorsewouldalsoturnitsheadtolookat

thephotoswithitslefteye,asignitfeelsthreatened.Signalsfromthelefteyeare

processedintherighthemisphereofthebrain,specializedfordealingwiththreats,

explainsUniversityofSussexresearcherAmySmith,co-authorofthestudy.

“Itshowsthathorseshavetheabilitytoreademotionsacrossthespeciesbarrier,”Smith

says.“Wehaveknownforalongtimethathorsesareasociallysophisticatedspecies,but

thisisthefirsttimewehaveseenthattheycandistinguishbetweenpositiveand

negativehumanfacialexpressions.”

Ina2017studypublishedinAnimalCognition,Smithandotherresearchersfound

horsesweremorelikelytoapproachatrainerwhowasinasubmissivepositionthanone

inadominantposition.



Horsesfoundthepersonontherightmoreapproachable.Image:UniversityofSussex

“Evolutionarilyspeaking,animals—includinghumans—tendtouselargerposturesto

indicatedominanceorthreat,andsmallerposturestoindicatesubmissiveness,”said

LeanneProops,aco-authorofthestudyfromtheUniversityofPortsmouth.“Horses

may,therefore,haveaninstinctualunderstandingoflargervs.smallerpostures.”

. . .

Perhapsyou’renottooconcernedaboutwhatothermammalsthinkaboutyou.But

havingalittlehorsesenseabouthowbodylanguagemightbeinterpretedcangiveyoua

legupintheofficeorinothersocialsituations.

Recentresearchindicatesthatafirmhandshake,eyecontactandanexpansiveposture

—armsandlegsout—projectconfidence,whetheryouactuallyhaveitornot.Peter

Belmi,aUniversityofVirginiaresearcherwhostudiesthebenefitsofunjustified

confidence,offersthisadviceforboostingperceivedconfidence:“Whenyouspeak,take

yourtime.Becalmandrelaxed.Useafactualvocaltone.Avoidhedging.Dresswell.Use

yourbodytotakeupspace.”

Inaphoneinterview,Wood,theauthor,offeredthesetipstohelpanyoneproject

confidence,competence,andemotionalengagementwhenmeetingsomeonenewor

havinganyimportantconversation:

Showyourheart.Physicallyturnittowardthepersonyou’respeakingwith.“Itmakes

youlookbrave…confidentandconnected,”shesays.

Watchyourfeet.“Thefeetarethemosthonestpartofthebody.Ifyou’renotconfident,

youtendtoturnthemaway,towardtheexit.”

Wood’snumberonesuggestionisamodernone:Putyourphoneaway.Ifit’sout,you

can’thelpbutlookatit,providingadistractionthatreducesthehumanconnectionand

erodestheotherperson’sconfidenceinyou.Movingthephoneoutofsight“willhavea

profoundimpact,”shesays.

Documents

The Cryptic Language of Non-Verbal Communication - Elemental...further mucking-up the field with simplistic assertions,” says Former FBI agent Joe Navarro, who used the science of