Kinesics as a means of communication: facial expressions, gestures, gait, gaze

The mechanism of human communication includes far more than just speech and writing. Since ancient times, people have resorted to alternative ways to express their thoughts or show their attitude towards something. Such non-verbal means of contact as gestures, facial expressions and pantomime can also serve as indicators of the interlocutor’s reaction or speak about his emotional state.

According to psychologists and science specialists who study human communication, more than half of the content of information exchange is transmitted non-verbally.

What is kinesics?

Kinesics in psychology is a science that studies the totality of gestures, facial expressions and pantomimes that accompany the process of human communication. People do not control their body movements as much as they control their words, so observing the interlocutor’s facial expressions and gestures makes it possible to obtain additional information. Often, with gestures and facial expressions, a person can express much more important information than what he is trying to convey in words.

There are other branches of psychology that study the characteristics of nonverbal communication. This includes proxemics, which studies the spatial relationships of people, and takeshika, which studies the language of touch.

Facial expressions

Voluntary and involuntary movements of the facial muscles are called facial expressions. Facial expressions are an important element of nonverbal communication. Movements of the facial muscles help a person more fully convey information to the interlocutor, demonstrate his mood and attitude to the topic of conversation. With the help of facial expressions, people express a basic set of emotions - joy, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disappointment. A smile alone can have many meanings. She can be joyful, tense, contemptuous, polite, sad, etc.

Since a person is able to voluntarily move his facial muscles, he can consciously enhance or, conversely, restrain the expression of emotions. Therefore, for a more complete assimilation of information, it is necessary to take into account the words that the interlocutor speaks and his facial expressions.

Sight

The look is closely related to facial expressions. Eye contact is very important during a conversation. By the look of the interlocutor you can understand whether he is telling the truth or lying, whether he is interested in the conversation, whether he feels confident or embarrassed.

The more relaxed the conversation participants feel, the more often their views intersect. An interlocutor who hides his eyes does not inspire confidence. The pupils can also tell you a lot. Pupil dilation indicates that the person is in a good mood, excited, or interested in a conversation. Constriction of the pupils, on the contrary, indicates a bad mood.

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Gestures

Gestures are various movements of the hands and head. Gesticulation during a conversation, as well as facial expressions, carries a lot of information. The more active the conversation, the more intense the gesticulation of its participants becomes.

There are several main types of gestures:

Communicative - gestures that people use to greet, say goodbye, attract attention, etc.
Modal - with their help, a person expresses his attitude towards the interlocutor or situation (approval, disapproval, satisfaction, trust or distrust).
Descriptive - gestures that are used only in the context of a specific conversation.

For representatives of different cultures, the same gestures can have completely different meanings. For example, greetings are expressed differently among different peoples: with a nod, a bow, a raise of the hand, a kiss, a handshake, and even a collision of heads. For some nationalities, it is customary to sniff each other, hit a friend on the head or shoulder with a fist, bend your arms in a certain gesture, and much more.

As a result, misunderstandings often arise between representatives of different cultures. To foreigners, many gestures seem strange and unusual. For example, in many countries the main greeting gesture is a handshake. But representatives of some nations consider physical contact between strangers unacceptable.

Communication of non-verbal communication of people: touch

Communications of nonverbal communication of people
The communications of nonverbal communication of people were described above - these are kinetics, proxemics, paralanguage, etc. But there is another type - touch. This is an element of tenderness that brings partners together and allows them to get closer.

Body language is more trustworthy than words. More than 50% of the meaning of a message is contained in body movements. Professor psychologists offer the following communication formula:

General feeling = 7% of feelings expressed in words + 38% of feelings expressed in voice + 55% of feelings expressed in facial expressions

One of the most important functions of verbal exchange is maintaining the degree of interpersonal intimacy at a level corresponding to a given stage of relationship development. Psychologists even propose to mathematize the multichannel interaction of nonverbal behavior and present the formula:

Level of intimacy = number of smiles + length of mutual glances + physical distance + proximity of the topic of conversation

Proximity or touch plays a big role in nonverbal communication. Many people skillfully use such communication to their advantage. But it is important to be able to do everything correctly so as not to overdo it. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the feelings and emotions of your interlocutor.

Pose

The postures a person takes during communication can also tell a lot. The position of the body is least subject to conscious control, therefore the pose of the interlocutor speaks about his true state much more eloquently than facial expressions and gestures.

This happens because people are taught from a very early age to control their emotions and facial expressions, but are not taught to control their posture. Therefore, it is the body position that the interlocutor takes during a conversation that best reveals his true feelings. During the communication process, depending on the direction the conversation has taken, the postures of its participants can change significantly. This is also important to consider when transferring business or personal information.

Psychologists distinguish three main groups of postures:

Openness or closedness. If a person is inclined to communicate, he smiles, his posture is relaxed, his palms are open, his torso is turned towards the interlocutor. If a person is closed, he crosses his arms and legs, leans away from the interlocutor, interlocks his fingers.
Dependence or dominance. A person striving for dominance can hover over his interlocutor, pat him on the arm, shoulder, or look down on him. Dependence is expressed by looking up and lowering the head.
Harmony or opposition. Harmony is expressed in a posture that matches the position of the interlocutor. Confrontation manifests itself in the form of clenched fists, a forward shoulder, a militantly raised chin, and hands placed on the sides or hips.

How to interpret people's nonverbal communication?

Non-verbal communication of people
Many people use seduction methods using gestures and body language. It is often emphasized that the key to successful flirting is understanding and being able to read the language of the opposite sex. Of course, there are no master keys to correctly analyzing the body language of an interaction partner, but there are some manifestations or even micro-movements that can indicate certain tendencies and attitudes. Learn to interpret people's nonverbal communication. It will even help you read minds. Here is a transcript of the interpretations of nonverbal communication:

Signals of empathy include approaching, limiting physical distance, smiling, touch, gestures of openness and friendship.
Signals of trust - exposed body position, wide gestures, hugs, open arms.
Signals of dominance and power are arranging one’s own space, invading the intimate space of the interlocutor, taking the best place at the table, a strong and authoritative tone of voice, a sharp and despotic facial expression.
Signals of readiness for battle - aggression, attack, struggle with posture, screaming, threatening facial expression.
Signals of sexual arousal are flirtatious glances, prolonged eye contact, affectionate touching, imagining your charms, sighing with the right tone.
Signals of shock are ecstatic states, freezing, screaming, rapid body movements, dilated pupils.

It is important to remember that many messages have two levels of meaning. One is information at the word level, and the other is a meta-message, that is, information about the feelings and mood of the speaker, expressed not directly, but through rhythm, tone, or so-called verbal modifiers. Meta messages are the source of many interpersonal conflicts because a clear and logical sentence can, for example, through falling intonation, express hostility, irritation or condemnation.

Verbal modifiers or modals are words that add qualifier to a statement. These include words such as:

Only
Really
Now
Finally
Again
Only a little

They usually express obsessive disapproval and irritation (in the text) and are an element of parallel language.

Gait

Gait is the style of movement of a person. This includes the width and rhythm of the step, movements while walking, the position of the torso and head. Gait includes components that can tell about a person’s physical and mental well-being, the characteristics of his character and temperament.

A heavy gait is characteristic of people who are in a bad, depressed mood; a light gait, on the contrary, is characteristic of optimists. An insecure person walks with his head down and his back hunched. Confident – holds himself upright with his head held high and shoulders back.

Active and proactive people walk quickly and confidently, often swinging their arms while walking. Secretive people keep their hands in their pockets or behind their backs. A person engaged in mental activity walks slowly, with a thoughtful look. People of a demonstrative nature lift their chins high, walk on straight legs, trying to emphasize their superiority.

Most common gestures

There are a great many gestures with which a person can express the whole gamut of feelings. As an example, we can consider the most common gestures and their meaning.

Touching the ear or scratching it indicates that the person does not like what the interlocutor is talking about.
Propping your chin indicates boredom and a desire to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
Stroking or scratching the chin indicates thought and reflection.
Tapping your fingers or other objects on the table, glancing at your watch, tapping your feet on the floor, or swaying your feet indicate impatience.
Open palms and an unbuttoned jacket or jacket indicate a willingness to communicate and openness.
Crossing arms and legs, a closed posture indicates distrust or reluctance to communicate.
Rubbing or scratching the neck indicates doubt and uncertainty.
Hands placed behind the back or behind the head indicate the interlocutor’s desire to show his superiority.
Removing and wiping glasses, biting the temples indicate reflection.
Covering your mouth with your palm means secrecy or lying; the interlocutor is not saying something or is telling deliberately untrue information.
Hands in pockets indicate secrecy or reluctance to participate in the conversation. If the thumbs protrude outward from the pockets, the interlocutor seeks to dominate.

There is a lot of literature devoted to means of nonverbal communication. By studying the meaning of facial expressions, gestures, postures and glances, you can learn to better understand people, see their true feelings, distinguish truth from lies in conversation. This knowledge will help you significantly improve your life and achieve greater success in your career and interpersonal relationships.

Expressions of feelings and emotions through nonverbal signals

Gestures, facial expressions, pantomimes (as means of communication) are optical-kinetic types of information exchange. In them, distance, body movements, intonation and appearance matter. According to psychological research, women express their feelings more accurately and are better at understanding the feelings of others.

People employed in communication-related professions such as teaching, psychology, and acting have similar accurate perceptions.

Among the common characteristics of various human emotions and feelings, the following combinations of nonverbal signs can be distinguished:

A dreaming person raises the inner ends of his eyebrows high and looks up. The corners of his mouth may be located asymmetrically.
Embarrassment can be identified by downcast eyes and a closed smile with one side of the mouth and the inner ends of the eyebrows raised.
Strong hidden tension is expressed in tightly clasped fingers and clenched hands. The level of tension is proportional to the force of squeezing the fingers and hands. Other symptoms include nervous rubbing of fingers and hands together, high hand mobility, handling paper clips, and rotating writing objects. A person experiencing mental stress may look towards the window or door, unconsciously expressing a desire to leave the room, suddenly get up and walk around the room.
Signs similar to indicators of tension are shown by people in an aggressive state, but indicators of aggression have their own specifics. Gestures become more expressive, a person can point with a finger, slam doors and clench his fists.
Irritability, nervousness and uncertainty are manifested by frequent yawning, coughing similar to clearing the throat, fidgeting in the chair, frequently looking away from the interlocutor, shaking keys or coins in the pocket.
A person having insidious thoughts looks with squinting eyes. The outer ends of his eyebrows are raised, and his lips are tightly compressed and form a semblance of a smile.
The desire for contact and interaction can be indicated by sitting on the front edge of the seat, leaning the torso forward, an unbuttoned jacket, friendly intonations and gestures next to the speaker’s face. If the person is open, his arms are slightly extended forward, to the sides and perform circular movements, and his palms are visible.
Stealth or a desire to hide something can be indicated by mechanically closing the mouth with one or two hands, rubbing the chin or temples with fingers, averting the eyes and tilting the body away from the interlocutor.
In addition to the described signs of confidence, it can be characterized by leisurely walking back and forth and folding the arms in front of oneself in a dome in a sitting position, when the fingers are joined on top and the palms remain at a distance. This gesture can also be interpreted as an intention to conduct a dialogue, but from a position of dominance. The greater the confidence of the person folding his hands in this way, the higher this “dome” is located.
Determination is manifested in tightly clenched jaws, a frowning glance and a sharp constriction of the pupils.
Closedness and the desire to distance oneself is characterized by the castle pose. It consists of arms crossed on the chest with clenched fists and legs thrown one on top of the other. The need for distance can be manifested by tilting the torso back from the interlocutor when sitting.
Pursed lips, averted gaze, and low-lowered eyelids and eyebrows can indicate resentment.
Self-control may be expressed differently in men and women. Seated men grip the armrests if available, their ankles are crossed and their legs are slightly extended forward. When speaking from the podium, self-control and confidence are demonstrated by having your hands pointing forward and firmly holding the sides of the podium. The most common expression of self-control in women is to place their thumb behind a belt or skirt.
A person with cunning thoughts averts his eyes to the side, lifting one of the corners of his mouth.

Thanks to gestures, facial expressions and intonations, you can significantly diversify communication and give your words an appropriate emotional coloring, making them easier to understand by your interlocutor.

Nonverbal means of communication can change the meaning and strength of the effect of speech, due to which they are of increased interest among politicians, media workers, businessmen and careerists. Pantomime and other means of assessing a person’s state, intentions and influence on him are in demand in psychology and the work of law enforcement agencies.

Some interpretations of various nonverbal indicators may be either coincidence or the result of factors irrelevant to the situation. Judicious use of non-verbal information exchange means can serve to entertain and enrich human relationships.