Nonverbal communication: gestures, postures, facial expressions

In his famous book Body Language, Austrian writer Alan Pease argues that every person perceives information based on this calculation: 7% of information comes with words, and the remaining 97% is perceived by us using non-verbal signals.

These methods of communication are better known as “sign language” and mean a form of self-expression that does not use words or any symbols of speech.

Verbal behavior

Verbal behavior involves communicating using words. From early childhood we are taught to express our thoughts logically, so an adult usually does not have problems expressing them. Ornate speech and eloquence are acquired with experience. However, only 7% of what we say is perceived by others through the meaning contained in the words. The rest is through non-verbal reactions and intonation. In business communication, oddly enough, the most important factor is the ability to listen, not speak. Unfortunately, not many of us have learned to pay attention to what our interlocutor says.

Listening to emotions and facts is listening to the message fully. By doing this, a person increases the likelihood that the information conveyed to him will be understood. In addition, by doing this he shows that he respects the message conveyed by the speaker.

Types of communication

Types of communication are those components that allow one to correctly and adequately assess its essence, content and completeness of manifestation.

The following types of communication are distinguished:

Interpersonal – communication of people in pairs or groups of constant composition.
Mass – communication between a large number of people.
Interpersonal – communication between specific individuals with individual qualities that are revealed in the course of communication and joint actions.
Role-based – participants act in communication as bearers of certain roles.
Confidential – particularly significant information is transmitted at a confidential level.
Conflict – mutual confrontation between people, an expression of distrust and displeasure.
Personal – communication during which informal information is exchanged.
Business – interaction of people involved in one activity and performing joint responsibilities.
Direct (immediate) is historically the first form of communication between people, on the basis of which various types of communication arise.
Indirect – interaction using writing, audio and video technology.
Imperative is an authoritarian form of interaction with a partner in order to achieve control over behavior and his thoughts.
Manipulative – interpersonal interaction in which influence on a partner is carried out covertly.

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Rules for Effective Communication Proposed by Keith Davis

Professor Keith Davis has outlined the following 10 rules for effective listening.

It's impossible to take in information when you're talking, so stop talking.
Help your interlocutor relax. It is necessary to make a person feel freedom, that is, to create a relaxed atmosphere.
The speaker should show your willingness to listen. You should act and look interested. When listening to another, try to understand him, and not look for reasons for objections.
Annoying moments must be eliminated. Avoid tapping on the table, drawing, or shuffling papers while communicating. Perhaps information will be perceived better with the door closed?
The speaker should empathize. To do this, try to imagine yourself in his place.
Be patient. Don't interrupt your interlocutor, don't waste time.
Keep your temper. If a person is angry, he gives the wrong meaning to his words.
Avoid criticism and controversy. This puts the person speaking on the defensive. He may also become angry or silent. No need to argue. In fact, you will lose if you win the argument.
Ask your interlocutor questions. This will encourage him and show him that he is being listened to.
And finally, stop talking. This advice comes first and last, since all the others depend on it.

In addition to the ability to effectively listen to your interlocutor, there are other ways to improve the art of communication. Before communicating ideas, you need to clarify them, that is, you should systematically analyze and think about the issues, ideas or problems you plan to communicate to another. If you want to achieve success in your career or personal life, it is very important to take into account the various features of interpersonal interaction. Researchers say that, along with verbal (verbal) communication, it is necessary to take into account the non-verbal language that people use.

Nonverbal signs of lying

This topic is so broad and popular that hundreds of books of varying quality are regularly written on it.
Every non-verbal sign contains a hidden emotion. A person does not want to give himself away, so skillful verbal lies often end in poor nonverbalism. But there are also masters in non-verbal language. It happens that people lie so well that it is impossible to detect a lie at all. However, to do this you need to have a certain state. If a person lies with fear or excitement, then something always twitches in him. This could be the hand, eyelid, eye or nose.

There are so many nonverbal signs of lying that it is impossible to describe them to anyone. However, let's look at the most common ones. Here they are:

Yawn.
Coughing.
Sniff.
Trembling voice.
Frequent swallowing of saliva.
Excessive gesticulation.
Fussiness.

There are a lot of them.
No one will define them in a dictionary. It would be much better to understand the principles by which lies are defined. There are few of them, but you need to get into them. It's hard and it takes years to do it. But it will be good to at least understand what to learn. So what can you do to spot nonverbal signs of lying?

Develop peripheral vision .
In many people it is quite poorly developed. It is because of this that they do not notice the little things. If you look at the world only directly, then orientation in the area deteriorates significantly; a person sees only a small piece of the picture quite well. As a result, a person can only notice a small piece of non-verbal speech. And if nature has not endowed you with good lens muscles, then you can develop peripheral vision. This is done using Schulte tables. These are tables in which you need, without looking away from the center, to find all the numbers from one onwards one by one. There are different modifications of these tables, and they can be easily found on the Internet.
Train mindfulness .
Peripheral vision is good, but if a person is not attentive, then it will be of no use. A person needs to be able to notice details. Without this, he will never be able to recognize lies. It's very easy to do. There are many mindfulness games available on your smartphone. Just type “mindfulness” into the search box and you’ll find it easier to spot lies over time.
Be interested in the world .
Why are children sometimes much better at understanding people and showing significantly greater ability to detect lies? Many people say that children are purer beings. In fact, the reason is very simple. They are interested in the world and try to absorb the smallest details. It's not surprising that they notice subtle nonverbals.

Nonverbal language

It should be noted that this concept presupposes not only control of one’s behavior, the ability to interpret facial expressions and gestures of a partner, but also the zone of a person’s personal territory, its mental essence. In addition, this concept includes the national characteristics of the behavior of the interlocutors, their relative position in the communication process, the ability of partners to decipher the meaning of the use of such aids as cigarettes, glasses, lipstick, umbrella, mirror, etc.

Nonverbal behavior

When we think about communication, we think first of all about language. However, it is only part of the means of communication, and perhaps not the main one in such a process as communication. Nonverbal behavior often plays an even larger role. When communicating, we use many ways to convey our feelings, thoughts, aspirations and desires to the people around us. Such means of communication are called non-verbal. This means that no words or sentences are used in them. Communication, considered in a broad sense, occurs not only verbally.

Communication, communication functions

Definition 1

Communication is the process of exchanging certain information, thoughts, assessments, attitudes, feelings and experiences between people.

The communication process performs 6 functions:

Pragmatic (implemented through the interaction of people in the process of joint activity);
Formation and development (communication has an impact on interlocutors, improving and developing everyone);
Confirmation (the ability to learn, to assert oneself);
Uniting/separating people (transferring information to each other, realizing common goals, as well as differentiation and isolation of individuals);
Organization and maintenance of interpersonal relationships (establishing and maintaining productive connections and relationships between people);
Intrapersonal (a person’s communication with himself is considered as a universal way of thinking).

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Nonverbal communication channels

They can be divided into two categories. The first is nonverbal behavior, and the second is characteristics unrelated to it.

“Nonverbal” behavior includes all types of behavior (except the utterance of words) that take place in the process of communication. This includes:

facial expression;
posture, orientation and tilt of the body;
gestures and leg movements;
pitch, tone of voice and its other vocal characteristics, intonation and pauses, speed of speech;
touching;
communication distance;
gaze as well as visual attention.

Thus, nonverbal behavior includes both what we usually associate with active self-expression and what relates to more subtle and less striking manifestations.

Regarding non-behavioral nonverbal communication, it covers a variety of signals and message sources that cannot be inferred directly from behavior. It is interesting that interpersonal communication is influenced by such little things as the type of clothing we use, the time of day, the architectural structures where we work and live, and the cosmetic changes we make to our appearance. All this is defined as hidden forms of communication. Such non-behavioral moments in the communication process convey information to the interlocutor along with non-verbal behavior and language. Verbal and nonverbal communication when we perceive a person constitute a single whole.

Nonverbal behavior is a rather complex and deep topic in psychology. However, some points are not at all difficult to remember and take into account in everyday life. Below are some features of nonverbal behavior, the ability to interpret which is very important for effective communication.

Expand your perception

Knowing the types of nonverbal communication and understanding nonverbal cues is important for several reasons. Firstly, they perform the function of accurately expressing feelings, because very often we experience feelings so complex that we are simply unable to find the right words to describe them, but this can be done using non-verbal means and methods. Secondly, they perform the functions of deeper mutual understanding.

Knowing the basic methods of nonverbal communication, you will be able to better understand and “see through” another person when he is trying to control his behavior when communicating with you, because nonverbal signals manifest themselves unconsciously and your interlocutor simply cannot control them. The classification of nonverbal means of communication and examples of their use will help you not only understand yourself better, but also teach you to recognize lies and manipulation from other people.

To learn to better understand your interlocutor and recognize his hidden signals, you must first learn to pay attention simultaneously to all elements or means of nonverbal communication, and nonverbal means of communication include facial expressions, gestures, postures, intonation and timbre of voice, visual contact and interpersonal space.

Let's talk in more detail about each of these elements of nonverbal communication and give specific examples of their manifestation.

Facial expressions

Facial expressions are the expression of a person’s face; they are the main element of displaying emotions and feelings. Positive emotions, such as love or surprise, are much easier to recognize than negative emotions, which include disgust or anger. Emotions are reflected differently on the right and left sides of the face, because the left and right hemispheres of the brain perform different functions: the right one controls the emotional sphere, and the left one is responsible for intellectual functions.

Emotions are expressed in facial expressions in this way:

Anger - wide open eyes, drooping corners of the lips, “squinted” gaze, clenched teeth;
Surprise - a slightly open mouth, wide open eyes and raised eyebrows, lowered tips of the lips;
Fear - knitted eyebrows, stretched lips with downturned and downturned corners;
Happiness is a calm look, raised, drawn back corners of the lips;
Sadness - a “faded” look, drooping corners of the lips, knitted eyebrows.

Eye contact

This method of nonverbal communication helps to demonstrate interest in the conversation and better understand the meaning of what is being said. During a conversation, two people work together to create and regulate the degree of comfort by periodically meeting their gaze and looking away. Staring can either build trust or create discomfort.

Pleasant, general topics maintain eye contact, while negative, confusing questions cause you to look away, demonstrating disagreement and hostility. Features of visual contact allow us to draw conclusions about the degree of interest in the dialogue and attitude towards the interlocutor:

Admiration – long eye contact, calm gaze;
Indignation - a fixed, intrusive, somewhat alarming gaze, prolonged eye contact without pauses;
Position – attentive gaze, eye contact with pauses every 10 seconds;
Dislike – avoiding eye contact, “rolling” the eyes.
Waiting - a sharp look into the eyes, raised eyebrows.

With visual contact, you can find out not only the attitude of the interlocutor, but also determine some character traits by eye color.

Intonation and timbre of voice

Correctly understanding the intonation and timbre of a voice means learning to “read between the lines” of another person’s message. Such features include frequent pauses, unfinished sentences and their construction, strength and pitch of the voice, as well as speed of speech.

Excitement – low tone of voice, fast, choppy speech;
Enthusiasm – high tone of voice, clear, confident speech;
Fatigue – low tone of voice, lowering of intonation towards the end of a sentence;
Arrogance – slow speech, smooth monotonous intonation;
Uncertainty - mistakes in words, frequent pauses, nervous cough.

Gestures and postures

Body and hand movements convey a lot of information about a person. In particular, they reveal the immediate emotional reactions of the individual and the state of his body. They allow the interlocutor to judge what kind of temperament a person has, what kind of reactions he has (strong or weak, inert or mobile, slow or fast). In addition, body movements and various postures reflect many character traits, a person’s degree of self-confidence, impetuosity or caution, looseness or tightness. The social status of the individual is also reflected in them.

Expressions like “straighten your shoulders” or “stand half-bent” are not just descriptions of postures. They determine what psychological state an individual is in. It should also be noted that gestures and posture are non-verbal human behavior in which the cultural norms acquired by the individual are manifested. For example, if a man is well-mannered, he will not talk while sitting if his interlocutor is a woman and she is standing. This rule applies regardless of how a man evaluates the personal merits of a given woman.

Signs that are transmitted by the body are very important during the first meeting, since aspects of the personality of the interlocutor’s character do not appear immediately. For example, if you are applying for a job, you should sit up straight during the interview. This will demonstrate your interest. You should also look your interlocutor in the eyes, but not too persistently.

The following is regarded as an aggressive body position: a person is in tension, he is ready to move. The body of such a person is moved slightly forward, as if he is preparing to throw. This pose seems to signal that aggression is possible on his part.

Gestures play a very important role in communication. To attract attention, you can wave your hand invitingly. You can make an irritable dismissive gesture, twirl your hand at your temple. Applause means gratitude or greeting. A handclap or two is a way to get attention. Interestingly, clapping was used to attract the attention of the gods in a number of pagan religions (before sacrifice or prayer). Actually, modern applause came from there. The arsenal of meanings that were and are transmitted by hand clapping is very wide. This is understandable, because this gesture is one of the few that produce sound, and quite loudly.

Nonverbal Secrets: Fake it 'til you make it!

Image source

Body language is embedded in a person even deeper than facial expressions or the ability to speak. That's why people born blind gesture just like sighted people.

The importance of nonverbal communication was most accurately described by the famous social psychologist Amy Cuddy:

“Gestures and facial expressions control how and what others think about us.”

Several fundamental studies conducted in recent years by scientists at Harvard University, Princeton University and other leading universities around the world have made significant contributions to the study of nonverbal (body language) and demonstrated how to use various techniques and methods in communicating with business people. partners and clients.

Your body language determines how your interlocutor understands your words and how he feels around you, so nonverbal communication in sales is very important. We invite you to take a look at some body language research and learn how to create the image of a confident person.

The body expresses emotions better than facial expressions Body language shapes your personality Amy Cuddy's experiment: “Fake it 'til you make it” What information is called non-verbal? 5 useful tips

The body expresses emotions better than facial expressions

We constantly make conclusions about how the interlocutor perceives us and what feelings he experiences based on his facial expression. As it turns out, this is not the most appropriate way to assess a person’s emotional state.

Scientists at Princeton University conducted a very simple study that refutes this point of view. Participants in the experiment only had to determine what the person captured in the photo was experiencing: delight, pain, the joy of victory, or the bitterness of defeat. The first part of the photographs showed only gestures and poses, the other showed facial expressions, the rest of the photographs were not changed.

If you now think that there is nothing difficult about this, try doing the same thing as the study participants. Take a close look at the right side of the following image and try to determine what emotions the tennis players are feeling.

The results of the study were more than surprising:

“The results of four independent experiments showed that participants correctly identified the emotions of the athletes depicted in the photo when they looked at photos with images of gestures. Significantly fewer correct answers were obtained when participants made their guesses based on the tennis players' facial expressions."

Chief researcher at Princeton University Alex Todorov in his works says that it is very difficult to distinguish between strong negative and strong positive emotions, since human facial expressions in these cases are almost the same. He also mentions that voters, upon seeing the candidates' faces for the first time, can determine within seconds how 70% of the Senate seats will be distributed.

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There is no need to teach a person body language, since most of our emotional expressions originate at the unconscious level of mental activity. An excellent confirmation of this is the study of psychologists Jessica Tracy and David Matsumoto from the University of British Columbia and San Francisco State University, who observed the behavior of winning and losing judokas at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As it turned out, gestures associated with victory or defeat are equally characteristic of both sighted and blind athletes. The judoka in the photo on the right has congenital blindness:

Body language shapes your personality

At one of the conferences of the US private commercial foundation TED (Technology Entertainment Design, Technology/Entertainment/Design), Amy Cuddy spoke about some of the most characteristic human gestures and poses. The psychologist also focused on how the correct use of body language affects the success of businessmen and how nonverbal communication works in the business sphere.

Cuddy distinguishes between two types of body postures: power postures, which express strength and dominance, and postures, which show helplessness and weakness. In the following image you can see examples of strong poses:

Here are examples of body positions that express weakness and helplessness:

Research conducted by Amy Cuddy has revealed the secrets of nonverbal communication and led to some very interesting conclusions. First, by adopting strong postures, we increase our chances of getting a good job, feel much happier, and become more successful. Secondly, the reasons for the above changes lie not only in the usual change in the positions of the arms or legs. In fact, no less significant changes occur inside our body, primarily associated with the hormones testosterone and cortisol.

How does stress affect brain size?

Testosterone is the hormone of strength and power. In addition to its basic properties, testosterone is one of the main biologically active substances that influence a person’s overall well-being, performance and self-confidence.
Cortisol is a stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levels contribute to insomnia, irritability and feelings of helplessness.

The Amy Cuddy Experiment: “Fake It Till You Make It”

As you know, confident people are more optimistic, smiling, aggressive and gambling. They are not afraid to take risks, they know how to think abstractly and set long-term goals.

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A strong, effective leader has high levels of testosterone and low levels of cortisol, while in the situation of an insecure person, the opposite is true: too much stress hormone and too little power hormone. The question is: is there any connection between body language and a person's self-awareness? Research conducted by Amy Cuddy suggests that this is indeed the case.

The participants in the experiment had to take powerful or weak poses and were in such positions for 2 minutes, after which they were sent for an interview. The results were simply amazing: employers who were not privy to the details of the experiment expressed a desire to hire only those students who had previously played the role of a strong and self-confident person. Managers should know non-verbal psychology of the organization in order to understand why one or another candidate seems more promising.

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What's even more interesting is that there was a big jump in hormone levels. In those participants who held strong postures, testosterone levels increased by 20%, and in people in weak postures, testosterone levels decreased by 10%:

Similar changes occurred in cortisol levels. In 2 minutes, among “people in strong poses” its level decreased by 25%, and among those who were in a “weak pose” it increased by 15%:

The results of a study conducted by Amy Cuddy indicate that body language can affect not only the final result, but also a person’s perception of himself. This means that it would be better to replace the rule “Fake it until you make it” with “Fake it until you make it.”

What information is called nonverbal?

Nonverbal information is non-verbal forms of communication that make it possible to create a psychological portrait of the interlocutor. What kind of communication is called nonverbal? Without words, when information is transmitted through gestures, facial expressions and postures.

5 useful tips

1. Focus on the position of your feet

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. and management technology consultant, has spent many years studying nonverbal communication. Watch your feet - this is one of the most interesting and extraordinary tips that can be found in the literature on nonverbal communication. It turns out that the position of the legs reveals a person’s emotional state no worse than postures and gestures.

“You can understand whether 2 people want you to intervene in their conversation very simply - pay attention to the position of their legs. If the interlocutors, responding to your remarks, turn only their bodies, while their legs remain motionless, it is better to limit yourself to a simple greeting. If they move their feet in your direction, this can be interpreted as an invitation to continue the conversation.”

Goman also explains how not to miss the moment to end a conversation:

“Even if you are sure that your interlocutor is completely attentive, it doesn’t hurt to look at the position of his legs - if they are turned towards the door, this means that the conversation needs to end, he wants to leave as soon as possible.”

2. Smile: Smiling will make you happier.

We smile because we are happy. It is difficult to argue with this, and there is no particular need. But is it possible to assume that a smile in the absence of a feeling of happiness will provoke its occurrence? Scientists at Cardiff University believe this is quite possible.

“The process of forming emotions depends not only on the functioning of the brain, but also on the movements of body parts that enhance the sensations that arise.”

Physiology of happiness

But don’t forget that being able to smile is a completely different story. First, try smiling at someone before a meeting or interview - this is guaranteed to increase your self-confidence.

3. Practice strong poses

Next time before you head into an important negotiation, try spending 2-3 minutes in one of the powerful poses explored by Amy Cuddy.

Strong Pose 1:

Strong pose 2:

Strong Pose 3:

4. Adjust your body position

Another tip from Carol Kinsey Goman says: adjust your body position to the body position of the interlocutor. This way you can reach a common agreement faster and avoid tensions:

“Standing shoulder to shoulder or looking in the same direction, you can easily find a common language with your interlocutor.”

5. Low voice, deep breathing

Men and women with pleasant, deep voices are much more likely to occupy leadership positions and are perceived by others as people with broad authority. If you want to experiment with your voice, try taking a few deep diaphragmatic breaths - this will help relax your larynx and make speaking more pleasant.

High conversions to you!

Based on materials from blog.bufferapp
22-10-2013

Facial expressions in animals and primitive people

It should be noted that not only humans, but also higher animals have facial expressions as non-verbal communicative behavior. Although the grimaces of apes are similar to those of humans, they often express different meanings. In particular, grinning, which humans might mistake for a smile, conveys threat in monkeys. The animal raises its gums to show off its fangs. Many mammals (wolves, tigers, dogs, etc.) do the same.

By the way, this sign of threat, apparently, was once characteristic of humans. This confirms that a grin among a number of primitive peoples is not only a smile, but also a sign of bitterness or threat. For these peoples, fangs subconsciously still serve as military weapons. By the way, in modern culture, the memory of this meaning of such a grimace has been preserved: there is a phraseological unit “show teeth”, the meaning of which is “to demonstrate a threat or resistance.”

Signals sent by the eyes

Signals sent by the eyes also relate to facial expressions. Women are known to shoot their eyes when flirting. You can say “yes” by blinking your eyelashes. An open, direct look into the eyes of the interlocutor is considered a sign of a free and strong person. This view has its biological roots. Among primitive peoples, as well as in the animal world, it is often a challenge. Gorillas, for example, tolerate people near them, but a person should not look into the eyes of the leader, since the latter will regard this as an encroachment on his leadership in the herd. There are known cases when a cameraman was attacked by a male gorilla, because the animal thought that the flashing camera lens was a challenge, a direct look into the eyes. And today in human society such non-verbal behavior is considered courageous. It is known that when people are unsure of themselves, when they are timid, they look away.

Learn to recognize lies

In order to feel confident and comfortable in a situation of communicating with different people, to avoid manipulation, you should learn to recognize non-verbal language of communication in situations where they are trying to deceive you.

What means of nonverbal communication, gestures, postures, and facial expressions should you pay attention to in order to recognize a lie?

excessively long or frequent pauses, pauses and hesitations before starting a line;
asymmetry of facial expressions, lack of synchrony in the work of facial muscles, when there is a discrepancy in the facial expressions of the two sides of the face;
a “frozen” facial expression, when it does not change for 5-10 seconds, is false;
delayed expression of emotions, when long pauses arise between the word and the emotions associated with it;
a “long” smile, where the lips are pulled back from the teeth, creating a narrow lip line;
visual contact is shallow, when the liar's eyes meet the interlocutor's eyes for no more than a third of the entire conversation, while often looking at the ceiling and around with a restless expression on his face;
twitching of any part of the body: tapping fingers on the table, biting the lip, twitching of arms or legs;
scanty gestures that the liar keeps under control;
high pitched voice, heavy breathing;
bent body, crossed-legged poses;
poor facial expressions, weak work of the facial muscles;
quickly moving the eyes first to the upper right corner, and then to the lower left;
quick, imperceptible at first glance, touching the nose, rubbing the eyelid;
brighter gestures with the right hand compared to the left;
any exaggeration: unnecessary movements and gestures, inappropriate emotions;
frequent eye blinking

Knowing all the subtleties of non-verbal communication techniques, you will not only be able to avoid manipulation, but you yourself can easily learn how to manage people

Tactile communication

This includes patting, touching, etc. The use of such elements of communication indicates status, mutual relations, as well as the degree of friendship between the interlocutors. Relationships between close people are expressed in stroking, hugging, kissing. Relationships between friends often involve pats on the shoulder and handshakes. Teenagers, like baby animals, sometimes imitate fights. This is how they fight for leadership in a playful way. Such relationships between teenagers are expressed in kicks, pokes or grabs.

It should be noted that the signs conveyed by nonverbal means of communication (touch, posture, facial expressions, etc.) are not as unambiguous as the words we pronounce. Most often they are interpreted taking into account the situation, that is, the conditions in which they are observed.

Communication between a man and a woman

When communicating with a person of interest, our body strives to demonstrate sympathy in every possible way, even if our consciousness is still constrained by embarrassment or uncertainty about the reciprocity of feelings. Women and men send each other different signals of attraction .

Ways to express male sympathy

The gaze of an interested man covers the object of sympathy from head to toe, assessing the general attractiveness of the girl. A man or guy in love strives for more frequent eye contact.

In the presence of a pretty woman, men instinctively smooth their hair, straighten the details of their suit, and brush away specks of dust from their jacket. The man's body is turned towards the woman, the toes of his shoes are directed towards her, his palms are located in the hips.

Liking is indicated by an open smile, in which the corners of the lips are symmetrically raised upward.

When talking with an object of interest, a man’s voice becomes gentle, soft and velvety. But when addressing others in the presence of a girl, a man can demonstrate “animal” instincts: his voice can resemble a growl, communication becomes harsh and rude. He seems to be trying to protect his “prey” from others.

Ways to express female sympathy

Girls tend to watch the object of their affection secretly, on the sly . They may cast brief sidelong glances at a man, and with accidental direct visual contact, look away and blush. The girl looks the man up and down: firstly, this is how she gains the courage to make eye contact, and secondly, as if she is delaying the most pleasant moment of eye contact.

In the presence of a man of interest, a woman strives to fix her hair, clothes, and makeup. She subconsciously shows him the smooth and delicate skin of her wrists. When meeting in an informal setting, a woman can take positions in which her legs will be clearly visible to the interlocutor. She wiggles the toe of her shoe, stretches her legs, crosses her legs.

The voice of an interested woman changes, becomes lower, and hoarse notes appear. This is one of the signs of sexual attraction to a partner.

The pace of speech slows down, melodic intonations appear: it is as if she is hypnotizing a man with her words. If a girl is not sure of the reciprocity of feelings, her voice, on the contrary, may be uncertain, trembling and confused.

The ability to recognize the signals that others subconsciously send during communication will help you build business and personal communications more effectively. A person's body language can reveal his intentions more accurately than words .

Clothing as a way of nonverbal communication

In communication between people, some other methods of non-verbal communication are known. For example, these include jewelry and clothing. Let's say if an employee comes to work in smart clothes, we can assume from this sign that today is his birthday or he has an important meeting ahead. The use of clothing as a means of communication is often practiced in politics. For example, the cap of Luzhkov, the former mayor of Moscow, announced that he was a mayor “of the people,” a “hard worker” mayor.

Thus, nonverbal behavior of a person in psychology can be considered in many aspects. This phenomenon is of interest not only to scientists, but also to ordinary people. It is not surprising, because the culture of nonverbal behavior, like the culture of speech, is used in everyday life. The ability to correctly interpret words and gestures is useful to everyone. A deep understanding of the meaning of people's verbal/non-verbal behavior contributes to effective communication.