subject: Understanding Body Language [print this page] There is a whole new world out there when it comes to communication that the average person often misses. The world that I am referring to is nonverbal communications. We must understand that most times the things that are not said are more important than what is said. The effective communicator has learned how to pick up on nonverbal communications and capitalize on those things which may not be spoken out loud but are more important than those that are.
More times people are unaware of the nonverbal signs that they give so if you have a good understanding of nonverbal communication cues you will be able to discern the real intentions of the person that you are communicating with.
Even though voice inflection is a verbal cue I want to mention it here. This normally happens when a person is feeling a specific emotion and is the result of genuine excitement. You can tell when a person is angry or fearful etc., by monitoring the inflection of his or her voice. You need to couple the voice with the body language that you observe. If the two are congruent you can be pretty sure of the emotion that is being displayed. People can learn to control their facial expressions and the inflections of their voice but body language is usually involuntary.
There is one thing that I have learned from watching police interviewers is that they will always accuse the suspect of the crime and will to proceed to tell that they have evidence to prove it. This is almost always a ruse to cause the accused to tip his or her hand. The guilty person will always want to know what the evidence is so they will listen intently to see what if fact he investigators have. The innocent person wont be caught in this trap because it doesnt matter to he or she what the evidence may be. He or she will normally show very little concern about the evidence of the case because it doesnt apply to them.
Body language is different in different cultures so we need to know the customs and habits of the person that we are evaluating. There are many aspects of body language to include body position, tone of voice, facial expressions, eye contact, touch, gestures, and the amount of distance kept between the two parties involved in the communication.
Factors to consider include whether the person positions his or her body facing towards you or away from you. When you talk is their posture relaxed or guarded? Are their answers spontaneous or measured? Are their arms and legs open or closed? If closed are they loosely or tightly closed? Do they make eye contact with you? Who initiates the touching? Do they draw away when you approach or do they stand their ground?
If they do initiate touch is it spontaneous or deliberate and calculated? These are all important points for you to consider to help you to understand the nonverbal cues that you are receiving and what they actually mean. You have to keep in mind that many of these responses are determined by the culture that the person has been socialized in.
Many times people will attempt to manipulate their body language cues in order to manipulate your thoughts but here is the key. All of the signs displayed have to be consistent. It is next to impossible for any person to manipulate and control each and every aspect of their nonverbal communication. Most nonverbal communication is reflex so the first cue is normally the correct one. Riceland Enterprises
