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Kinesics: The exciting
science of body language

» What your gestures say about you

Chitwan Khosla
Features Editor
M features@theotherpress.ca

kre is an exciting
yet complicated science

of behavioural patterns in
non-verbal communication.
To understand the body
movements and signs, experts

cultural and environmental
differences. Anyone who

is unfamiliar with the
cultural nuances of the body
language has every chance to
misinterpret what they see.

consciously or subconsciously,
through our body than
with our words. In fact, we
convey more than 60 per
cent of our thoughts during
any conversation through
body movements and very
little, sometimes less than
20 per cent, through verbal
communication.

Dr. Ray Birdwhistell,
the founder and father of
kinesics, in his manual An
Introduction to Kinesics, tried
to put together an annotation
system for body language. He
attempted to break all the
body movements into their
basics, giving them symbols.
The system is based on the
assumption that every body
movement has a meaning
and none are accidental.

the insignificant gestures, the
meaningful from the totally
random ones, or the conscious
from the unconscious are
important factors to be
considered in interpretation
of body language. Starting
with the eyes, as they are the
most powerful and expressive
source of communication in
body language, Birdwhistell
chose simple symbols such

as a diamond for an open eye
and a line fora closed one.

were used to interpret body
language.

Eyes can transmit subtle
hints, and the most important
technique of eye management
is the look or the stare. Over

: a period of time, researchers

: revealed some interesting facts
: about “stares.” When people

: speak a lot they look at their

: listener very little, and when

: they listen they look at the
speaker a lot. When people

: start to speak they look away

: from their partners at first.
There is a subtle pattern in
need to take into consideration : Speaking, listening, looking,
: and looking away. When
someone looks away while

: speaking, it generally means
: they are still explaining

: themselves and don’t want to
: be interrupted. A locking of
We convey more messages, the gaze in such situation is

: a point to interrupt. If they

: give a pause but don’t look

: directly into the eyes of the

: listener, this means they are

: not finished yet or looking

: for a response. This is mostly
: observed during an interview
: when 27 to g2 per cent of the
time people look away from

: their interviewer.

Sometimes during a semi-

: formal conversation if you

: look away and to the sides

: without turning your head, it

: may mean, “I am not certain

: about what am I saying.” If

: while listening you suddenly

: look straight into the eyes of

: the speaker, you are indirectly
: saying, “I agree with you and I
: am listening to you carefully.”

: When you look away with your
: head slanting in the direction
Separating the significant from : YOU 47 looking, you convey to
: your speaker, “IT do not want

: you to know my feelings and I
: am not very interested in this

: conversation.” It is particularly
: true when the speaker is

: critical or insulting—this is

: why kids often look away when
: you scold them.

Staring is a strong signal if

: we wish to treat someone with
: acontempt or ignore them. It
: can make or break a person by
: giving them human or non-

: human status. Generally we
Combinations of these symbols ; don’t stare at human beings

: and stares are reserved for

: non-human things only.

: We stare at a piece of art, a

: painting, a sculpture, scenery,
: and at the animals in the zoo,
: but we don’t stare at humans

: if we want to extend a human

; treatment toward them.

: Criminal investigators stare at

; suspects because they look at

; them as subjects for evidence

: and information—not humans.
: They add human character to
the people only after talking to
: them.

Staring at strangers like

: this should be avoided in order
: to acknowledge their humanity,
: yet we must not ignore them.

: Look at the unfamiliar faces

: long enough only to make it

: clear that we see them and

: then immediately look away.

: This way we convey with our

: body language, “I know you are
: there but I would not intrude

: on your privacy.” If you pass

: someone in the street you

: might eye the oncoming person
: until you are about eight feet

: apart. Then you must look

: away, each looking briefly in

: the direction you are walking.

: Such brief daily encounters

: signal that we are not afraid of
: the people who walk with us on
: the streets. This look-and-look-
: away technique is used almost

: every second we are alive, often
: unknowingly. Some use it

: correctly and some don't.

Marketing companies

: use the subconscious

: interpretation of body

: language that our minds do

: largely for their benefit. Studies
: show that the pupils of our eyes
: become twice as large when

: we see something pleasant

: or arousing. This principle is

: used to test the effect of the

: TV commercials and their

: likability. Our gestures of

: arms and shoulders show our

: willingness or unwillingness

: to buy the product. Our finger

: Movements can suggest our

: interest in knowing more about
: the product or dissatisfaction

: from the product if used in

: past.

The study of these minute

: human non-verbal movements
: isa world of its own where

: we actually know that things
are not as deceptive as verbal

: language. Yes, actions do speak
louder than words.

Have an idea?
Contact: Chitwan Khosla, Features Editor
M4 editor@theotherpress.ca

www.theotherpress.ca