Considering
Body Language: Hidden Communication
Many fields are interested in body language. Psychologists
want to know about how bodies convey hidden truths. The best poker players in
the world are experts in projecting and observing body language. Professional
athletes are adept at reading body language as well. Public figures are
interested in learning of how to leverage body language to become more engaging
and effective in delivering speeches.
Find two articles about body language. One must be a peer
reviewed scholarly source, and the other must be a popular source. Beyond
summarizing the content of the sources, you are also tasked with raising
questions and analyzing the article. Consider the journal the article is
published in or who sponsored the popular article. Explore why the author
conducted the study in a particular way. What does the article accomplish, and
to what extent did the writer accomplish her goals?
Blog 1: part 1
ReplyDeleteVivienne Do
ENC-1102-0038
Most people associate ‘’Body Language’’ in a psychological standpoint. You can easily categorizes body language cues as negative vs. positive. This outlook is much emphasized in an article published by Adam Dachis called ‘’How to read body language to reveal the underlying truth.’’ Dachis, like many people, became fascinated by the how much information out body naturally gives out. His article highlights social/media components on how body language can affects ones communication and social skills. I find this article very useful because everyone can relate, since eventually they will find themselves either on a date, job interview or placed within a different community. Dachis first goes over how to spot a liar using simple observation techniques such as picking up movements of ‘’eye-shifting’’ or ‘’tense upper body with extreme eye contact.’’ He then goes onto explaining different techniques you can use to sell yourself as a genuine business men or personal relationship gestures you can use depict the feelings of your date.
The article posting was published under the site Lifehacks, which is an online community ran by bloggers. The site aims as a resource guild for anyone on the internet. I believe Dachi published this article to help the online community become more aware of the importance in Body Language. By reading his useful tips, you can perhaps score a couple of brownie points with your new boss; or maybe get a little something-something with that new girl of yours. I can most certainly vouch by his conclusion and theories because I have tried them out myself! During my high school year, I was a desperate teenager, eager for a summer job. I looked up tips from plenty of online sites, many hinting at the same advice to use the power of body language. When the manager called out my name, I rose up (with a certain confidence in me), paced myself over to him and lifted my arm FIRST to greet him with a firm handshake. I noticed a couple of other applicants before me not even shaking the manager’s hand, one girl even waved at it! (I applied at a high-end restaurant at the time.) Simple body postures, such as slouching, makes people assume you are bored. . . Uptight shoulders, suggest you are nervous about the upcoming or situation at hand. When I took speech class, many of my classmates would bring their elbows pasted to their stomach, shoulders up towards the ears and toes slanted inward while presenting a speech. Granted, it was the beginning of the course, so they were of course freakishly nervous! The article wants the reader to take note of the past and make
continued on part 2.
PART 2- continued from original posting
Deletethem remember about experience where body language played a big role of effect. The writer wants readers to prevent future negative attributions of body language, while also sharing advice to how body language can positively reinforce situations. I believe the article captures the spirit of online community bloggers, and is very useful information for any person can apply to their everyday lifestyle!
The second article ‘’The Psychology of body language by Joe Narravo’’ gives more of a science observation approach. Unlike Dachi, who focused of the social communication of body language, Narravo takes note about the different stages of fetus to adulthood in humans- and how body language essentially shaped our personality. This theory reminded me much of Stigmund Freund’s theory on how the human brain acts upon what makes us feel pleasure. Narravo states that when a baby is born, he cries because he is cold- and naturally the mother will press her body against him as a heat source, thus leaving the baby warm and silenced. As he experienced warmth (pleasure) the brain automatically signals to stop crying. Narravo goes on and explains other stages, which always ends up with the conclusion that the human mind will stop giving negative cues once it has felt pleasure. This article is set up as a research-based observation on how body language affects the growing stages of human development. Narravo definitely accomplishes his goal of connecting the body-mind aspect of humanity. I believe aspiring mothers would find his article very resourceful or psychologist seeking out the underlying truth of a person’s past through his body-language experience. Such as, the psychological outlook of association and conditioning.
Dachis, Adam. "How to Read Body Language to Reveal the Underlying Truth in Almost Any Situation." Lifehacker. N.p., 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 20 Aug. 2013. .
Narravo, Joe. "Spycatcher." The Psychology of Body Language. N.p., 29 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Aug. 2013. .
Eleana Alvarez
ReplyDeleteENC 1102-0039
When looking to make a good first impression, or land a job, most people have most likely searched a few tips on how to improve their body language to achieve their desired outcomes and create positive impacts on their lives. Good body language can improve any situation in which you may initially feel nervous or uncomfortable in, and it is important to know just how certain little actions can impact you in a big way. Carol Kinsey Goman's article, "10 Simple and Powerful Body Language Tips for 2013" lists ways in which one can more efficiently seal a business deal and make a good first impression while exuding confidence and strength. Goman suggests that one replaces cell phones with newspapers in reception areas, avoids using negative body language that is often associated with lying (hand touching, face touching, crossed arms, and leaning away), smiles more especially in difficult situations, and sits/stands up straight to show power. Goman's article highlights everything one may need to know in order to land a job which can really be extremely beneficial to anyone in these tough economic times. She really stresses the importance of just really being confident and friendly in all of your actions and to be conscious of what you are doing with your body to avoid looking scared or nervous (not being hunched over, fidgeting, etc).
The article was published under Forbes, which is a leading source for reliable business and financial news and information. I believe Forbes published this article in order to encourage people who may be struggling to land a job, a promotion, or to seal a business deal since they are primarily a business magazine/site meant to help people out financially and to make smart decisions regarding their money and their jobs. Goman's article can even be helpful for a teen who is nervous about their first job interview! I know I sure used most of the tips listed in her article during my first interview and it immediately landed me the job and I have been at it for a year all thanks to good body language and a good attitude. Goman effectively covers all of the positive actions one can take when faced in a nerve racking situation in order to turn it into a better experience.
The second article I analyzed, "Effective Body Language in Organizations" by Neha Gupta really focuses on the aspect of nonverbal communication vs. verbal communication which is just the words we use. Gupta explains that nonverbal communication consists of eye contact, body language, and verbal cues. Your appearance, nodding your head when others are speaking, your tone of voice, and handshakes are all forms of nonverbal communication that can impact your relationships with others in more ways than verbal communication could. Gupta states that most nonverbal communication, however, is involuntary and that one does not really realize their nonverbal communication patterns. The importance of a good firm handshake is explained and vocal cues such as being too loud are mentioned in the article. Gupta shows through research that every little action one does can be interpreted to have a greater meaning, so that it is important to practice good body language if you notice that you may sometimes give off negative nonverbal cues such as frowning excessively, not making eye contact, and having an untidy personal appearance. The article is extremely helpful, and it really makes you double think your actions and maybe make a few changes in order to make yourself seem a bit more confident. I believe that anyone could truly benefit from this insightful collection of information that Gupta has presented.
Goman, Carol Kinsey. "10 Simple and Powerful Body Language Tips for 2013." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 07 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 Aug. 2013.
Gupta, Neha. "Effective Body Language in Organizations." IUP Journal of Soft Skills 7.1 (2013): 35-44. Mar. 2013. Web. 21 Aug. 2013.
Shawn Petrunak - ENC 1102
ReplyDeleteMy first article is from Forbes, a site best known for publishing the list of the richest people in the world, or details about homes and lifestyles of the utmost rich in the world. To be honest, when I was younger I always thought that only rich people ever read that website. In this article, the Author Nick Morgan talks about the seven most misunderstood aspects of body language, some being things that we are taught wrong, and others being some pretty sweet ideas that we just flat out aren't taught at all. The author here refutes common "knowledge" and raises a list of things that we don't know, and I think the reason why is because in the author's biography on Forbes he proclaims that he is "passionate about communications and public speaking".
This article was published by Forbes, which I think is very fitting because as I stated earlier, I have always thought of Forbes as a website for only rich people, and most leaders in business would consider knowledge about body language as something that is very important to them. I think the author wrote this because, as someone interested in communications and public speaking, he would be very upset to constantly read incorrect information everywhere he looked, just as I would be angry (correction: I am angry) when I read incorrect Economic or Political information in everyday life. It then follows that the goal of this article would be to eliminate any confusion about misconceptions pertaining to body language, and in this aspect I think this article does a very good job. Very rarely will an article ever change the world, but I think to the people that spent five minutes reading this article, that they would be changed in their views about body language, and most certainly for the better.
My second (scholarly) article was "Assessing pig body language: agreement and consistency between pig farmers, veterinarians and animal activists". The author of this article did his research to discover if people from different walks of life, and with much different relationships with the test subject, would find the same results when examining them in both inter- and intra- fields of study. The author attempted to draw a conclusion about human perception of body language, and much to my surprise, his conclusion is supported by the author of the Forbes magazine post. This article was published in the "Journal of Animal Science", and fittingly so. I think the author chose to use pigs because, in using pigs, he was able to successfully get three testable subjects, which helps the conclusion of the research become much more valid.
F. Wemelsfelder, A. E. (2012, June 28). Assessing pig body language: agreement and consistency between pig farmers, veterinarians and animal activists. Retrieved August 22, 2013, from Journal of Animal Science: http://www.journalofanimalscience.org/content/early/2012/06/28/jas.2011-4691.full.pdf
Morgan, N. (2012, 10 25). 7 Surprising Truths About Body Language. Retrieved 08 22, 2013, from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/nickmorgan/2012/10/25/7-surprising-truths-about-body-language/
- Shawn Petrunak
Jacob Bain
ReplyDeleteCourse Blog: Body Language
ENC 1102-0038
Part I
As I walk through campus for the first time, the sheer number of students passing by me is slightly overwhelming. I do not say a word to any of the strangers and go on silently to class just as the others do. However, I notice some on-goers are panicky, timid, relaxed, etc. The awareness of these detections are commonly overlooked as we analyze those we walk past hundreds of times each day. This nonverbal communication from one person to another as we walk past in our own directions displays our current mood and personality greatly. Without a word we shed a glimpse of who we are and how we are feeling to everyone who views our physical body. But, the questions arise as just how much of this nonverbal communication truly reveals about a person, and to what extent does this form of communication end and words are needed for more unveiling.
The study of body language from a psychological perspective has been one of much interest and speculation over the past few decades. Numerous experiments have been designed to test just how much our body language and facial expressions communicate with those we never “communicate” with. A famous study was published and has been widely accepted in the psychology community by a man named Albert Mehrabian in 1972. Mehrabian’s experiment used 3 words categorized as positive, neutral, and negative, and where spoken in 3 different tones; positive, neutral, and negative. Through this simple survey and analysis of responses due not to the words, but the manner in which they were given, Mehrabian concluded that what we say is portrayed 53% by our facial expressions, 38% tone of voice, and only 7% by the actual words themselves.
Part II
ReplyDeleteThis data of course has its speculation, as the numerical statistic from this study is argumentatively invalid. However through Mehrabian’s study and publication of his findings he states that it is not the words that portray attitudes and emotions but instead “nonverbal cues to intensify the communication of positive and negative attitudes.” Mehrabian’s article is simply a final conclusion of his findings and states that bodily cues and as he calls them “symbols” have a vast majority of impact over portraying attitudes than the actual words that our spoken. Though his findings are accepted in the psychological community, debate and doubts are always prevalent.
Just one of the many challenging positions against Mehrabian’s body language claims comes from that of Dr. James Dean on an article written on Psyblogs. Dr. Dean’s online web article is framed as a direct counterargument to Mehrabian’s claims. In the opening entry written by Dean he explains how the widely accepted study is not completely relevant to entirety of body language as it covers emotions and attitudes alone. Dr. Dean goes on to explain Mehrabian’s study “lacks ecological validity” due to the fact that his findings are not applicable to real life situations and common communication. Dean ends his article with claiming a similar study testing emotions and attitude responses to negative, neutral, and positive tones are much less when the experiment is well camouflaged and the participants are not aware of how they are being assessed. I would say Dean’s article has the upper hand over Mehrabian’s due to the advantage of counterargument.
The articles I used regarding the subject of body language are in direct comparison to another as Dean’s web article is in response to a much earlier psychologists publishing’s. This brings us back to the topic of argument and how conversation is only a build up of analysis and information of previous conversation. The 1972 publication led to many conversations that have evolved and formed questions for many psychologists to come. These articles not only depict body language and the effect it has on communication but also tie into the idea of conversing through argument and the never-ending conversations to follow.
Mehrabian, A. (1972). Nonverbal communication. Aldine-Atherton, Chicago, Illinois.
Dean, Jeremy. “Busting the Myth 93% of Communication is Nonverbal” Psyblog, n.p. 8 May, 2007. Web. 22 August, 2013.
Alexandra Beeman
ReplyDeleteENC 1102
Body Language Blog Assignment
http://ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=87710987&site=eds-live&scope=site
The first article is a scholarly article written by Neha Gupta published in March 2013. The article explains the importance of body language, as she explains it is two thirds of the percentage of communication between people. Gupta references Bull who makes a good point saying body language is so important because humans body language before having written language. Gupta also explains the huge percentage that sight plays in the information gathered in a conversation (also known as body language), and how proper body language is necessary in various code of conducts in specified places.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324809804578511290822228174.html
The second article, “Look At Me in the Eye Already” is from the Wall Street Journal written by Sue Shellenbarger and published in late May 2013. This article talks about importance body language, specifically eye contact. She goes on to explain how the advancement in technology has made eye contact so rare. Sue uses examples of the importance of eye contact in the work place as well as in everyday life. I can relate to this because, being 18 and having held a variety of customer service jobs, I’ve been complimented on how well I communicate and hold eye contact, that sometimes being solely the reason why I was hired so quickly. Sue goes on to explain how eye contact should be made, and how to practice getting better at this because it is a crucial trait to have
James Plyler
ReplyDeleteENC 1102-0038
Body Language Assignment
An individual seeking to influence someone of a certain idea or trait about oneself has quite hefty tools in their communication arsenal. Not only can they use verbal language to convey what they want the receiving individual to hear, but they can also use non-verbal body language in order to further amplify their position. However, sometimes these tools can backfire; body language can show ones deck and cause one to fold. This can be especially detrimental during job interviews when ones primary objective is to convey the image -- whether it be true or not -- that said individual is the best qualified for the job. Forbes writer, Jacquelyn Smith, in her article “Interview Body Language Gaffes That Can Cost You The Job” discusses how even with flying colors and the most shining of résumé’s, body language that is conceived as negative can cost employment opportunity for job seeking individuals the. In the article, Smith quotes Patti Wood, author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma, reading, “Our body language says a lot about who we are and our emotional state, and poor body language often sends a message that we are stressed or fearful,”. Going further into the article she discusses the different types of negative body language that can hurt you during a crucial interview: not making eye contact can be seen as a lack of connection; not smiling can make one seem disinterested, or unfriendly; bad posture makes an individual seem dishonest or confused -- the list goes on. The way Smith recommends to counter these negative body language gaffes is by simply practicing and awareness of ones movements. The article, being on Forbes, was most obviously geared toward more business oriented individuals -- individuals seeking jobs in more competitive markets that require further focus on every aspect of self presentation. The article effectively communicates what it set out to accomplish. While the article is not that long, and the excerpts of what not to do are not entirely in depth as they possibly could have been, the concise-ness of the article allows an easy read and doesn’t bore the reader with any unnecessary data or statistics. I do wonder exactly how effective the awareness of the contents of the article are in dealing with job interviews. Can practice and preparation truly overcome the anxiety that spawns negative body language?
Continued in reply -->
The next article, “Insight Through Body Language And Non-Verbal Communication References In Tirukkural”, the author, Subramani, begins by defining non-verbal communication and by giving some statistics about it, such as that sixty five percent of communication between individuals is non-verbal and heavily determines others perceptions of the individuals. He then goes on to state the main point which is elucidating and exploring body language references in one of the ancient Tamil scripture known popularly as Tirukkural. He states that while verbal language is quite limited and can be sometimes too abstract or vague in its meaning, body language can assist in filling in the gaps. Compared to the first article, this one focus is much more heavy on the philosophy and nature of body language. What it means; why it is. However, the article is not limited to abstract ideas, but also goes into some of the science behind body language. He illuminates the fact that the section of the brain that controls and perceives body language is quite different than the section that activates verbal communication. Continuing on he list some of the meanings behind certain types of body language: pacing, gestures, paralanguage, facial expressions, etc. Going on to talk about the Tirukkural, he mentions how body language references in it concern themselves with the emotions that are expressed through face to face expression. Different emotions can be emphasized through simply the gaze of ones eyes. He quotes form it,
Delete“The eye speaks out the hate or friendly soul of man; To those who know the eye's swift varying moods to scan.” (709)
The article delivers a sense of wonder regarding body language. While the first article was more about business practice and tips, this one was more about the “magic” and transcendence of body language. It uses the ancient Tamil text effectively revealing how aware even early people were of body language. At the end the two articles, I question I have to raise: is it possible for an individual to be so in-tune and aware of movements that one can master the art of non-verbal communication, being able to break through even the most high strung of individuals?
Smith, Jacquelyn. "Interview Body Language Gaffes That Can Cost You The Job." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Subramani, R. "Insight Through Body Language And Non-Verbal Communication References In Tirukkural." Language In India 10.2 (2010): 261-271. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
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ReplyDeleteMichael Keller
ReplyDeleteENC 1102
Body Language
According to many theories and historians, one of the most primal and honest ways of communication is through body language. In the first article “The Key to Understanding Body Language”, Navarro explains that the response of the limbic system to external stimuli is instinctive and genuine. This article takes a physiological approach to the topic of body language and shows that body language can be interpreted for almost any situation. By learning to notice small behaviors in someone’s body language, it is possible to interpret these reactions as positive or negative. Some of the negative reactions explained though this article includes: “clenching our jaws, rubbing our necks.” By spotting these subconscious reactions to a situation, it is possible to find someone’s true feelings about a given situation. Navarro also explains the effect of “mirroring” another person’s body language called “isopraxis.” Although this article gives the reader the feeling that body language is always easy to interpret, through my personal experiences, learning to understand body language can be a difficult task. Because every person is a unique and distinct individual, some people tend to have more subtle body language.
The second (scholarly) article by Rugsaken looks at body language as not being universal but instead, claiming that each individual culture has its own unique rules for body language. Rugsaken also explicitly states that the terms “non-verbal communication and body language” are interchangeable. The article goes on to explain multiple situations where the misinterpretation of body language has caused unnecessary accusations which in one case, lead to fatality. Rugsaken highlights the importance of understanding other cultures to ensure that misinterpretation does not lead to unnecessary hostility. In the conclusion of his article, Rugsaken explains that through learning and understanding the body language of other cultures, we will not only learn to respect other cultures but we will also be more conscious of our own actions and bodily expressions. An interesting feature of this article is that Rugsaken goes through different body parts and explains how each are perceived differently in each culture.
Joe, N.. N.p.. Web. 22 Aug 2013
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/200910/the-key- understanding-body-language
Rugsaken, Kris. "Body-speaks." Body-speaks. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/body-speaks.aspx
Joseph Puccio Ball
ReplyDeleteENC 1102-0038
Body Language
The topic of the importance of body language has not been neglected in education. Aside from body language in a classroom setting or lecture hall, there are a different settings with which body language is imperative. One such example comes from job interviews. Frank van Marwijk brings to light the altering of how people are hired. He points out the increasing swiftness of job interviews and thus the hefty importance of positive body language. Marwijk constructs his article with an interview walkthrough, beginning with arriving for the appointment and concluding with responding to questions. Now, Marwijk focusses on a group interview environment in which a board of members is present. However, how might some of his words of advice, “During the job interview it is important to look at all the interview partners to an equal extent,” be altered if the interview is with a single surveyor (Marwijk)? Marwijk also puts emphasis on responding to the interviewer’s body language. Who is to say that the interview is intentionally refusing to show anything more than their facial expression? How does one adjust to such conditions? Finally, Marwijk also provides a boost of confidence in stating that the interviewers may be just a nervous as the applicant due the fact that you could all potentially be co-workers. This statement assumes that the job is in high demand with a small amount of workers. How comfortable might an interviewer feel if the job is in low demand/high supply, or high demand/high supply? Marwijk posted to the Self Growth site which is dedicated to improving peoples’ lives. Marwijk’s article displays useful tactics one could use to ease the interview process.
Rick Anderson, a librarian, speaks up about a different form of body language; organization body language. Anderson delves to show that body language is more than just the ways in which we display emotions through our bodies. Specifically he points to key areas of the library in which he works. He converses about an area that contains calming, comfy, reclined chairs. Though the area has no explicit purpose, students tend to study and rest. Anderson focuses on implicit messages that our arrangement of furniture, signs, and places of importance all act as a form of communication. More so, when organization disagrees with body language, an example being, “We’re here to serve you!” means nothing when the person sitting at the desk acts as though service is an unwelcome distraction from his other work,” (Anderson). How might the organization of a classroom effect students’ response to a lecture? Furthermore, how might the density of a classroom effect students’ response? Rick Anderson had organizational body language revealed to him following viewing, “Thirteen Days, a movie about the John F. Kennedy administration’s handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis,” (Anderson). His goal was to show a new way of viewing body language. I believe he succeeded.
Works Cited
Anderson, Rick. Orangizational Body Language. 30 July 2013. 22 August 2013. .
Marwijk, Frank van. Body anguage during a job interview. 21 March 2004. 22 August 2013. .
Everyday people usually don’t find body language as an important factor, little do they know that ones’ body language can tell a lot about them. Think about it, employers know certain signs to look for in the person they are interviewing because this person can either make or break the company. When thinking about the fact of reading people just by actions, it sounds pretty weird. Never have I thought of looking at someone to read how they really feel about a situation along with whether or not they are lying unless they do. After doing some research, I noticed that these things are interesting yet important. For example, when an employer is hiring, he or she must know all the possible signs of a person that is comfortable opposed to being extremely nervous. When thinking of body language, there are many things that come into play. It is important for people in this day and age to recognize the different signs that someone’s body can give off of themselves.
ReplyDeleteBody language can either give someone success or make them a failure. In the business world, using body language properly can benefit people whether it is in a job or different bonds with people. In “12 Body Language Tip For Career Success”, Carol Goman left a nice amount of tips that one could use in order to build confidence in what they do along with how they do it. These tip include standing tall and taking up space, widening your stance, lowering your vocal pitch, try power priming, striking a power pose, maintaining positive eye contact, talking with your hands, using open gestures, trying a steeple, reduce nervous gestures, smile, and perfecting your handshake. Following these steps will help for a better future. Keeping an erect posture makes one look sure of themselves. One thing I think people find impressive is keeping eye contact, this shows that you are not shy and show confidence. Carol also left a tip for people that may have trouble doing so, and this is something that I learned too.
a) Made just to help others with low self-esteem? Or just unskilled people?
b) Was she in this same predicament?
In “The Forensic Examiner”, I learned that knowing body language comes in handy when it comes down to playing poker because it is easy to get tricked into asking the biggest mistake in life for some people. Before thinking about playing poker, one should learn the different signs of body language so that they will know whether or not their opponent is bluffing. There are specific signs that are not hard to learn and over time it will become more noticeable. She then goes in and states the different gestures and what they mean. For example, when a person looks like they have a lot of confidence in their hand, chances are that they have a low or a bad hand. In the poker industry, it is important to make sure that one knows exactly what gestures to use, how to use them, along with knowing when to use them if they want to have a successful game.
a) She wanted to share with other people, showing that she knows what she is talking about because she is an experienced poker player?? Reaches out to all other poker players.
b) Who would have ever thought that someone’s body can tell how they are really feeling?
c) Does this only apply to poker players? How can we apply these things to everyday life?
Works Cited:
Goman, Kinsey Carol. “12 Body Language Tips For Career Success.” Forber. Forebes Magazine, 08 Aug. 2013. Web. 08 Aug. 2013.
"Keynote speaker: Jan Hargrave." The Forensic Examiner Fall 2012: 33. Academic OneFile. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Body language as many people know is a natural form of non-verbal communication, The first article I found aimed to help the audience first understand and then be able to spot out different types of body language, and their meanings. The article first goes on to explain body language as a form of non-verbal communication followed by several different gestures and poses that people do and what they mean. The issue that I have with body language is that every person is different. Yes there are certain things that people generally do when they feel happy, sad, angered, etc., but it is sometimes difficult to tell what a person is trying to say by their body language because body language does not afford us the luxury of tone. For example me and another student may say the exact same thing but how we say it can relay a much different message. I generally tend to cross my arms when I am in a comfortable situation ad not because I am self conscious or unhappy with my appearance, as the article suggests. The other thing I noticed is that some people develop linguistic hobbits, or things that they say simply out of habit, even if slightly out of context or sarcastic. The same may be true about someone’s body language, someone may have a certain thing that they do like cross their arms or tap their feet. Although there are many things that we can often tell about people based on body language, I feel that it is a bit off to say that body language is always a good indicator of how someone is feeling. Another problem that I have found with this article is that it doesn’t address how someone may purposely be trying to demonstrate certain types of body language to portray an image of confidence or being knowledgeable. Essentially the problem is that people can “lie” with their body language to portray a certain image, even if it doesn’t correctly reflect how the person really feels.
ReplyDeleteThe second article written from Princeton university writes that “Be it triumph or crushing defeat, exhilaration or agony, body language more accurately conveys intense emotions,” the article later goes on to prove my point that body language can be very vague and subjective, especially when “viewed independently.” So how can body language be the single best indicator of strong emotion yet be vague and subjective? The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of things that we can learn from someone’s body language, but the caveat to that is that body language is much easier to understand once you already somewhat know the person. Body language still gives the same information from strangers but it is hard to interpret different peoples body language, especially if it is your first time meeting someone. Body language can be a great indication of how someone is feeling but can sometimes be hard to accurately interpret if it is your first encounter with the person.
Articles:
http://www.wikihow.com/Read-Body-Language
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S35/82/65G58/
Kayla Doerstling
ReplyDeleteScholarly Source:
The topic of Laura Spinney’s article is the common misconceptions of using body language to identify a liar. For example, one common misconception is that liars do not look you in the eye, when in fact “liars and truth-tellers avert their gaze more or less equally” (par. 2). Spinney also brings up the point that for most of us, lies are trivial and do not matter much, but for some people, such as law enforcement, lies become a matter of life and death. Spinney also references a paper written by psychologists that highlight other mistakes about reading body language, such as liars giving themselves away by facial expressions and body language. However, research revealed that there was not one cue to deception that consistently stood out amongst the rest. Therefore, “non-verbal cues…can be misleading” (par.5). According to psychologists, the best way to determine lies is to give equal weight to both non-verbal and verbal information.
Part of the problem using facial expressions and body language to determine liars is that both liars and truth-tellers can act equally nervous under questioning. The best way to interrogate someone is to have a time when they were telling the truth to compare the interrogation to. Because of these problems, researchers are suggesting new ways to determine liars, such as asking more difficult questions, because it takes more mental effort to lie than to tell the truth. Another suggestion is to ask the suspect to maintain eye contact with the interrogator while asking him to recall an event. Because it is hard for anyone to do this, it requires extra work for the liar, and “chance are that they will betray themselves” (par. 16). Results from using these tactics (and others) lead psychologists to believe that people should “actively exploit” the psychology of liars; “What makes the expert [lie detector] an expert isn't the ability to watch non-verbal behavior, the ability to ask the right question" (quote from Tim Levine, par. 21).
In one research group, when people were trained to look for non-verbal as well as verbal cues analyzed videos, they were able to tell the liars from the truth-tellers with over 90 percent accuracy. Although the viewers could watch the videos at a resolution of 30 frames per second, this study still shows that anyone can spot a liar if they know what to look for.
Popular Source:
This article talks about how kids’ body language in school can help them avoid problems with bullies. As one expert said, confidence is key. Vanessa Van Edwards, a behavioral investigator, said there are certain body movements that can increase a stress hormone which makes bullies perceive kids as weak. These include hanging their head down or rolling their shoulders forward. On the contrary, there are small adjustments that can help reduce stress and improve confidence, causing the bullies to leave them alone.
Van Edwards suggested advice for inside the classroom. Make sure kids are not trying to “disappear at their desk” (par. 5). Kids should hold their heads up and have their hands on their desktop, instead of putting their hands under their desk, tucking their feet under, and hanging their head. Students should also keep their chest and face up when they walk down the hall, because if they hang their head low and avoid eye contact, bullies see them as easy targets. On the school bus, Edwards suggested that the walk to the back of the bus can make some kids have anxiety, so it is best for kids to avoid sitting there. She also said that body language is contagious, so if parents are tense when they are talking to their kids about school, the kids will pick up on that and copy that body language.
Scholarly Source: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/ehost/detail?sid=8747d0f0-9f2f-4131-a7d8-aa1a50e77e97%40sessionmgr111&vid=1&hid=112&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=63968112
Popular Source: http://www.katu.com/news/local/Body-language-can-ward-off-bullying-expert-says-220591261.html
Allison Hoyland
ReplyDeleteENC 1102-0038
It is no secret that there are a plethora of differences between men and women and that includes the way they incorporate body language into everyday conversations. I have always been curious as to what and/or why men and women feel the need to react certain ways in situations. Based off the article “Body Language Differences between Men and Women” by Julie-Ann Amos, women tend to display more “nurturing” body language while men display behaviors of “power, dominance, and assertiveness.” We are programmed before we even learn to speak what type of body language is specific with our gender. In current times we have more of an equal gender society where some women will have manlier body language traits and vice versa. However, overall speaking it is common for women and men to fall in those categories listed above. There is actually scientific evidence as to why when men and women communicate they may not be receiving the messages as they are meant. Women process messages using up to “16 different parts of their brain at once.” While men process messages using about “6 or 7 different parts of their brain.” So when men say that women overanalyze everything, it’s actually true, but we can’t help it. A simple smile or tilt of your head may mean nothing to you but we analyze them as what they mean when we use them. Amos, although a woman, is very careful about not being biased towards women which in turn makes her article a very effective tool. We, as a society, are too quick to pull the “gender card” and judge people off what gender they are. Amos is right when she says “The key is to be respectful of differences and not belittle or judge either gender based on body language issues.”
Over the past 100 years women have made tremendous progress in being seen as equals in our society. Although things are not perfect and probably won’t be for many years, based off of history, things are only getting better. Women are running for president, they are CEO’s of large corporations, and are no longer viewed as only being valued in the home. How have they been able to be taken seriously when most view them as only nurturing beings? Well, with articles like “10 Common Body Language Traps for Women in the Workplace” by Carol Kinsey Goman. Goman uses examples such as not using too many “head tilts” or avoiding playing with your hair or jewelry when put in stressful situations. This article compares with the one above by acknowledging the fact that women have pre-programmed body language behaviors but then by learning how to turn some of these off in order to be successful. By making a handshake more firm or even by limiting how much you smile, women are able to mirror a man’s body language which helps them be seen as equal. Although it is unfortunate that women have to alter their normal reactions, it is also necessary. The article is very informational and gives 10 detailed descriptions on what to avoid and what to do. While reading the article, I thought it was interesting because seeing as I am a female, I do have the tendency to do some of the actions she is describing. Body language is obviously something subconscious until someone brings it to your attention. Two articles have been able to sum up the difference between men and women and helped me better understand the gender barrier that is body language.
Amos, Julie-Ann. “Body Language Difference between Men and Women” (15 October 2012). www.bodylanguageexpert.co.uk/bodylanguageandmenandwomen.html
Goman, Carol Kinsey “10 Common Body Language Traps for Women in the Workplace.” The Washington Post (2 May 2011) (22 August 2013)
Emily Nakis -ENC 1102
ReplyDeleteThe popular article I chose came from the website, mindtools.com. This website was created to help people learn essential skills for excellent careers. This being said, “Body Language” was one of the skills that they deemed very essential for a successful career. In the article, “Body Language, Understanding Non-Verbal Communication”, body language is defined as non-verbal communication. Although this definition is quite general, understanding body language is something that is commonly overlooked. It says that there are key clues when observing someone’s body language to aid you in understanding their initial and true thoughts about a situation and help you to communicate effectively. In this article, it’s stated that body language can be either subtle or not. There is no specific or particular motion that can elaborate someone’s thoughts on a matter, but there are a multitude of signals that can demonstrate the feelings they may be experiencing. In this article, body language is really picked apart and sorted into all different types of categories and the types of behaviors that may demonstrate these emotions.
The website that produced this article is very beneficial for someone who is trying to excel in their career. It provides a way to communicate more effectively by learning how to read someone’s thoughts by their actions beyond their words. In this article the author provides behaviors that establish a deeper look into one’s perspective. Therefore the author accomplishes what his goal ultimately was, to teach essential skills, such as; building ways to communicate more effectively, reading someone’s body language, being aware when someone feels attacked by conversation and how to handle and turn the discussion around. And each of these skills will better aid you to have an excellent and more productive career.
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/Body_Language.htm
My second article, “Effective Body Language in Organizations” is by Neha Gupta. In this article Gupta indicates that nonverbal communication, body language, is a very important to device. Body language includes body movements, facial expressions, gestures, and posture. Through these motions we are able to better understand someone’s mood, attitude, emotion, thought process and much more. Gupta had stated when people first hear of something they believe it to be true, but once someone is able to get past the sounds of conversation they are then able to rely more on the motions of an individual’s body. By accomplishing that you are able to gain a sense of real knowledge about the truth of the conversation.
This article is from the Journal of Soft Skills. I would have to say that this article, similar to my previous one, was published to help build people’s skills while communicating verbally. This article does that superbly as it gives details about how different motions may demonstrate a specific mood or emotion. I believe that the author’s goal was to depict apart communication as more than just a verbal thing, and Gupta has accomplished that. Gupta has given ways to communicate more effectively in organizations by provided methods and motions to avoid in order for someone not to give off the wrong impression, as well as provided some motions to help allow people feel more comfortable. Whether it be in one’s own company or in a national corporation, these skills are extremely beneficial to have.
Gupta, N. (2013). Effective Body Language in Organizations. IUP Journal Of Soft Skills, 7(1), 35-44.
Daniel Li
ReplyDeleteENC 1102-0038
Body language is universal. No matter where you are in the world, the gestures and expressions will most certainly be the same. There are numerous traits one can discover about another 's body language, whether he or she is voluntarily utilizing body language to make a point or involuntarily allowing his or her body to mirror his or her true feelings about the matter. My first article, "Effective Body Language in Organizations" by Neha Gupta, explains exactly what body language is, how it is recognized, and the kinds of messages a certain gesture or expression can make on others. Gupta begins by defining what "communication" is and what others tend to view it as. She then goes into the concept of "body language" as well as other factors, describing various situations and giving many examples to clarify her points. Gupta shows how something as simple as a good handshake or good posture will tell one everything he or she needs to know about another, which she then leads into giving advice on how to make good impressions on others via body language among other things. Gupta then concludes by re-stating the importance of nonverbal communication across cultures, ending by stating that body language, despite all we know, is still being studied to this very day. The first question I would like to bring up is "What could have motivated Gupta to write this article?" While there are a plethora of possible answers, the most likely, seeing as Gupta's article was more focused on body language in a professional environment, is that Gupta has witnessed many cases in which a person unknowingly projected a very different emotion or expressions compared to what was being verbally said. She most likely wanted to help remedy this by giving great advice on how to act professional and appear to be a very reliable person. Gupta also seems to frame her article around an informational and instructional viewpoint, again most likely in effort to help others express positive things in their body language. All in all, Gupta's article is an excellent source of advice that will, hopefully, enlighten those who have no knowledge of the concept of "body language" as well as help them see their faults in body language and change for the better.
Continued below...
My second article, "6 things you need to know about body language" by Brad Phillips on www.prdaily.com, takes on a more humorous approach to body language, beginning with a pleasant joke about his perceptiveness when it comes to body language, then almost immediately leading in his advice. Phillips gives great advice even to those who are already fairly knowledgeable about body language, including advice about how energetic one thinks he or she is and how others truly saw him or her. Another great point is that an audience with defensive body language will remember less, therefore the speaker must not force his or her viewpoint on the audience until the audience opens up, shifting away from the defensive body language. Phillips also presents a rather humorous point about feet, explaining that feet will reveal whether the person is interested in your conversation or whether he or she wants to swiftly move for the nearest exit screaming with his or her arms above his or her head. Very much like Gupta, Phillips most likely witnessed numerous occasions in which body language conveyed a very different message than what was being said and wanted to help remedy this problem. Phillips most likely takes on a more humorous approach in order to attract the attention of a very different audience that Gupta focused on, seeing as the article was published on a popular website instead of an academic journal. Phillips appears to frame his article in a similar way that Gupta does: He presents the information in an instructional, humor-filled manner in hopes of showing people exactly how much information can be obtained from body language. Phillip's article is a great source of advice for those who love to browse the internet looking for entertainment rather than information and, like Gupta, he hopes that people will take up his advice and spread it among others.
DeleteGupta, Neha. "Effective Body Language in Organizations." IUP Journal of Soft Skills Vol. 7 Issue 1: 35-44. March 2013. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Phillips, Brad. "6 thing you need to know about body language." PRdaily. November 2011. Web. 22 Aug. 2013
Laura Yellen
ReplyDeleteENC 0038
You're at a job interview, that you have been waiting to land for months. This is your dream job and you are the epitome nervous. You’re rubbing your palms on your pants, your eyes are shifting rapidly around the room, and you seem to have this nervous twitch about your upper lip. Your body language is giving you the appearance that you are not the person for this job.
“Ok, I get it,” you say, “but I don’t want some body language expert to make me seem like someone I am not!”
This issue is raised in the first article I read. The intent of mastering body language, is not to make you look like someone you are not. It is meant to make you the best person you can be. If you are a quiet person to begin with, mastering body language properly will not make you look like a loud person, it will simply give you the opportunity to make you confident in your quietness. Body language should not be treated as a way to “fake out” people or possible employers. The point of the article, is to say that, the body language you are displaying may be hurting, not helping the image or point you are trying to make.
Now, this article was written in Forbes, a renowned business ad news, magazine and now website, and is aimed mostly at people in the business community, where mastering body language is essential. The author of the article effortlessly accomplishes his goal of explain the importance of mastering body language in the business community, by subtly stating how certain body language techniques can hinder your ability to communicate effectively. Where is the line between learning body language techniques that accentuate your personality, and portraying a personality that is not your own?
The second article is about body language in the education system. The article is centered on a survey given to one hundred teachers of various subjects, and their answers to these survey questions. Some of the questions included, “What is body language,” “Is body language important,” and “Did you receive any training… in body language.”
In the article, although not all answers were exactly the same, most of the answers were very similar from one educator to the next. There was even one question were all those surveyed answered the same way. The question was, “During your university education did you receive any training in communicating with your body language? If yes, have you seen the benefits of this training in your career? If not, have you faced any problems in communicating with students?” and all educators answered that they had not received training in body language techniques, and did face problems communicating.
This particular study displays the problems with educators not knowing how to communicate simply and effectively with their. The author of the article is able to convey the results of the survey in a way that shows the importance of being able to use body language in the classroom.
When body language is obviously one of the most important tools of communication we can have, when will it be alongside other communication classes like, speech?
Works Cited
Morgan, Nick . "The Secret About Mastering Body Language - Forbes." Information for the World's Business Leaders - Forbes.com. Forbes, 12 Aug. 2006. Web. 23 Aug. 2013. .
BENZER, AHMET1. "Teachers' Opinions About The Use Of Body Language." Education 132.3 (2012): 467-473. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Kyle Gonzalez
ReplyDeleteENC 1102
One of our key abilities as humans is our sight sensory. Without it life would be difficult. With our sight its possible to witness the body language of others around us. This non-verbal approach to letting others know what you think or how you feel can be very insightful. To some people, such as teachers or poker players, paying close attention to others' body language can be key to success. A study done by Ahmet Benzer, "Teachers' Opinions About The Use Of Body Language," focuses on body language for college teachers. In this study one hundred teachers were asked eight very simple questions regarding body language and their personal views on it regarding their profession. The results showed up that overall professors believe their own body language is a key to passing along the lesson and keeping students focused, especially with eye contact, the most important aspect of the teacher's body language. Was this Benzer's plan for this study, to teach new professors the importance of eye contact? After taking a step back and rereading, one can come to the conclusion that maybe the main point of this study was to persuade education boards to increase teachers' training. The results showed that most teachers "wished they had body language training" early for their start to their careers (Benzer, 2012). Is Benzer trained in body language and trying in influence others to pursue the same thing? Further investigation would be needed for that. It appears to be safe to say the general idea of this study is to show the important aspects to being a successful professor, with its clear results to the important factors, since it was printed and published in "Education" magazine.
BENZER, AHMET1. "Teachers' Opinions About The Use Of Body Language." Education 132.3 (2012): 467-473. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
From the popular source "The Wall Street Journal." This study by Sue Shellenbarger also focuses on the importance of eye contact. Eye contact can easily be argued as the most important and influential body language out there. Unlike the previous study about body language in the school and college location, this study focused more on the use of body language in the work force. The title of her work, "Just Look Me in the Eye Already --- The Workplace Perils of Staring at Our Phones and Elsewhere; The Ideal Gaze Lasts 7 to 10 Seconds," itself suggests the frustration among higher level employers with the latest generations making less and less eye contact during conversation. The author could be an employer and is attempting to spread a useful hint to newcomers about making eye contact when speaking to superiors or other colleagues in order to show respect and be successful. The frustration from Shellenbarger is clearly blaming the modern technology system as people can't even sit at the dinner table without "a phone call" or "checking the baseball scores" (Shellenbarger, 2013). Is it becoming a problem that people are not paying the respect and attention they should in wall street too? Judging by the title and the fact "The Wall Street Journal" published it, one could say this epidemic is spreading and people agree it needs to be put to rest.
Shellenbarger, Sue. "Just Look Me in the Eye Already --- the Workplace Perils of Staring at our Phones and Elsewhere; the Ideal Gaze Lasts 7 to 10 Seconds." Wall Street JournalMay 29 2013. ProQuest. Web. 22 Aug. 2013 .
The popular article I chose was a guide on how to read body language for male and female for a variety of occasions. It begins to describe how body language is relevant at work, in social settings, dating, and in families. It states that body language goes both ways, body language shows your feelings towards others, and there body language shows their feelings towards you . It explains how body language can be a loose term where you can could argue that breathing and perspiration depending on your term of body language. It explains that it is good to broaden your definition of body language to not miss important signals that others might not perceive as body language. Many people argue what percentage and overall everyone agrees that “body language represents a very significant proportion of meaning that is conveyed and interpreted between people, somewhere between 50-80%.” It states that body language is very important when we first meet someone because “their body language on conscious and unconscious levels determines our initial impression of them.” The same can go for when someone first meets us. Whether you know it or not body language is constantly being interpreted both ways consciously and unconsciously and people who are able to cue on to those signals have an advantage on those who read body language unconsciously. Body language covers many aspects of our bodys like how we move, facial expressions, how we stand, and our breathing.
ReplyDeleteThis article states that it will teach you how to read body language so you can use it for work, social, dating, and mating relationships. It breaks down explaining body language at first to an introduction and basics about body language, The author wrote the article to explain and show how to read body language to a novice and accomplished their goal well. It explains greatly in detail body language and how to change your body language to be positive. It is aimed towards people who want to learn and take advantage of the use and interpretation of body language and the author does great job explaining each of those .
http://www.businessballs.com/body-language.htm
My second, scholarly, source was “Judging approachability on the face of it: The influence of face and body expressions on the perception of approachability.” The author did research to see how “emotional expressions displayed by the face and body influenced the decision to approach or avoid another individual.” It explained how people who had autism, or with abnormal amygdala functioning were not able to make an appropriate approachability judgement from emotionally neutral faces. It explains that the association between these two is a reason why there has been increasing research interest in understanding the mechanisms in making social judgements from an individuals face. They tested an angry face, a happy face and a neutral face and found that happy faces were more approachable but neutral body bodies were more approachable than happy bodies. The purpose of the article was to see the correlation between body and face influence and the decision to approach them. The article shows through research that there is an association between approachability and body and facial expressions.
Willis, Megan L., Romina Palermo, and Darren Burke. "Judging Approachability On The Face Of It: The Influence Of Face And Body Expressions On The Perception Of Approachability."Emotion 11.3 (2011): 514-523. PsycARTICLES. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Sarah Mucklai
ReplyDeleteENC 1102
Body Language Blog Assignment
PART 1:
Happiness, deceit, insecurity, confidence, and love, all of which can be expressed through a single movement of the body. Look throughout a room when in a job interview, you will be able to observe your biggest competitors simply by their movements and actions. Some of them will be slouched over with a sense of nervousness and doubt while others will have heads held high with confidence. In the article”8 Body Traps You Need to Avoid in Your Career,” Meredith Lepore observes and discusses the most frequently used negative body movements made while in a career. In her article, she discusses the negativity of overemotional, flirtatious, and many other negative behaviors perceived through body language. In one’s professions, body language can either obtain the respect and kindness of one’s fellow coworkers, or earn the title of unqualified and unprofessional. When in a professional environment, one must maintain a highly qualified and respectable demeanor to create an affirmative image for themselves.
When reading this article, many questions regarding body language soon came to mind. And Although psychologists have spent lifetimes studying the effects of body language, they seem to explain people’s personality types through their body language; grouping them as kind, insecure, confident, along with other categories¬. Though these categories may be correct, how can you define a stranger simply through their body movements rather than their mood types at the moment? The author of the article focused specifically upon what body language traps should be specifically avoided in one’s career. While these body movements may seem to be negative only in careers, one must consider these negative body movements and the messages they portray in everyday life. Lepore is able to accomplish her goal in explaining why certain body movements portray the negative messages they do, and why one should carefully observe their own body movements to succeed in both their career and personal lives.
Lepore, Meredith. "8 Body Language Traps You Need To Avoid In Your Career." Levo League. N.p., 8 Feb. 2013. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
PART 2:
ReplyDeleteFirst impressions are said to be a lasting judgment upon another individual. Sometime a first impression may be the last when meeting someone you find dislike towards. First impressions are often created by one’s body language towards another. In Ahmed Benzer’s article “Teachers’ Opinions about the Use of Body Language” he discusses the effects of body language on others. He also explains the significance of body language in first impressions. He provides various questions in regards to the importance of body language while teaching. Benzer, whom is also a professor at Marmara University, shows a strong belief in the importance of body language and how it can affect a person and the environment in which they are in. Many professors throughout universities have been surveyed to discuss the prominence of body language and the deficiency of it being taught throughout schools to both the students and teachers.
The article is conducted partially in a questionnaire towards the professors in regards to their opinions on body language. The author accomplishes his goal in showing the prominence of body language in teaching. In the questionnaire, the majority of the professors agree that body language is essential to teaching and should be taught in the Universities. While body language is extremely important in understanding others and their personality traits, I do not believe it is essential to be taught to students and others. Universities should be focused on more vital studies to excel with rather than the understandings of peoples body movements. I believe the article is more opinionated due to the author being a professor of a university. Body language is a language which no individual completely understands, however can tell a lot about one’s self through the simplest of movements.
Benzer, Ahmet. "TEACHERS' OPINIONS ABOUT THE USE OF BODY LANGUAGE."TEACHERS' OPINIONS ABOUT THE USE OF BODY LANGUAGE. 132.3 (n.d.): 467-73. University of Central Florida Libraries. Web.
In a recently published Journal of Soft Skills under the section titled “Effective Body Language in Organizations” Neha Gupta, an assistant professor at the Jagannath International Management School in India, stresses the importance of nonverbal communication. Gupta states that between 70% and 90% of communication is nonverbal which most of the time ends up being involuntary. This fact is stated near the beginning of the article to quickly draw attention and make one aware and more interested in the way they exhibit their body language. Gupta goes on to describe each type of non verbal communication giving clear definitions that create a nice guide for the reader. We as readers are informed that facial expressions are the most important when it comes to conveying attitudes and emotions without speaking. We are also given principles of non verbal communication. One of these principles explains that rules for nonverbal behavior depend on factors such as age, culture, and sex. For example when I took sociology I learned that a simple gesture such as a wave or pointing a finger could mean something completely different in another country’s culture. I believe Gupta made the article easy to read to create a simple yet detailed outline that would bring attention and show us how much body language is involved in our lives. She/he even included an image to show components of body language making it seem like a worksheet or pamphlet. Overall the article made me more aware of body language and showed me how to present myself in certain ways to convey certain emotions/qualities which is what I think is the author’s goal.
ReplyDeleteGupta, Neha. "Effective Body Language In Organizations." IUP Journal Of Soft Skills 7.1 (2013): 35-44. Business Source Premier. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Buissiness2community.com also recently posted an article on body language similar to the journal’s. It convinces the reader that trust is the key to any business transaction. It then mentions how utilizing proper body language is the best way to earn trust. It states that behaviorists say it takes anywhere from 5 seconds to 5 minutes to make a first impression, framing you to ask yourself “how can I make a good impression in that short amount of time?!” The article then goes on listing seven simple steps: 1. give a generous smile 2. smile when encouraging others 3. intensify the moment with a handshake 4. make longer eye contact mid handshake 5. again give eye contact when listening 6. again emphasis on the long eye contact 7. and finally reflect the speaker’s emotions. So really the article has four basic steps: smile, give handshake, mirror the speaker, and definitely don’t forget the eye contact. Marvin Brown who is the author of this article is said to be an expert on business communication strategies, a great speaker, and an author of two communication books. Therefore, I would assume he knows what he’s talking about but I feel like he puts a little too much emphasis on eye contact. I know I don’t like too much direct eye contact because it can also make things awkward, but that’s most likely because I am pretty shy. And I know this article is geared towards businessmen not me, so possibly they do prefer more eye contact when making deals etc.
Brown, Marvin. "7 Way To Use Body Language to Earn Others' Trust." Business 2 Community. N.p., 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 22 Aug. 2013. .
Body language is one of the most significant first impressions one could make. Reporter Khaled Al-Nashar writes about not only the importance of body language but body language through out the world. Al-Nashar discusses the difference between varying countries and their body language practices relating to business in his article called. The Importance of Body Language in Business.” He discusses the normal body language gestures pertaining to each specific country. When in different surroundings, different ways are brought to attention. Body Language in business is important because when interviewing for a job or meeting fellow co-workers, standing professionally and with confidence is vital. The first impression you give an employer can be the deciding factor on whether one receives the job or not. Al-Nashar wrote this article to not only inform people of business etiquette in different countries but to also show that body language is such an important aspect of getting a job. The website that this article was published on was called Live on Campus which leads me to believe that the article was geared towards an up and coming generation that needs to be informed about the proper business etiquette.
ReplyDeleteThe book Employee Body Language Revealed explored the basic etiquette in a work environment. The book goes on to explain how one can “decode,” a person by looking at them. The importance of this book and the focus, is to inform people of the correct way to hold yourself un an office setting. It raises questions from me such as who would read this book? Who would pick this book up and ponder the proper business etiquette. Then it makes me question who wrote this book, and how did they come across to write it? The author Harmony Stalter I would suggest is targeting a younger audience to show them how to carry themselves in the world of business. The two articles I found correlate because they are both dealing with business and body language and I throughly believe that having appropriate body language can make the difference in a job interview.
Al-Nashar, Khaled. "The Importance of the Body Language in Business." Live on Campus. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Stalter, Harmony. Employee Body Language Revealed: How to Predict Behavior in the Workplace by Reading and Understanding Body Language. Ocala, FL: Atlantic Pub. Group, 2011. N
Hi Gemeni,
DeleteI'm not sure who you are, so could you please put your name on your work from now on?
Best,
Joseph
When researching sources on body language, I came to the conclusion that I toss my hair and fidget with my fingers when I am nervous. When I read the article “10 Simple and Powerful Body Language Tips for 2013” from Forbes Magazine, I found helpful hints that focus on altering a person’s body language by positively changing their mentality and the way they approach situations. The author intended for the readers to feel stronger and more powerful in the mind in order to effectively convey their nonverbal communication. In this article, the author uses the mechanisms on how to act professionally by using certain body language such as smiling, shaking hands, and angling the body in a more “confrontational” stance. Considering that the article was from Forbes Magazine, it is interrelated with business proposals and interviews. The article focuses on helping an individual make a good lasting impression on others in the commercial realm. Moreover, body language can express more than just movements. As humans, we are naturals when it comes to judging others. Sometimes, we do it on a daily basis without even perceiving it. In my opinion, body language is a form of persuasion. If you want a person to think you are excited then your posture is more upright and your smile represents positivity. If you are trying to convey a more negative emotion, eye contact usually is avoided in public.
ReplyDeleteIn “Body Language Basics” Joe Navarro focuses on the psychological reasoning behind body language. Occasionally, body language can tell more than words can. In some cases body language will also reveal clues about what an individual is thinking of. Navarro explains that before oral communication was established, man and woman were forced to communicate by means of nonverbal communication. That foundation has led future generations to convey their impulses to a point that they use the scale of comfort to discomfort as a way to determine their body language. Why do we react to comfort and discomfort? It is because the limbic system portrays how we feel, how we deal with what we feel and consequently how we use it around others. When we free our emotions, our bodies feel less tensed. Navarro aimed the article to establish that our body language puts us in a natural habitat and may be hard to define. When we use it, others respond to it and vice versa. I believe that Navarro’s research is true because we are humans and we use defense mechanisms to cope with life situations. Our body language consumes our daily lives and it makes us who we are. We do not notice our actions until it is pointed out to us.
Sources:
"10 Simple and Powerful Body Language Tips for 2013." Forbes Magazine. 07 1 2013: n. page. Web. 22 Aug. 2013. .
Navarro, Joe. "Body Language Basics." Psychology Today. (2011): n. page. Web. 22 Aug. 2013. .
Article 1:
ReplyDeleteThere was difficulty in finding an article that possessed the right information I was trying to gather, was from a peer reviewed scholarly site, and that I was able to view in full, after searching I decided that an excerpt from an article from Beatrice de Gelder contained the best information I could find without further purchasing. Gelder discussing how different body languages can determine the magnitude of the emotion they are experiencing. For example, if someone is afraid, they show it in their face, if they become very scared, they could scream or look away, however if truly terrified the will run and hide. Gelder also discusses how the most extreme and “whole body response” are what are automatically understood by others.
However does this mean that if someone is not completely terrified they do not need help, or that someone won’t understand it at all? Or is someone willing to provide the same amount of assistance no matter what magnitude of distraught the person is expressing? Gelder attempted to express the point that there are multiple levels of emotion expressed that can expressed by different body language and that this will affect how others perceive and respond to the person.
Article 2:
The first article I discovered was published by Joe Navarro, M.A. in Spycatcher, an FBI organization for deception, espionage, interrogation, and reading people, published in the Psychology Today. He explains how he believes body language tells what people are trying to express and what their true thoughts are. He begins with a quote from John Napier saying, “‘if language was given to men to conceal their thoughts, then gesture’s purpose was to disclose them.’ “. The impact and meaning behind this quote reveals one of Navarro’s main points which is ever since humans has existed the only form of communication necessary has been what we display through our actions appearances.
He continues by discussing how reactions and reflexes can also be classified as body language, biologically we are programmed to “freeze, flight, fight” meaning there is a moment in time where we stop and then our reflexes take over in order to decide whether to retreat from the danger, or to attack it. So if one can realize such reactions from another person, they are essentially communicating that there is a danger and they either need help or they need to run away. He then says “body language is the shortcut to expressing what is most important” using the example, if you taste something that is disgusting, others around you know before you speak to them that the item is gross without them needing to taste it at all or for them to wait for a response from you.
Aside from the information Navarro provides in the article, questions that could be raised are, specifically in his profession how did such vast knowledge of body language contribute to gaining knowledge from those who did not want to expose information? Was it possible to pick up on body hints that the person did not even know were going off? Also he discussed the brain sending signals to muscles to alert others that they must do something, like pointing their leg to signal being late, how often are subtle hints actually picked up by others? Has Body Language taken a backseat to audible language thus crippling us from seeing what lies right in front of our faces?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/201108/body-language-basics
http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v7/n3/full/nrn1872.html
Agustin Martinez ENC 1102
ReplyDeletePart I
Body language can give a lot of insight into what someone is thinking or feeling, sometimes more than people give it credit for. A 2012 paper published in Science by Hillel Aviezer, Yaacov Trope, Alexander Todorov titled “Body Cues, Not Facial Expressions, Discriminate Between Intense Positive and Negative Emotions” emphasizes this, challenging traditional models of emotional expression which more typically emphasize facial expressions. The three researchers conducted a study consisting of four different experiments. In the first experiment, participants were shown stock photos of either just people’s faces, just their bodies, or both; and were to determine which emotional peak each person was displaying: pain, pleasure, victory, defeat, grief or joy. Those participants who only saw photos of faces were, on average, correct only 50 percent of the time, whereas those who saw bodies or faces and bodies had a greater rate of accuracy. However, 53 percent of those who saw the body and face reported to only have relied on the face. In the proceeding experiment, participants were shown photos of people experiencing one of the emotional peaks, but the faces had been edited and switched with the face of someone experiencing an opposing peak. In the results, participants most often chose the peak correctly corresponding with the body language of the person in the photo. The third experiment had participants label each photo of a face as one of the emotional peaks. In the results, participants more often labeled positive faces with negative emotions than they did negative faces. In another part of the experiment, those faces were randomly placed on bodies in negative and positive emotional states, and once again the participants usually chose the correct emotion based on body language. In the last experiment, participants were to the mimic facial expressions of people in photos expressing either victory or defeat. Next, the same faces were placed on bodies of matching and opposing emotional states, and, given the same task; participants again more frequently chose the correct peak that was being expressed by body language. These researchers challenge popular studies which assert that facial expression are clear projections of emotional states. I think these researchers successfully achieved their goals. They shed light on the seemingly little known apparent fact that facial expressions indicate emotional states less clearly than body expressions do, and that they can be more ambiguous and easily misinterpreted, especially while experiencing more intense degrees of emotion. This study sets out to challenge traditional assumptions about facial expression, and tells that body cues that people can use to more successfully deduce how someone is feeling. They performed experiments which ambitiously attempted to achieve results without room for error, by utilizing various techniques and accounting for every possibility (like combining opposing emotional peaks). The experiments clearly speak for themselves: on average, body language is a better indicator of emotion than facial expressions are.
Agustin Martinez ENC 1102
ReplyDeletePart II
The second article, “Understanding Her Sexual Body Language” by David Strovny, is published on askmen.com is a how-to for men about reaching mutual sexual pleasure and understanding within a heterosexual couple. The article utilizes a problem-reason-solution format in an attempt to explain the body language that women use during sex which seem to convey dissatisfaction or boredom, and offer advice on how to improve the situation. The body language discussed includes avoiding eye contact, covering of the body, and being still. All of the body languages covered typically portray the same problem: the woman is bored and not sexually satisfied with the man. The explanations given by the writer were fairly generalized as were the advice sections. Every advice section came down to the same common sense solution, try your best as a sexual partner and always use communication to make sure they are getting what they want and you are getting what you want. While the article sticks to heteronormative, stereotypical situations, it does give useful information which would be helpful to those who aren’t very intuitive or good at using effective communication. For that reason I think the author achieved his goal, laying out an effective men’s guide to releasing heterosexual tension for sexual/communicative laypersons.
Aviezer, Hillel; Trope, Yaacov; Todorov, Alexander. “Body Cues, Not Facial Expressions, Discriminate Between Intense Positive and Negative Emotions.” Science 30 Nov. 2012: 1225-1229. Print.
Kelly, Morgan. “Don't read my lips! Body language trumps the face for conveying intense emotions.” Princeton University. Princeton University, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 Aug. 2013
Strovny, David. “Understanding Her Sexual Body Language.” Askmen. IGN Entertainment, Inc. Web. 21 Aug. 2013
Julia Chase
ReplyDeleteENC 1102
“No mortal can keep a secret. If the lips are silent, he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at every pore.” – Sigmund freud
Body language is universal. Body language is a traitor. Body language dictates how you feel. Your body language defines you and people make sweeping judgments based on your non-verbal communication. In Dachis Adam’s web article he teaches how to read the body language of the people you are speaking to. Adam cauterizes Body languages as either positive or negative. He continues, explaining that people whose non-verbal communication are classified as positive are in comfortable situations and tend to lean or move closer to the conversation, seem relaxed, keep long periods of contact and give genuine smiles. While individuals who give negative non-verbal communication, are not comfortable with their given situation and tend to move away from the conversation, have crossed arms or legs, or have their feet pointed away from you or towards and exit. Adam also goes into detail on how these cues are to be grouped and don’t support any augment by themselves; meaning a person isn’t uncomfortable or even lying on the sole reason that he’s crossing his arms. Adams clarifies that multiple behaviors grouped together are needed to create an accurate assumption.
Life Hacks is a website ran by bloggers to give information to help you live life easily. They have written articles and podcast where people can ask questions. Its written by armatures and seemingly normal people. It is my belief that Adam wrote this blog about “body language” for the sole purpose of spreading information. He quotes professional speech I had already found and used. He cites and contains links, which I added and it helped drive the point that all body language is n=universal since everybody ive seen so far agrees and only uses different ways to commend the facts.
P.meyer Author of the book LieSpotting, she explains that everyone lies and our body language is a traitor to what we are trying to say. Meyer says body language will give you away every time, she shows a series of clips where we can see the actual action of a presidential candidate trying to lie about fathering an illegitimate child and being okay with taking a DNA test. Her clip was amazing because this man was saying that he wanted to take the test, but he was actually shaking his head no. the next clip was of a mother who shot her children and was claiming that a stranger did it; in the clip at the end of the interview the mother smiled. Meyer then explained this reaction as a smile of triumph that leaks when they believe they “ gotten away with it”. Meyer expounds more on facial expressions, like all contempt is a twitch of one corner of the lip. Contempt is the only facial expression where one corner of the lip moves upward. She explains that liars can give fake smiles, which she further explains as smiles that don’t cause the eyes to wrinkle. Meyer goes further and talks about other non-verbal communication. Meyers says that even though liars are generally credited to being fidgety and antsy, this couldn’t be further from the case. Meyers describes liars as very tense and have an almost frozen upper body.
As a disclaimer Palmela Meyers almost verbatim said the same this Adam form the life hacker article . She however is an author of the subject; she gives a lot of scientific examples and tested theories. She’s professional and was invited by a very trusted source so even though she gives the same information as Adam, her facts and credentials back up her claims and therefore her purpose of understanding lair s and body language is better received
Rachel Tyler – ENC 1102-0038
ReplyDeleteFrom the earliest days of humans, we have learned to express our feelings, emotions, thoughts, and ideas in a variety of ways. In the article “The Basics of Body Language” by Joe Navarro, the author focuses on the evolution of our species non-verbal communication techniques and the psychological aspect of body language. He emphasizes that body language is inevitable and we express this form of communication regardless of whether or not we are aware of it. He continues on to say that body language is more truthful than spoken language or written language. Not only did this author focus on the psychological aspect of body language, but he also analyzed the biological portion of the topic. He states that the limbic system is responsible for our involuntary movements associated with body language. The limbic system simply reacts without our permission, and shows how we truly feel. Since birth, our bodies are programmed to use body language to communicate when talking is not an option. Navarro gives several examples of body language from the arching of the eyebrows to the position of the feet all to convey the idea that we are all instilled with the ability to communicate nonverbally, and that is important to understand this form of language. In this article, the author talks profusely about comfort and discomfort and how apparent these feelings are through the use of body language. Throughout the article he continually drives home the point that focusing on these two aspects of body language can help us see more clearly into what others are thinking. I feel that the author accomplished his goals in conveying the message of “the basics of body language” and gave knowledge to readers interested in the subject.
Nonverbal communication plays a key role in our society and is important to our everyday lives. According to the article “Effective Body Language in Organizations” by Neha Gupta, this form of communication accounts for two-thirds of all of our language used as humans. Gupta gives the reader the viewpoint of social psychologists on body language and their take on its importance. He utilizes several statistics throughout the article to emphasize the importance of body language, saying that 80 percent of what one experiences from a conversation is through body movements. He then states that with these statistics, it is almost impossible to ignore or overlook the topic of nonverbal communication. This flows into the author’s main argument and topic of interest: body language in organizations. The author then categorizes several types of nonverbal communication from handshakes to eye contact, and gives several approaches to each movement. He emphasizes the approach for each movement that would be most effective in an organization. He states that body language that comes off as wrong or disrespectful may disrupt the professional aspect of a relationship. This is especially important in organizations and the workplace, but also in everyday life—as body language can affect the relationships between people or groups. I feel that the author conveyed his message effectively in order to give advice to a reader interested in the art of body language in the professional world.
Navarro, Joe. “The Basics of Body Language.” Spycatcher. 21 Aug
2011. Web.
Gupta, Neha. "Effective Body Language in Organizations." IUP
Journal of Soft Skills 7.1 (2013):35-44. Mar. 2013. Web. 21
Aug. 2013.
Amy Cuddy goes into the science behind how are body language makes us feel. She proves that the amount of space you take up actually affects your hormones in your body. Cuddy refers to the animal kingdom who puff up and try to look bigger to scare their aggressor. She explains that when humans sit up straight and make themselves big; testosterone levels actually rise and make corozol levels drop. She says the body can actually shape the mind. she also goes into how people make sweep judgments based on your body language. She talks about a study where people watched a silent video of a doctor and they were to judge the doctor on niceness.
ReplyDeleteAmy Cuddy focuses on the judgments of body language for others and the way or body languages affects us. Cuddy gives testimony of scientific research and psych experiments. She expounds on body language in a way I wasn’t even sure would count in this assignment, but I through it in as an extra. Cuddy uses personal and scientific examples that really drive her point home. She gives two personal examples, which really makes her point on ‘feeling’ less abstract and more concrete.
Dachis, Adam. "How to Read Body Language to Reveal the Underlying Truth in Almost Any Situation." Lifehacker. N.p., 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 20
P. Meyer. Ted talk “how to read a liar” . youtube oct 13 2011http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_6vDLq64gE>.
Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc n.p 0ct 1, 2012
And as a disclaimer the Julia and Lissette thing is because we shared this account in middle school. she goes to a different university and did nit assist me in this assignment...I just really like the name coral castles.
My first article came from mindtools.com and is titled "Body Language". The article starts off by talking about times in life where we may hear someone saying one thing but their actions make you second guess if what they are saying is true. The author explains that this happens because non-verbal communication exists. They then go on to talk about how understanding body language can help you read people and communicate more effectively. They discuss how body language can be observed during first impressions through posture, eye contact, gestures with arms and legs, speech and tone of voice. They talk about things to look for to tell if a person is being defensive and how to tell if someone is disengaged in a conversation. They also talk about what body language a person might show if they are lying and if a person is really putting thought into their responses during an interview. They finish off the article by stressing that these signs will not fit everyone meaning that we all act differently in these types of situations so it might not be possible to read someone with 100% accuracy. I believe that the author wrote this article for mindtools.com in order to give readers a basic understanding of body language and to give several examples of situations it could be used in. My questions for the author would be how to read someone that is sending mixed signals? Also is it possible to spot someone who purposely sends off certain signals in order to deceive others?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/Body_Language.htm
My second article is titled "Watch Your (Body) Language" written by Erin Wisdom. She starts off the article by saying that actions speak louder than words when it comes to dating which is why it is essential to be able to understand body language. She quotes Nancy Piercy, a licensed professional counselor with a practice, Piercy Counseling Services, in St. Joseph saying "I have read that 93 percent of feelings are communicated through nonverbal communication". She then goes on to say that your date might be able to tell if you are nervous, shy, repulsed, excited, bored, annoyed, or happy without you saying too much. She says that body language can cause you to give off a warm welcoming vibe or one that shows you are not interested. Wisdom then goes on to give examples of positive and negative body language on a date. She then says that being able to read body language can help you make a not so great date turn into a decent one because you will be able to see what your date finds interesting and what they do not. She finishes off the article by saying that teenagers usually have trouble with relationships simply because they are not good at reading body language. I believe that Wisdom wrote this article to show how important body language can be during dates and to show how readers can use it to their advantage. My questions for Wisdom would be how to react to someone who is shy and do not give off many signals and what signals could we give off to make us feel more welcoming?
Wisdom, Erin. "Watch Your (Body) Language." McClatchy - Tribune Business NewsJul 30 2013. ProQuest. Web. 22 Aug. 2013
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteScholarly Article:
ReplyDeleteOut on a limb; your body speaks volumes
In a scholarly article written by John Galvin, he breaks down the principles of body language into three groups; verbal, vocal, and non-vocal. He goes on to say that controlling one's body language depends on one's awareness of people's reactions to their body language and/or vocal projections. For example, If a man is presenting a power point to a room full of feminists about relinquishing women's suffrage, he would most likely receive looks of disbelief or anger. If that man was aware of the women's body language/facial expressions, he would know that he should probably close his mouth. The point that Galvin is trying to make is that body language is half of what communication is based upon.
Body language is the unspoken truth that can be determined if one educates themselves on the different body language styles. An example given in the article is that if someone stands too close to another, they might cross their arms in order to let the person know that they need to back off. Managing one's own body language is a key element in order to be successful, but understanding other's body language is just as important.
Another topic that Galvin covers is the cultural aspect of body language. For example, someone from the United Kingdom might nod their head in greeting at someone from the United States, and the American might get offended because he/she may feel the nod was done in a condescending manner. A significant amount of importance is placed on knowing who one's audience is and being able to communicate effectively with body language.
A couple questions that this article raised were whether or not body language is really that important? And if so, then why isn't there some sort of class offered that people could take? If there was a class on body language, would those people's overall success rates be much higher than those who didn't take the class?
Galvin, John. "Out on a limb; your body speaks volumes." British Telecom World Sept. 1990: 30+. Communications and Mass Media Collection. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Popular Source:
Hotel body language
In an article published in the Chicago Tribune in October of 2011, Josh Noel writes about body language in the hospitality industry. Noel states that hotels have better performance due to being educated about body language. A family owned chain of hotels called Affinia, hired a body language expert to come in and train over six hundred employees on how to interact more effectively with customers. The employees put the tactics to work and found them to be very effective. The employees learned that women prefer face-to-face communication while men prefer side by side communication. For example, there was a couple who complained to the front desk about an issue, and the hotel manager came out from behind the desk and stood next to the man and faced the woman. The issue was resolved quickly and the couple was satisfied with the outcome. It's surprising how much a simple gesture can affect the outcome of a situation.
Clearly, body language is proven to be an extremely important factor in communication skills. This raises the question once again of why isn't there more programs offered to educate people on body language? Is understanding and portraying body language a success strategy that companies want to keep for themselves? If everyone knew the correct way to carry themselves, then would there be anything that differentiates one person to the next? These are some questions that this article brought to my attention. I believe everyone should educate themselves on effective communication, however, there are some people that are more shy than others, so not everyone is going to be able to execute effective body language. There is a big difference between being educated on a subject, and actually having the ability to apply it.
Noel, Josh. "Hotel Body Language." Chicago Tribune. N.p., 04 Oct. 2011. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
Body language is much more important than most may realize. According to "Effective Body Language in Organizations" by Neha Gupta, "nonverbal communication makes up about two-thirds of all communication" (35). Gupta points out that we begin with nonverbal communications before speech, and that the meaning you walk away from a conversation with is typically drawn mainly from body language. Body language, Gupta explains, can clue us into emotions, interpersonal attitudes, and social "rituals," among other things (36). Body language can lend insight to these things because they are involuntary actions; however, an individual educated in the meanings and tendencies of common body language can emulate these nonverbal cues, thus giving off a false insight (37). Actors will generally have a decent grasp on these concepts, but this can be immensely beneficial in other areas of life such as for the businessman or lawyer, as he tries to read the nonverbal communications of others as well as display his own selective nonverbal elements. A very important but often neglected nonverbal communication that Gupta highlights is the art of proper handshakes. Gupta outlines how a handshake can show confidence, authority, and power if it is firm, or weakness and insecurity if it is not (39). All of the different nonverbal cues may seem insignificant, but put together, it's no wonder why research shows that 80% of our communications are nonverbal (35).
ReplyDeletePsychologyToday has a very decent article on body language, but more specifically, what shoulder-posture can say. Like the author, I was initially intrigued by this division of body language because the large majority of body language is focused on other aspects - anything from facial expressions to hand gestures. There are the simplistic, more apparent signals that can be sent, such as strength or failty, but Navarro writes of criminal interviews: he states that most criminals would seek out those that gave off weaker and less-aware impressions with their posture. Navarro also draws our attention to military examples, and how proper posture can be a sign of respect, often mutually between the two engaging parties. Also, he explains that shoulder movement can clue an interrogator or a different party in on whether someone is confident in what they are saying; someone who does not have confidence in what they are stating may slowly raise one of their shoulders, which is often a sign of uncertainty or falsehood.
These two articles caught my attention more so than the others that I read through because of how they focused on the big picture that is composed of the smallest of elements. Body language is a grand example of a strong synergystic effect. Alone, a handshake or posture may seem or even be insignificant, but put together with hand motions, eye contact, facial expressions, and all of the many other nonverbal communications we use, they provide a deep insight into what the speaker is trying to communicate. They paint the picture more clearly than even the speaker's words could ever do.
1. Gupta, Neha. "Effective Body Language in Organizations". The IUP Journal of Soft Skills, Vol. VII, No. 1, 2013.
2. Navarro, Joe. "Spycatcher." What the Shoulders Say About Us. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Aug. 2013.
http://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6515f0be-7185-400d-ad5d-58f35962103d%40sessionmgr110&vid=2&hid=105
Deletehttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/201205/what-the-shoulders-say-about-us
Estefania Cruz-Alvarez
ReplyDeleteENC 1102
Part I
Body language is a vital, if not, the most vital part of the act of communication. Ironically, most people are not aware of other individuals’ body language. Allan recalls his childhood and how he quickly became aware of body language and how it helped him become a successful salesman at an early age. When talking to people, it is important to pay more attention to their movements rather than the words they are saying. They did an experiment to see if people really are attentive to body language. When people were given a photo of the back of their hand, only 5% could identify their own hand. As more tests were given to participants, like being shown TV shows, it was proven that men are not as aware as women towards body language. Allen’s motive for conducting this study is shown through his stories of his fascination with body language at an early age. Through his study, he discovers how little people are aware of body language and how important it is in our every day communication.
Pease, Barbara, and Allan Pease. The definitive book of body language. Random House Digital, Inc., 2008
Part II
DeleteNo body language is a reliable indicator of feelings because everyone is different but research shows that movements you make while talking to someone you’re attracted to. In flirting there are many indications that you are attracted to the other person. In women eyes are the key, from eye contact to looking over your shoulder they are all hints showing interest. Lips are also a way to catch the attention of the opposite sex simply licking your lips to brighten the color in your lips can suggest increased blood flow which we are naturally attracted to. Bringing the attention to soft and vulnerable spots on your body can arouse the person you are speaking to or flirting with.
http:/wwwbuisinessballs.com/body-language.htm
Carson Kam
ReplyDeleteENC 1102
It is said that actions speak louder than words. However, according to an article by Neha Gupta titled Effective Body Language in Organizations, what speaks the loudest is neither action nor words, but rather a combination of both. In the article, Gupta argues the importance of body language in communication within a workplace or organization, citing that nonverbal interaction accounts for 70 to 80 percent of all communication. Gupta then goes on to list the many different forms of body language that manifest in organizations. Considering that Gupta hails from Jagannath International Management School, we can infer that the article is meant to inform people in managerial positions how to effectively communicate with and manage their workforce. Some of these methods include how to read people based on how they shake hands or their eye contact. Many of these nonverbal behaviors appear in organizations, and Gupta explains how we should interpret them.
The next article on the topic of body language is one titled Body Language Influences Hiring Decisions written by Dennis McCafferty and published by Baseline. McCafferty uses results from a survey done by CareerBuilder to explain what different gestures mean to hiring managers. Many of these gestures are construed by hiring managers as negatives. Since Baseline is a website that focuses on providing information on business trends, it is likely that the article is meant as a guideline for body language to avoid when interviewing for a job.
Gupta, Neha. "Effective Body Language In Organizations." IUP Journal Of Soft Skills 7.1 (2013): 35-44. Business Source Premier. Web. 23 Aug. 2013.
http://www.baselinemag.com/c/a/Business-Intelligence/Body-Language-Influences-Hiring-Decisions-277906/
Organizational Body Language | Peer to Peer Review by Rick Anderson
ReplyDeleteRick Anderson states that he is almost convinced that nearly everything everyone does, especially when it is observed by others, can be considered language. That is because everything everyone does sends some sort of message to someone, through body language (or what Anderson calls organizational body language). This does not only include messages sent implicitly, but explicitly as well. He provides a thought provoking example of an implicit message; a library where a sitting section is cut off from the other sections that implicitly implies its for studying. Clearly, implicit messages are everywhere. And they are in fact, very empowering. So much so that when an implicit message and explicit message overlaps, the implicit message generally overpowers the explicit one. Take for example a 'no food' sign that was not enforced in any way other than the presence of the sign. Most likely, the implicit message of 'food can be eaten' will most likely be followed. When one's actions differ from their words, they lose great credibility; due to the high effects of organizational body language.
In this article, Anderson, a librarian, wishes to share his various observations concerning body language at his library. He he has noticed many things about organizational body language that are so powerful and play such a affective role in peoples perceptions of others, yet most are completely unaware. He wishes that his readers would pay more attention to their body language and use to their benefit as opposed to harming them. I think he did an excellent job of explaining the existence of implicit messages, however he neglected to provide in depth examples and advice of how individuals can take this knowledge and practice it in their own lives.
Source: http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/07/opinion/peer-to-peer-review/organizational-body-language-peer-to-peer-review/
Five things to draw from Wayne Rooney's body language by Lewis Doe
DeleteThis article by Lewis Doe lists five different things that one can learn from Wayne Rooney, a professional futbal player, from his body language. In locker room it quite a standard for futbal players to celebrate together. However, Rooney does not. It isnt unreasonable to gain from this that Rooney perhaps is unhappy with the current club he plays for. Another thing to gain from his lack of locker room participation is his confusion; most likely stemming from multiple conflicting rumors of the possibility of him switching positions or even clubs (teams). However, even with this confusion, he still goes and plays well, which provides great insight to his professionalism. In addition, it is safe to assume from his great play that he has been training well.
Although it is quite a simplistic article from an author with little psychological background, he brings up some interesting observations. The goal of the author is to analyze Rooney's most recent performance because it is the first after significant off-field drama. The author does not provide many surprising facts (of course Wayne Rooney trains hard and of course he's quite confused with all the trade talk), however what he does provide is insight to the many factors of body language one can study to get a more clear understanding of what's going on with an athletes state of mind.
Source: http://hereisthecity.com/2013/08/19/ld-five-things-to-draw-from-wayne-rooneys-body-language/
Alfredo Jaime Vega
ReplyDeleteENC 1102-0038
8/23/13 (Internet issues last night.)
In Body Speaks the author breaks ground with a brief definition of body language. The author, Kris Rugsaken, is an Advising Center Coordinator, a position in the field of advising would involve constant interactions with all sorts of people who each have their own unique form of body language. Asides from that, after the brief definition and explanation he segues into the importance of body language by using anecdotes. An individual breakdown of body languages from all recognizable limbs, appendages, and faces follows the anecdotes - this breakdown explains popular body languages across the world and how cultural conflicts can exist from both cultures using the same style of body language. (e.g. thumbs up being a positive thing in the U.S., in New Zealand comparable to the middle finger)
The way the writing style and study was executed allowed an easier read that brings a sense of familiarity to the reader. Examples anecdotes would help give context and a better idea to what body language is and how to recognize its execution and the "unbelievable" nature of the anecdotes further strengthen the authors goal for the reader to recognize the importance of body nature. Another clear example about the writing style is that it involves basic progression from an introduction that is not intimidating that further progresses into breaking down the actual topic using familiarity for the reader. The article accomplishes its goals of explaining the importance of body language by emphasizing cultural conflicts with social norm body gestures.
http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/body-speaks.aspx
In 10 Simple and Powerful Body… for 2013, Carol Kinsey Goman offers her input on tips to improve one's body language. The format for this popular source article involves a straight-to-point list format, telling one tip, explaining, then proceeding to the next one. This format allows for an easy and confident read that helps the author accomplish her goal of having people read the tips. The tips were based on research and were explained in a casual manner. Example, one of the tips proposed that when standing tall and expanded a surge is testosterone is created with males. If one does the opposite of a "power pose" such as slouching and assuming postures that give a defensive nature, the testosterone effect is in reverse. This straight forward nature of this study accomplishes the goal of the author to help readers understand ways of improving their body languages.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2013/01/07/10-simple-and-powerful-body-language-tips-for-2013/2/
Jonah Katz, Leah Thomas, Jacob Bain -
ReplyDeleteTechnology and Body Language
As a result of modern day technology, communication specifically, body language is evolving in a significant way. Nowadays, a large portion of our communication is done through cell phones and social media and as a result, traditional body language has been diminished. However, that's not to say that non-verbal communication is forever deceased, but on the contrary, a totally new form of language is being developed. Through subliminal messages such as the time taken to respond to an electronic message or the usage of emoticons a whole bunch of subliminal, unintentional messages are delivered.
Body language has and always will play an important role in professional sports. Athletes from popular sports such as baseball and football have become under high scrutiny because of how they either hold themselves during the game on the side lines. With athletes gaining popularity as role models, the body language they set forth has become a major focus of study. Within the article form a popular sports broadcasting station, ESPN, many aspects of body language, are addressed from a informative frame, hoping to enlighten athlete on their actions.
ReplyDeleteDj Galleo, writer for ESPN, goes in-depth into multiple aspects of body language for athletes own person gain. Arms can say a lot to viewers and coaches alike. How one uses their arms after expresses their emotional stat at the specific time in the game. The crossing of the arms is often a dead giveaway one is frustrated with the current situation. The same goes for putting hands on the hips. Galleo gives the advice to never present one’s self in this manner. From throwing your Hands in the air to, and overelaborate handshake, one is able to understand both the emotional state and the maturity level of the player. How players hold their hands often causes them to come off as immature, arrogant, or even cocky depending on the situation.
Galleo goes in-depth into the eyes, and the effect it can have on a player’s image. This specific section comes off as a “don’t do this, but also don’t do the opposite” feel. Galleo does a well job explaining as to why you never look at the sky as it shows frustration or a possible rolling of the eyes, but then also turns around and says never look at the ground as it show weakness and willingness to be stepped on.
Facial expressions are quite possible the most notorious aspect of body language which often sends a negative notation to the projected viewer. Galleo warns the never come off as too happy, such as smiling and laughing. This causes a negative notion to the viewer saying one is not taking his job serious. Such other emotional expressions often give the negative notation of anger and uneasiness. These include frowning, or a sense of confusion.
Although this article written by DJ Galleo provides positive insight into the role body language has on sports, it lacks in its ability to give probable solutions to either avoid fix and or eliminate negative body language. Also, not once does it mention positive body language within the article, and because of this it comes off as an athletes is a machine, one with no emotions and or expression. Needleless to say we must remember that athletes are humans and body language is a fact of human life, this is the sole reason it is a major focus of study.
Gallo, DJ. "Jay Cutler Inspires Body Language Lesson." ESPN Playbook. ESPN, 14 Sept. 2012. Web. 22 Aug. 2013. .
Communication is often defined as a sort of exchanging of words, often between two or more people. What most don’t know is that communication is not limited to the verbal aspect, rather a use of nonverbal, and in simpler terms, body language. In communication contains very little verbal interaction. With only about 30% being verbal, a lot of room is left over for body language to play a major role in conversation. With the major importance, much research has been done to fully understand that of body language
ReplyDeleteBody language is can defined as a use of body movements and or expressions which can transmit emotion and feelings. These can be either conscious or unconscious. In most cases uses of body language express unconscious feeling and emotions. In almost every conversation the use of body language is almost inevitable.
Facial expressions are considered by many to be the most important form of body language as it is easy to read someone’s emotions and feeling through facial expressions. Such emotions include happiness and anger. Following facial expressions would be physical gestures and postures. Many feel that hand gestures and posture help to regulate the flow of conversation. This is only true if these movements come off as natural as possible.
The area eye contact covers in the big scheme of body language helps us to understand the intensity or interest in the interaction. With good eye contact one can determine a large interest in the said topic. The opposite for little eye contact. Eye contact also helps to unveil the overall persona of a person, whether they are cocky, outgoing or simply a happy person. Another form of body language more commonly found around guys would be that of a handshake. Handshakes can say a lot about a person’s interest in the up and coming conversation, or their self-confidence. An initial handshakes send such a strong message that it often shapes ones perception of another.
The author, Neha Gupta does a very well job at creating a educational frame for this specific article on conversation and the affect body language has on these said languages. This can be considered strictly an informative form of writing which this author does an exceptional job at creating this.
Gupta, Neha. "Effective Body Language In Organizations." IUP Journal Of Soft Skills 7.1 (2013): 35-44. Business Source Premier. Web. 23 Aug. 2013.
Body Language is seen as the most integral aspect of communication and is also believed to be more important in communication than the actual spoken conversation. In my first source, Neha Gupta mentions that nonverbal communication “makes up about two-thirds of all communication” as well as referring to the fact that “sight makes up 83% of impact on brain from the information gained.” This information stands to reason that, if sight is so important in the process of receiving information, then body language and non-verbal communication must be more important than actual verbal communication. This article serves to bring up the importance of non-verbal communication and to provide a different view of communication as a whole, bringing the non-verbal aspect into the forefront of our thoughts in regards to communicating.
ReplyDeleteGupta also references one Deborah Bull who says “We had body language before we had speech,” which brings up the question of where the use body language is gained. If body language was in fact the first form of communication among humans, then was it something that came instinctively or was it something that was somehow agreed upon and learned from others?
In my second source, this question is further explored. Priscila Rony explores both sides of this nature versus nurture argument. In favor of the nurture side, meaning that non-verbal communication is learned from our environment, Rony mentions that the non-verbal action of nodding one’s head signifies yes or agreement in western cultures, but actually signifies the opposite in places like Sri Lanka and Bulgaria. This seems to confirm the nurture argument by saying that the meaning of this gesture must be learned, especially considering some people see it as meaning one thing and others believe it means the opposite. However, Rony also goes on to provide the example of babies pointing at things that they have interest in and, more significantly, blind children smiling or laughing when they are happy without ever having seen either gesture. This article is meant to really delve deeper in the argument of where the use of non-verbal communication comes from and helps to bring information to light for both sides of the argument. The article shifts the question of nature versus nurture away from a black and white argument. Instead, can body language be determined as strictly learned or instinctive, or is it perhaps a combination of the two?
Gupta, Neha. IUP Journal of Soft Skills. Mar2013, Vol. 7 Issue 1, p35-44. 10p. 1 Diagram.
Rony, Priscila. “Don’t Speak, Just Move: Body language as non-verbal communication.” Serendip Studio. 9 Dec. 2006. Web.
Imagine sitting in a room waiting to audition for a character for your favorite play. The room is filled with people who are silent, but their body language tells us otherwise. A man in the corner is perspiring heavily, the person sitting next to him is rubbing his neck, and right next to you is a woman reading a magazine. The body language of these people convey their emotions, the man in the corner is nervous, the person next to him is stressed, and the woman is confident and ready. Do you ever wonder why we display such movements for different feelings? In 2004, scientists studied the body language of Judo Olympic contestants representing thirty countries. They reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy that “body language of blind and sighted athletes showed the same patterns”. Obviously the blind cannot learn how to react to delight or disgrace from watching others; therefore, these reactions must be biologically predisposed. Carol Kinsey Goman explains that the limbic brain is the key to all nonverbal communication. The limbic system contains the amygdala which processes emotions and reacts to those emotions. The amygdala is nicknamed the “alarm system” because its the first to receive this information and control the body's “fight or flight” response to a situation. This helps explain why we see the same reactions to similar situations in various cultures. The reactions are innate in the human body and are not necessarily learned behaviors.
ReplyDeleteGoman, Carol Kinsey. "This Is Your Brain on Body Language." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.
Although body language can be an innate biological response, many gestures used by humans in different cultures are taught or learned through experience or observations such as something as simple as the handshake. The handshake is used in most western cultures and is not considered universal. How did this gesture come to be? Joe Navarro writes about The Art of the Handshake and explains the impact it can make. The body language used in a simple handshake can make or break your first impression because it is the first time two people physically touch each other. Giving an improper handshake leaves negative feelings for the receiver and those feelings are stored in the amygdala and the hippocampus. These parts of the brain function together to learn, remember, and asses specific dangers to avoid having to experience that negative feeling again. So proper body language helps with social interactions and creating harmony with one another.
Navarro, Joe. "Spycatcher." The Art of Handshaking. Sussex Publishers, 13 July 2013. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.
Gabrielle Chestnut
ReplyDeleteENC 1102
In "Effective Body Language in Organizations" we can see how important body language is. This article starts out by the author proclaiming that nonverbal communication is an important aspect of communication. When communicating with another person, or a group of people, nonverbal communication makes up about two-thirds of all the communication. When people listen to what another has to say they are absorbing the message through the environment of the other person and not by their words. To understand through the environment it is imperative that we use our five senses: sight, hearing,taste,touch, and smell. In the article it is also stated that 80% of what you understand in a conversation is read through the body since body language existed first before we had speech. This article opens up your eyes and lets you see how important an aspect body language is when it comes to communication. By mentioning the five senses this article implies that using them increases your understanding and amplifies the emotions of the words the other person is saying. The article shows that when communicating nonverbal communication is used more and helps others receive a message more clearly than speech does.
Gupta, Neha, Effective Body Language in Organizations (April 25, 2013). The IUP Journal of Soft Skills, Vol. VII, No. 1, March 2013, pp. 35-44.
In "The Honesty of Body Language" it refers to body language as a system that has evolved over millions of years that helps people communicate how they're feeling and what they want. The author goes on to say how body language is the reason how our ancestors were able to navigate a dangerous world. In the article it explains how through the limbic system of our brain our needs, feelings, and emotions are processed there. The limbic system in our brain is responsible for communicating through our bodies precisely the true sentiments that we feel. Body language helps us see what others are truly thinking, feeling, and desiring. In this article the author is using an anatomical approach to explain what parts of our brain influences nonverbal communication. This article article gives you an inside look at how long human beings have been using body language to communicate and how it has helped us evolved over time. Through the examples that the author uses he is trying to show us that body language helps us communicate more effectively and empathetically for a deeper understanding of one another.
Navarro, Joe. "Body Language Basics." Body Language Basics. Spycatcher, 21 Aug. 2011. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.
Leah Thomas
ReplyDeleteJoseph Longhany
ENC 1102 - 08/25/13
Immediately after beginning my search for a popular source, I stumbled upon a Forbes article that specifically focused on body language. This raised a few questions, namely what would be the reason for a major business magazine’s interest in the subtle psychology of body language? As it turns out, quite a bit – body language can be used to subconsciously convey confidence, interest, and numerous others thoughts and feelings that could benefit one in many different situations – namely, a business interview. Goman’s article explicitly lists 10 kinesthetic movements to feign self -assurance, intrigue, and other useful skills. However, this inevitably begged further questioning, as if one can manipulate their body language to increase one’s chance of doing well in landing a job, then there is no doubt that this can be used to one’s advantage in day to day life. I wonder the many other uses where it would be useful to trick one’s body to benefit them socially.
What my peer reviewed article lacked in the prestigious backing of a well known publication, it more than compensated in the warmth and experience of a librarian at a university. Anderson wrote about the way we implicitly read the body language of others to communicate messages that do not need to be stated explicitly. He writes about the sanctuary of a library and how, upon entering, we often read the body language of others to communicate the rules of a library. This raised quite a few questions with me, as I wondered about the impact that body language has with translating and enforcing the rules and regulations of a building, and on a larger scale, the world. I would like to see a more in depth article by Anderson speaking on the specific elements that constitute the “unspoken language” of the library.
Goman, Carol Kinsey. "10 Simple and Powerful Body Language Tips for 2013." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 07 Jan. 2013. Web. 25 Aug. 2013.
Anderson, Rick. "Organizational Body Language | Peer to Peer Review." Library Journal. N.p., 30 July 2013. Web. 25 Aug. 2013