Nonverbal Communication: Posture and Facial Expressions

Posture

• Refers to the position and alignment of the body
• Can convey confidence, openness, or closed-offness
• Open posture: uncrossed arms, uncrossed legs, leaning forward
• Closed posture: crossed arms, crossed legs, leaning away
• Can affect not only how others perceive us, but also how we feel about ourselves

Facial Expressions

• One of the most expressive and influential nonverbal cues
• 7 universal emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust, and contempt
• Facial expressions can be:
  • Congruent: matching verbal message
  • Incongruent: contradicting verbal message
  • Neutral: no emotional expression
• Facial expressions can be controlled, but microexpressions (see below) can reveal true emotions

Eye Contact

• Plays a crucial role in social interactions and communication
• Can convey:
  • Interest and engagement
  • Confidence and honesty
  • Lack of interest or dishonesty
• Direct eye contact: maintaining eye contact for 7-10 seconds at a time
• Avoiding eye contact can indicate:
  • Dishonesty
  • Lack of confidence
  • Social anxiety

Nonverbal Cues

• Verbal communication: 7%
• Nonverbal communication: 93%
• Nonverbal cues can be:
  • Conscious: intentional body language
  • Unconscious: unintentional body language
• Types of nonverbal cues:
  • Kinesics: body language
  • Paralinguistic: tone, pitch, volume
  • Proxemics: personal space
  • Haptics: touch
  • Olfactics: scent
  • Artifacts: appearance and accessories

Microexpressions

• Very brief facial expressions that reveal true emotions
• Last for 1/25 to 1/10 of a second
• Can be:
  • Positive: happiness, excitement
  • Negative: anger, fear, disgust
• Microexpressions can be difficult to control and can contradict verbal messages
• Can be a valuable tool in detecting deception or hidden emotions

Posture

• Refers to the position and alignment of the body, conveying confidence, openness, or closed-offness
• Open posture features uncrossed arms, uncrossed legs, and leaning forward
• Closed posture is characterized by crossed arms, crossed legs, and leaning away

Facial Expressions

• One of the most expressive and influential nonverbal cues, conveying 7 universal emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust, and contempt
• Facial expressions can be congruent (matching verbal message), incongruent (contradicting verbal message), or neutral (no emotional expression)
• Facial expressions can be controlled, but microexpressions can reveal true emotions

Eye Contact

• Plays a crucial role in social interactions and communication, conveying interest, confidence, and honesty
• Direct eye contact involves maintaining eye contact for 7-10 seconds at a time
• Avoiding eye contact can indicate dishonesty, lack of confidence, or social anxiety

Nonverbal Communication

• Accounts for 93% of communication, with verbal communication making up only 7%
• Nonverbal cues can be conscious (intentional body language) or unconscious (unintentional body language)
• Types of nonverbal cues include kinesics (body language), paralinguistic (tone, pitch, volume), proxemics (personal space), haptics (touch), olfactics (scent), and artifacts (appearance and accessories)

Microexpressions

• Very brief facial expressions that reveal true emotions, lasting 1/25 to 1/10 of a second
• Microexpressions can be positive (happiness, excitement) or negative (anger, fear, disgust)
• Can be difficult to control and can contradict verbal messages, making them a valuable tool in detecting deception or hidden emotions