What do human postures, the position of arms and legs, gestures and facial expressions mean?

Seconds to create a first impression

The psychology of nonverbal communication is too multifaceted to cover it all. Let's consider how to learn about a person's character from a first impression. Psychologists say that in the first 10 seconds of communication, an impression of the interlocutor is already created. A person can say one thing with words, but facial expressions, intonation, and gestures can tell something completely different.

A person controls words, but gestures are difficult to control. The body can't lie! Therefore, in order to find out the truth about your interlocutor, you need to learn to understand his gestures.

An individual may completely forget to monitor gestures and facial expressions when his emotional mood increases. Therefore, psychologists try to ask awkward questions in order to confuse the subject.

The importance of intonation in understanding speech

The online publication ScienceDaily reported on a new study led by Marina Nespor, a neuroscientist at the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste. In this scientific work, scientists considered the existence of a connection between speech and gestures not only in the listener, but also in the person who speaks.

Dr. Nespor, together with Alan Langus, a research fellow at the International School of Advanced Study, working in close collaboration with Bahia Guellai from the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Dfense, published report on his research in the Swiss open access journal Frontiers in Psychology. The study demonstrated the role of gestures in speech as part of prosody.

During dialogue, special attention should be paid to the position of the hands

The first thing you always want to know is whether you are being deceived or not. Touching your face will tell you this. If your opponent constantly touches his face, neck, ears, most likely he is telling a lie, simply deceiving you.
A lie can be revealed by movements when you involuntarily cover your mouth with your hand. When lying, the interlocutor gets nervous, so it’s as if he’s trying to hold back untruthful words with his hand. This habit comes from childhood, when a child who has told a lie covers his mouth with his palm.
Hand movements near the mouth most likely demonstrate that the interlocutor lacks support or approval.
A calm posture, with the chin slightly raised, indicates the person’s confidence in his words. He's not lying, you can be sure of that.
Hands clasped in front of your body indicate that you are not trusted. In this case, a person can cover himself with a folder, a stack of papers, or cross his arms. Crossed arms are the first sign that you are not trusted. It is important to understand what caused it, why the interlocutor does not want to open up. If you are to blame, then “dig” into your behavior.
If a person opens his palms when meeting, then he is open to communication.
An aggressive mood can be indicated by hands placed in pockets, while the thumbs remain outside.
People who clasp their hands behind their backs show their superiority over others. Their ego "flies" too high.
When the interlocutor is upset about something and tries to pull himself together, he will start scratching the tip of his nose.

What does fig mean?

“Kukish”, fig, dulya, shish - all this refers to a well-known meaning - you will not get anything. In this case, three fingers are involved: the thumb is inserted between the index and middle fingers. In Rus', such a symbol was used to scare away evil spirits. And even today, when meeting with ill-wishers, many keep a fig in their pocket.

But a long time ago in Rus' this “construction” meant sexual intercourse. It's a different matter in Brazil. The gesture is considered a talisman that attracts good luck by protecting against the black eye.

If you see a fig in Japan and Thailand, you can interpret it this way: you are being offered an extensive list of sexual services.

How to find out about a person's location

When communicating, you should carefully look at the position of your opponent’s body. When communicating with someone around you, you always want to find mutual understanding. How to catch: is it there or not? During harmonious communication, the partners’ postures are very similar. From time to time, both repeat each other's gestures.

How to spot opposition? It manifests itself in pushing one shoulder forward. An obvious confrontation is clenching your fists and putting your feet forward. When demonstrating non-acceptance of your arguments, the interlocutor puts his hands on his sides.

Male and female gestures

During a conversation, women tend to gesticulate more often if the subject of discussion is pleasant to them. When discussing unpleasant things or talking with an unpleasant interlocutor, women instinctively strive to move away, shrink, and become smaller. They press their hands, bow their heads, turn away. Expressing interest, women try to come closer, their gestures are open, their palms are turned towards the interlocutor.

Men are less likely to express irritation through gestures. It’s easier to assess their mood through their posture: a relaxed posture speaks of trust, openness, and a desire to continue the conversation. Hunching, squeezing your shoulders, putting your hands in front of you is forming a kind of barrier from an unpleasant interlocutor.

How does a person express disagreement?

How do you know if a person is ready or not ready to have a conversation?

If you see that a person is leaning slightly in your direction, it means he wants to speak. The cross-leg position will “express” disagreement with your arguments. Expect to enter into an argument if you are not convinced that you are right. Try to open your palms, you will immediately notice how your interlocutor softens.

Disagreement can also be expressed by the following gestures:

Hands are clasped.
Arms crossed on chest.
Withdrawal from communication shows a backward deviation of the back.
Crossed legs at the ankles is a call to stop communication.

If the legs are straight, relaxed, and the torso is turned towards the partner, then the opponent is completely ready to conduct a conversation.

Scientific research

Representatives of Ancient Rome already possessed the study of body language and the desire to characterize gestures. The science formed on the basis of the observations of researchers was called kenesics. The greatest contribution to its development was made by:

J. Balwer. He created a fundamental work devoted to gestures, in particular, hand movements.
I. F. Lavater. He studied physiognomy and conducted a comparative analysis of emotions and gestures.
G. K. Lichtenberg. He published several works in which he examined Lavater’s ideas in detail, calling them superficial and far from reality.
C. Bell. He studied the nervous system, studied the correspondence of facial features to the emotions experienced. He deduced a pattern between emotional reaction and muscular activity.
C. Darwin. Studied the correspondence of facial expression to emotional reaction.
F. Bacon. I came to the conclusion that there is a special body language that is understood by all peoples of the world.
F. Lowen. In his book on the psychology of the body, he outlined the basics of psychosomatic problems

Psychologists and sociologists believe that body language can become a universal means of communication between people of different social groups.

What poses will reveal hidden thoughts?

To “read” hidden thoughts in your partner’s behavior, you can resort to some tricks.

The most effective trick is to get into his personal space. Changing the distance is used by executives, investigators, and police officers. At the same time, the person gets lost, then begins to express what he would not like to say. An individual who is convinced that he is right will never flinch from such an action. The liar will begin to touch his neck, ears, close his mouth, blush, and turn pale.

Readiness for action is demonstrated by placing your hands on your hips. This gesture shows that the person intends to go towards his goal.

A person's appearance is very important. An unbuttoned jacket or jacket shows the friendliness of the partner. If he is buttoned up, has his hands in his pockets or crosses them over his chest, then he is not ready to make a deal or sign an agreement. So that your partner is not “afraid” of you, you should show your palms. Then the conversation will flow in a different direction and an agreement will be concluded.

A partner who sits but has his legs out shows his openness. If your opponent is bored listening to you, he begins to draw abstract figures on a piece of paper. He can stand up, supposedly behind a book or pen. Turning your face to the side is a demonstration of disinterest in the conversation. You will see your hands tightly clasped - this is a gesture of suspicion and mistrust.

Putting your hands behind your head

Some gestures clearly indicate superiority and high social status.

Can you imagine that someone, talking to the president, would put his hands behind his head the way Anatoly Bykov does?

Anatoly Bykov

If you see a group of people, one of whom has his hands behind his head, this is the owner, boss or authority figure.

A typical gesture of a boss and owner talking to subordinates. Freud forbid you do this when talking to your boss: he may become furious. But not because, of course, he understands what this gesture means, but because he intuitively feels that he has been challenged and will want to put you in your place.

Mustai Karim

The first and most characteristic meaning for such a gesture is power and emphasizing superiority. But not only. The gesture is typical of a successful person. This gesture is common among people who think they know everything. “I know everything, I am aware of all events, I know everything,” this is what this gesture can say.

How to recognize a dominant person

Often a person begins to show his superiority. Why did it happen? He asserts himself or is arrogant or shows his power.

How to recognize such a person:

At the first handshake. He grabs the other person's hand so that his hand is on top.
Feet on the table or on the armrest of a chair.
Hands joined behind the head.
Half-closed eyelids.
Hands in pockets with thumbs out.
Sits higher than others or stands so that the interlocutor looks into his face from below.
The pose of senior managers is with hands behind the back, chin looking up.

A rare but interesting position for a person - hands under the armpits, and the torso slightly tilted back. This is how the individual demonstrates confidence in his actions.

Expressing affection using gestures

By studying body language and gestures, a person can easily understand interest in intimate and romantic relationships. The body movements of women who attract the attention of men are actively expressed:

demonstration of the wrists, turning the inside of the palms up;
shaking hair, twirling a curl on a finger;
licking, biting lips;
touching the thighs, ankles;
pointing the toes of the shoes towards the man.

A man, showing interest in a relationship with a woman, subconsciously tries to demonstrate his best qualities:

stretches up, straightens his shoulders;
constantly adjusts his tie, cuffs and shirt collar;
runs his hands over his thighs and knees.

In representatives of both sexes, interest in intimate relationships is revealed by a searching gaze. It glides along the figure of the attractive person from top to bottom, lingering at the neckline and hip level.

How your feet tell you what you're thinking

Watch where your feet stand. A knowledgeable person will quickly read your thoughts. Why legs? You can still control your arms, but your legs rise on their own, depending on your intentions.

Wide-set legs show off the groin. This is how men can stand in front of their chosen one. Experts assure that you can rely on such a man. He stands confidently on the ground. For those around him, this is a signal that he is a ruler and never runs away from difficulties. Hands that rest confidently on the belt buckle help enhance the effect.
The toe of one foot is turned to the side. The pose indicates where the person wants to go. If you are engrossed in a conversation, and the other person’s toe is looking to the side, then don’t hold on, let him go. There won't be a good conversation anyway!
If the socks are pointing in your direction , then the person is interested in talking longer.
If a person is uncomfortable in an unfamiliar company, then he will stand to the side with his legs crossed . Please note that if he also crosses his arms over his chest, then he has completely closed himself off from everyone.
If a person grabs his leg with his hands , then he does not intend to retreat. He will stand his ground.
When a person starts “kicking” the air with his foot , he is about to tell you to leave.
Grasping the leg with both hands shows that the person will not deviate from the intended path.
Crossed legs, sitting and standing, demonstrate one thing - closedness or severe stress. At this time, no information reaches him.
If a person crosses his legs at the ankles, and even puts them under a chair , then the person is extremely uncomfortable because he cannot drive you away. Knowing this gesture, you should leave. In this state, the individual will also not be able to perceive information.

Dear friends, the conversation on the topic: “What do human postures mean” is so interesting and useful that it can captivate you. Being able to decipher poses is useful for business partners, managers and just friends, so that they know what to expect from their interlocutor.

Differences in the interpretation of habitual gestures depending on countries

In different countries, hand gestures familiar to Russians can have a completely different, sometimes even completely opposite, meaning. Here are some famous examples:

Two fingers spread out in the form of the English letter “V”, denoting the word “Victoria”, or “Victory”, mean “Get away from me” among the British and Australians.
An open palm put forward, demanding a stop, in Greece means an insult, sending a person to hell

The thumbs up is a symbol of approval for many. But in Thailand it means censure, condemnation of an action
The beckoning motion with the index finger should not be used in the Philippines - there is a penalty for arrest there
In our country, a fig means refusal, but Brazilians show it very often. They use it as a wish for health and good luck.

"Goat" or horns made from the index finger and little finger are often used by rockers or musicians. In Italy, such a gesture directed at any man means cheating on his wife, carrying the interpretation of “cuckold”
The middle palen pointed upward denotes an indecent gesture that sends three letters. In Asia they are shown something interesting

All these movements with fingers or palms should be studied and used only where they are appropriate, because through ignorance it is not surprising to get into an awkward situation and cause discontent among others.

For reference.

Prosody in phonetics is considered as the study of stress, tone, intonation, that is, of suprasegmental units of sound. Prosody is also considered as a synonym for rhythm. Linguists define prosody as the intonation and rhythm of spoken language.

As you know, these are the features that help emphasize the structure of a sentence and, therefore, make the message easier to understand. For example, without prosody, there would be nothing to distinguish the declarative statement “Is this an apple” from the sudden question “Is this an apple?” As we understand, in oral speech the difference between these simple sentences lies only in intonation.

According to researchers, even gestures are part of prosody. Dr. Langus explains that the prosody that accompanies speech is not a modality (a semantic category that expresses the speaker’s attitude towards the content of his utterance).

For a person receiving a message, prosodic information is a combination of auditory and visual signals. These higher (at the cognitive level of processing) aspects of spoken language are correlated with the programming of those areas of the brain that are responsible for motor functions and for the production of both auditory speech and accompanying gestures.