Sunday, May 10, 2009

You lie .. but your BODY don't

The recent TV Series Lie to Me has spawned a lot of interest into the mysteries of human body language. The series revolve around an ingenious facial recognition expert Dr. Cal Lightman and his team of deception experts. Each episode describes how they cleverly use their ability to read people's body language to solve criminal cases. The series is fictional of course, but in real life there really is an FBI counterintelligence unit that specializes in this field of nonverbal communication.

What mostly intrigues us into watching content of this genre is the application of body language in our daily lives -- whether it be body gestures or facial recognition. These nonverbal cues speak so much to what we experience each day. Our inherent knowledge that those around us will not always be truthful drives the quest for more guidance in this area.

We're interested in body language, facial recogition and gestures, and even vocal tones because they are not easy manipulators. There are bound to be some involuntary cues that directly surfaces from the subconcious mind and that the lier is not aware of.

Analysing body language is an art. The following illustrates just a few of the widely publicized body language techniques:

Crossing of the arms across the chest could be one of four things:
- the subject wants to put up a protection barrier between himself and people around him/her
- [combined with actions of rubbing] the subject is cold and is trying to warm himself/herself
- [when subject looks comfortable] the subject is contemplating about what has been said
- [with subject leaning away from the other party] the subject is hostile or opposed to the other party or what is being communicated

Tilting of head to one side could indicate:
- [combined with diluted eyes] the subject is bored
- [combined with actions of rubbing] the subject has a sore neck
- [combined with dilated pupil, mirroring, eye contact] the subject has a romantic interest with the other party

Touching ear
- [combined with scratching chin or glazing away] the subject does not believe what is being said

Touching parts of the face could indicate:
- subject is guilty of deceiving or withholding conversation
- [combined with blinking more often than usual, sweating, moving of hands, lack of eye contact] the subject is lying

Touching neck could indicate:
- [combined with exposing neck more] subject has a romantic interest with the other party

Changing attention from parts of the face could indicate:
- [from one eye to other eye to nose] subject is speaking with a party of equal authority
- [from one eye to other eye to forehead] subject is speaking with a party of higher authority
- [ from one eye to other eye to mouth] subject has a romantic interest with the other party

Mirroring body langage could indicate:
- the subject is getting along well with the other party

Locking hands behind head could indicate:
- the subject is demonstrating superiority

Posture pointed towards the other party could indicate:
- the subject is interested in the party that the subject is pointing towards

Hands on knees could indicate:
- the subject is ready (i.e. ready to get up and leave)

Locking hands behind back could indicate:
- the subject has complete self control (i.e. guards standing with their hands behind their back)

Putting hands on hip could indicate:
- the subject is displaying some form of anger (i.e. when a mother is angry with her kids)

Narrowing of eyes could indicate:
- [combined with head tilt towards back and side, pursed lips, crossed arms] the subject does not like the other party

Inspecting accessories or fingers could indicate:
- subject is bored

If you're interested here are a few places you can go to for more information about body languages:

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