Exploring a Conversation

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 as are spy agents. 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.On a biological level, people are interested in discovering how others perceive themselves.

Find one article about body language.  Beyond summarizing the content of the source, 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. Consider the audiences the writers aimed to influence and why those audiences are targeted. Explore why the author conducted the study in a particular way. What does the article accomplish, and to what extent did the writer accomplish his or her goals?

Connect some aspect from of one of the articles to your own personal experiences. Does your experience reveal some nuance about claims regarding body language?

This posting is not a test of knowledge, but is a collective way to gather a large swath of information about a common area of interest. We all care about body language because it is a primary means of communication. There are no right or wrong answers for this posting. This also isn't meant to be published in The New Yorker. Deliver a bit of analysis, some summary, and make a connection to your own personal experiences. In other words, there are not penalties for being wrong here. 

During class next time, we are going to explore this conversation about body language. We will look for gaps in the conversation, and we will think about ways that we might enter into the conversation. 

Be sure to reference the sources you use at the bottom of your posting. For help with reference formatting, please follow this link to the Purdue Owl: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/ or you can look at page 109 of The Little Seagull Handbook.

YOU CANNOT SIMPLY POST A LINK TO THE PAGE WHERE YOU RETRIEVED THE DOCUMENT. YOU MUST ACTUALLY CREATE A REFERENCE AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR POSTING. If you only post a link to the article, you will receive a zero for the assignment. 

Bonus points will be awarded for anyone who uses a scholarly, peer reviewed article.


If you have any questions, please send me an email.

17 comments:

  1. Tania Imani
    When making an impression on an individual, mastering how to execute your non-verbal communication to get a message across is the key to your identity. The basics of body language start from how we greet others, and ranges to eye movements and how close we stand to one another. Social anthropologists have recognized that 65 percent of social meanings are transmitted through actions rather than words. The effect is often underestimated because some are unaware that body language is perceived in different ways depending on the surroundings; especially when encountering different cultures. For example, former President George H.W. Bush visited Australia in 1992, and greeted onlookers by raising his fingers in the shape of a ‘V’. Within hours, the headlines flooded with statements that the American President had insulted the people of Australia.
    Professionals from Northwestern State University and Indiana State University collaborated on an article that specifically addresses “Adviser Behaviors that Improve Communication with Advisees.” The success of students comes with the help of advisers, but with so many students, sessions can be dull. One of the main behavioral micro-skills that can be used to enhance advising sessions is attending behaviors. This falls under the category of non-verbal communication. The focus of body language revolves around posture, gestures, and mannerism. It is important to note that just as you are tracking the opposing individual’s body language, they are tracking yours. An effective technique to help employ proper body language when communicating is by using the SOLER acronym. S stands for squarely face. Individuals who angle their face away decrease their level of contact. O stands for open posture. This is seen as a non-defensive posture, giving the signal that the individual is open to communication. L stands for lean. Leaning back signals being bored, so a slight inclination shows interest. E stands for eye contact. Steady eye contact establishes your presence with the individual. R stands for relaxed. Fidgeting and distracting facial expressions are discouraging. Individuals such be comfortable with their bodies when using them to communicate. Overall, gestures that are normal and culturally appropriate will lead to productive conversation.
    In effort to communicate effectively, becoming sensitive to clues of body language will ensure mutual comfort while communicating. Proper non-verbal communications allow individuals to understand one another even when words are not being said. Becoming aware of clues of body language will allow an individual to classify a silence as someone digesting information or someone feeling overwhelmed and confused. The main point to take from the idea of non-verbal communication is that once you are aware of your own body’s messages, you will be able to interpret others more accurately.

    Works Cited
    Barnett, Susan, Scott Roach, and Martha Smith. "Microskills: Advisor Behaviors That Improve Communication with Advisees." NACADA 26.1 (2006): 1-12. NACADA Journal. Kansas State University. Web. 1 Jan. 2016.

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  3. Destiny Evans

    The article explains the importance of learning how to read body language in sports. Whether someone is giving off a positive vibe or a negative one can determine if you win or lose the game. Someone's body language can show how they feel whether it shameful, happiness, sad, or mad. Unlike board games, sports require quick thinking in a limited amount of time so the need to understand the nonverbal communication of the body is vital. I have played softball for the past 6 years and can confirm that body language does play a major role in sports. When we are winning against a team even by just a few points they might start doubting themselves and no longer hustle to the field. Instead they walk out with their shoulders slouched and have lazy throws. We see this and instantly assume they have given up which makes us work even harder so we can take advantage of this moment before they start getting their confidence back.

    Works Cited
    Edwards, Vanessa Van. "Body Language in sports." The Blog. 16 October, 2013. Web.18 Jan.2016

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  4. Felecia Dozier
    The article talks about having a distrust of presidential candidate ted Cruz because of his body language. Cruz's facial expressions are almost uncomfortable, a dead give away he doesn't mean that friendly smile. The author notes that Cruz's eyes don't seem to match the facial expressions he is trying to make and that a smile originates from the eyes. This causes people like the author to distrust Cruz as a candidate and could cost him his presidential bid.
    Works Cited
    Cytowic, Richard E., M.D. "Why Ted Cruz's Facial Expression Makes Me Uneasy." Psychology Today. N.p., 1 Jan. 2016. Web. 19 Jan. 2016.

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  5. Jesse Sharisky
    The article outlines the importance of learning different customs and styles of body language of students and teachers from other cultures in an effort to communicate better and avoid conflict or confusion. The author Kris Rugsaken speaks of a number of blunders made due to a lack of knowledge of local customs regarding body language.

    Rugsaken, K. (2006). Body speaks: Body language around the world. Retrieved from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources Web site http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/body-speaks.aspx.

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  6. Wesley Glock

    Body language certainly is perceived as being a crucial form of communication in this article. I assume the target audience that the author is reaching out to is anyone in general. As you read into the article, you can see that we are being informed on why body language in ASL is very important to understand. The author uses their own experience and knowledge of the use of body language in ASL, because of this they have a better grasp and understanding on the topic. It seems that because of personnel knowledge, the writing seems to have immense detail on the subject. But… for how long has this particular writer been studying ASL to express the importance of body language to others so thoroughly? From what I can tell, everything I read is very much accurate. I myself can relate to how ASL work. I had fellow students who uses ASL as a means of communication, and facial expressions plus the ways the body moves hints important cues.

    Cited from an Article in Lifeprint
    Kelly, Baumann. “Body Language and ASL” ASL University 6 April, 2009.
    http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/body-language-and-asl.htm

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  7. Payton DeMarzo

    This article explains the new study of body language and it's effect on presentation. It goes to to state how 90% of communication is nonverbal, however, the science of studying it is so new that it's authorities can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Furthermore, it describes how clinical studies have revealed that body language can contradict what is verbally being told. The classic example given is someone saying they love their partner while shaking their head no. The author, Julius Fast, believe the unconscious mind speaks through nonverbal actions.

    Coming from introduction to oral communication I can personally agree with the author of this article. Time after time the effects of nonverbal communication were drilled into our minds and I now know the effects of them can be a game changer her. At the time of this book there wasn't as much research on body language as there is now given that the book was written 45 years ago. After researching the author, it further was discovered that he co-wrote another book on body language. Most of his books were requested by publishers on subjects of current interest. At the time of Body Language, the effects of this nonverbal form of communication we're just being discovered publicly.

    This article accomplished informing the public of their effects on others through body language. The author wanted people to be aware of what message they may be unconsciously presenting to their audience. Due to my oral communications class, I can personally relate meaning to Julian Fast's article.

    Fast, Julius. "The Body Is The Message." Body Language. New York: M. Evans :, 1970. Print.

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  8. Samuel Haynes

    This article Morgan Kelly talks about the importance of body language in deciphering people’s emotions. The author uses information from an experiment to decipher if people use facial clues or body language as the key component to deciphering people’s emotional state. After a series of test, in which participants were shown stock photos of people experiencing a wide array of emotions they were shown just the photo’s faces, just the body clues, then photoshopped versions of the photos where the researches mixed the faces and the bodies. Through the course of the experiment the researchers discovered that people used body language clues more than facial clues to decide someone’s emotions.

    Works cited:
    Kelly, Morgan. “Don't Read My Lips! Body Language Trumps the Face For Conveying Intense Emotions.” News at Princeton. 15 January 2013. 20 January 2016

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  9. This article is about how people in a security position, like a policeman or airport guard, think they can read body language effectively. However, when tested by experts, they score slightly higher than chance (an average of 54%).

    Works Cited

    Tierney, John. "At Airports, a Misplaced Faith in Body Language." The New York Times. n.p. 23 March. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.

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  10. Daniel Stewart

    This articles talk about many ways to read a persons body language. First you have sports. A defender can tell where the person is going based off the body language they are giving off. There are many ways. The defender can tell what they are doing by looking at their eyes or looking at the stomach of a person they are guarding. Another example is law enforcment. They use body language to detect if people are lying or not. FBI profilers use body language to try and and guess the persons past and what they are like. Body language is very important in a lot of jobs and such.

    work cited

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0x4xeBbvXc1R3RfYWlSajg4TlU/view

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  11. Mitchell Lopez

    The article I reviewed described the importance of body language during a job interview. The author uses the information he gathered from other writers to emphasized how your body language is the second most important aspect of a job interview following your qualifications. The author chose examples from two specific books to illustrate his a point directly targeted at job applicants to help them succeed. As an interviewer in my company I can understand his arguments from personal experience. He explains that the job interview starts and ends way before and after you meet with your potential employer, and how not to under mind your worth by your actions before or after the interview. As he stated in the article, I have ask the receptionist to analyze the potential candidates body language before I meet with them and I have watch them leave the building and drive away after. The author makes a great and valid argument that should help anyone with their body language at a job interview.

    Article was written by Robert Ordona for Monster.com
    Author cited "Winning Body Language" by Mark Bowden and "Hello Job! How to Phych Up, Suit Up and Show Up" by Allison Craig

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  12. Men and women suffer from dissatisfaction of their body and the way they look. According to theory in Western Culture women are merely judged and valued based on the way they look. Therefore, making them sexual objects rather than judged for their internal traits and personality. The author Jessica M. Alleva, with the Department of Clinical Psychological Science at Maastricht University conducted a study group using 59 females and 59 males. Her goal in this study was to see if women had a problem with the satisfaction of their appearance more than men did. Her aim for the study was to improve body satisfaction using a functionality-based focus system on the body. In order to obtain her information for her study she had to use body language to observe the undergraduates involved with her research. For Jessica to use body language in her study she conducted an assignment of which the 59 females and 59 males had to do a writing assignment. The writing assignment topic was “What Your Body Can Do”. In the writing assignment the subjects had to write about how they use their body every day in daily functions and also their “body relationship” (hugging, holding hands, etc.). The reason for Jessica to use a writing assignment for her study on the dissatisfaction of appearance was so she could observe the subjects’ body language. Her experiment in the writing assignment between different age groups and genders was used for experimenting the body focus using manipulation. She had to manipulate the people in her study so she could see how they felt when they were forced to talk about their bodies. They do these studies by encouraging the participating subjects to engage in behaviors that bring out their feelings. Either of pleasure rather than focusing on how they look so that they could be observed. Men were involved in the study because they wanted to show they suffer from the internal negative dissatisfaction as well but women suffer from it more. The reason behind that is because women are primarily looked at as sexual objects therefore resulting in the dissatisfaction of self-traits and appearance.

    Works Cited: Alleva, Jessica M ; Martijn, Carolien ; Jansen, Anita ; Nederkoorn, Chantal "Affecting Body Satisfaction by Describing the Body in Functionality Terms" Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2014, Vol.38(2), pp.181-196 Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University

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  13. body language tells more than words do. you can read these movements like with the arms and how you place them tells a lot of what is going on in the person thinking. body language is readable in many ways such as sitting, walking, standing, hand movements, these movements will tell you a lot about a person without even talking to them. in this article it also talks about how in different cultures body language can mean different things like in Asia smiling is a sign of embarrassment but in our culture it means we are happy and excited for something.
    work cited
    Rugsaken, K. (2006). Body speaks: Body language around the world. Retrieved from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources Web sitehttp://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/body-speaks.aspx.

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  14. Body Speaks: Body language around the world written by Kris Rugsaken, spoke about the importance of body language globally meaning some gestures in one part of the world may or may not mean the same thing in another area. Being a traveler this article brought these matters to my attention, an example given in the article is the gesture of a kiss and that in north America is viewed as a display of affection versus in Asia is such an intimate act one should not practice in public. Thee article actually gave a few real life scenarios of gestures we do in America and the consequential effects of them in a different country. For instance a couple when to New Zealand and missed a stop sign, the police pulled them over and the Americans explained they are new to the roads and the police let them go. The husband gave him the thumbs up and the police officer arrested the couple for using such a disrespectful sign. The fact this hand gesture was so meaningful really shows the power of non verbal communication and that it varies amongst areas should keep one mindful about other cultures when visiting.

    work cited Cite this resource using APA style as:

    Rugsaken, K. (2006). Body speaks: Body language around the world. Retrieved from NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources Web site

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  15. Crystal Ortiz

    The article explains the difference between the words people speak and the way we understand how people communicate using their body language. When your able to understand the signals and signs of body language you can more easily understand other people and more effectively communicate with them.

    Sometimes when I am annoyed or upset I choose to sit quietly to myself and people will notice something is wrong even if I say I am okay just because of my body language.

    Article written by Margarita
    www.mindtools.com/pages/article/Body_language.htm

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  17. Lauren Brown
    This article I read gives explains on the type of body language people use , for example with they hands people use them to greet someone else or just use them while they are talking. This article also tells about George Bush trip to Australia and how the type of body language he used insulted them. Body language is used so differently around the world as it explains in this article.
    I know personally when I'm mad or uncomfortable you can tell because it is written all over my face or by the way I'm looking even if I say nothing is wrong you can still tell because of my body language .

    Author written by : Kris Rugsaken
    https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-Articles/body-speaks.aspx

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