Did You Know???

The TV series Lie to Me, which premiered on Fox network in January 2009, is based on the principle of kinesics. In the series, Lightman Group, headed by Dr. Cal Lightman, a psychologist specializing in body language, assists in crime investigation through the concept of facial expressions (alias the Facial Action Coding System) and body language.

Premise: If there is an inconsistency between the verbal message (i.e., what is said) and the vocal and facial expressions (i.e., how it is said), we will rely primarily on the facial and the vocal cues for decoding the intended message. For example, in the case of sarcasm, while the message itself comprises positive words, the tone and manner in which the message is communicated is a dead giveaway.

Source: Nawal, M. (2011), Business Communication, Cengage Learning.

Types of body movements

There are 5 types of body movements:

1. Emblems
2. Illustrators
3. Affective displays
4. Regulators
5. Adaptors

1. Emblems
Emblems are body movements with specific verbal translations. They can be used as stand-alone modes of communication and need not be accompanied by a verbal message; for example, the hitchhiking sign, the thumbs-up or thumbs-down sign, and the hello/goodbye hand-waving. [Great when senders and receivers are at a distance. REMEMBER - Meanings may differ by cultures.]

2. Illustrators
Illustrators accompany speech and are used as illustrations in support of the verbal message. For example, when you instruct your driver to "turn left" and accompany it with your hand pointing left. They are more closely connected to speech compared with emblems and serve to clarify, emphasize, and accentuate speech.

3. Affective Displays
Affective displays are the movements - typically facial gestures - that convey specific emotions; for example, joy, elation, anger, and disgust. These would include movements such as raised eyebrows, narrowed eyes, wrinkled nose, twitching mouth, and quivering lips. These displays are more pronounced in certain cultures. For example, Italians (very expressive) vs. Japanese (not very expressive).

4. Regulators
Regulators are the movements that regulate or control the flow of conversation between the sender and the receiver. They also serve as a feedback for the sender and help him/her discern how much the listener has understood: for example, head nodding, eye movements, etc.

5. Adaptors
Adaptors are the movements that occur with limited awareness in posture or in other bodily movements. They primarily comprise body-focused movements, such as rubbing, touching, and scratching. Since these movements occur with little or no awareness, they serve as strong indicators of emotions, moods, and attitudes. However, it is important to rememebr that certain adaptor movement may occur simply to relieve physical discomfort: for example, shifting in one's seat or shifting one's weight while standing.

Source: Nawal, M. (2011), Business Communication, Cengage Learning.