COMMUNICATION, BEHAVIOUR & ART
Body Language & Communication Blog
Ranked in the top 4 body language blogs on the web since 2020.
Our work is based on scientific theories relating to nonverbal behaviour and statement analysis, yet remains the opinion of the author.
Oxytocin and the Power of Touch in Building Connection
What is oxytocin, how does it influence behaviour and why is it important in building connection. Learn how to build connection, trust, caring and empathy by appropriate social touch–socially and professionally. And how to increase your oxytocin levels for wellbeing, from hugs and pet therapy.
First Impressions: Your split second opportunity for success
In this post, we focus on first impressions–how important are they and why? And how this relates to you and your personal presentation. We touch on two related concepts, confirmation bias and impression updating.
Spies and Lies: Skripal novichok poisoning–reading the suspect’s body language
In this post, we seek to discover the truth, reading the body language of the Skripal poisoning suspects–Russian spies, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. Are they lying about their true identity?
Sophie Zadeh’s TED-Ed Lesson: Are there universal expressions of emotion?
Sophie Zadeh's TED-Ed lesson: Are there Universal Expressions of Emotion? The lesson looks at the history of discovery of facial expressions, what expressions of emotion look like, the purpose of facial expressions and why we make facial expressions.
Body Language of Kim Jong un and Trump. What are they really saying?
Reading body language, emotion and microexpressions at the Trump-Kim Summit. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un meet for the first time–we analyse their nonverbal communication signals to tell you what they are really saying.
Video Interview: Universal facial expressions of emotion
Courtney Waller interviews Sophie Zadeh about her TED-Ed lesson: Are there universal expressions? They discuss the history of emotion, display rules, animal and human expression, botox on expressions, how to trigger emotions, macroexpressions and microexpressions.
Tourette Syndrome: My involuntary nonverbal response to a sudden verbal tic
Why do we judge people from the moment we see them? And when we feel threatened by them, what happens during our body’s emergency response to fear. Read about my involuntary nonverbal behaviours when I encountered a guy with Tourette Syndrome. Both our bodies reacting to a stimulus.
A Secret Wedding, Concealed Emotions and a bit of Tomfoolery!
Read about my secret wedding, the emotions we tried to conceal and the body language and expression that reveal our true emotions. What are the nonverbal signs of tomfoolery?
WA School of Mines Alumni Podcast–Body Language
I was interviewed by Kyle De Souza for the Western Australia School of Mines Alumni podcast. In this episode, we talk about body language...
WA School of Mines Alumni Podcast–Seeking Truth and Concord
I was interviewed by Kyle De Souza for the Western Australia School of Mines (WASM) Alumni podcast. In this episode, we chat about deception...
Emotion Spotting: Expressions and microexpressions
Are you missing an important channel of communication?
Most of us listen to spoken words as we interact with others, but not many people pay conscious attention to what remains unspoken. Words can, and do, convey lots of complex thoughts, theories and feelings, but they are usually filtered and adapted to create a certain impression, giving you, the listener, the 'intended' message. There are lots of reasons for this– to be more amicable, to maintain relationships, to deceive, to conceal emotions, to make others feel better– to name a few. So it's not all bad. Imagine if everybody spoke their thoughts– Ouch! In many situations, however, you could benefit from knowing more and having a good understanding of how the person you interact with really feels, whether it's potential deception in a negotiation or marriage, or when you just want a family member to be more open with you.
What are universal expressions?
Scientists have found that the muscles in our face can produce 30 independent movements– 12 in the upper face, and 18 in the lower face. Working together in various combinations, these muscle movements are capable of creating thousands of expressions. However, most scientists agree that out of all of these expressions, only seven are 'universal'– innate within all of us, regardless of culture. They are...
Sharing some good news: I'm working on a TED-Ed animation!
Yippee, I got the go ahead to share my good news with you! I've been working on a script for a TED-Ed animation and it's finally coming to fruition. The TED-Ed team have brought in the director, animator and narrator/actor to work their magic and bring it to life. This is a huge thrill for me, since I've been a TED obsessive for years. My TED-Ed lesson animation is about emotional expression– universal expressions, so over the next few weeks, I'll be posting some supporting information on the subject on my blog.
If you aren't already familiar with TED-Ed animations, here's one by Peter Mende-Siedlecki, I think you may find it interesting- it's about first impressions, which are incredibly important for setting us up for successful interactions. It's less than 5 minutes long.
Loss of a Loved One: Observed nonverbal behaviours and emotion
I've been quiet on my blog for a while now because I lost my beautiful mother in May. I've wanted to share with you some observations during my experience of loss– of emotion and nonverbal expression– I'm finally ready to write about it. I'm not sharing my experience of loss as such, but what I want to do here is mention some behaviours that felt noteworthy, illustrating some of the nonverbal cues that I usually write about.
It was sudden and unexpected, so much so, that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. Living on the other side of the world, I hadn't seen my mum for over two years. I was 'greeted' at the airport by my sister, who reluctantly stepped forth from behind her partner, his body temporarily and unknowingly shielding her from what she had to do. They were waiting right at the very back of the crowd, distancing themselves from the reality of what she was about to disclose.
Lloyd Rayney: Guilty or innocent?
Last week a client asked me if I'd ever blogged about Lloyd Rayney, a prominent Perth Barrister, who in 2010 was charged with the murder of his wife (2007). He was found 'not guilty' in 2012. I'm not too familiar with the case as I didn't pay much attention to it at the time; back then I lived in the UK and later, on the other side of Australia, in Sydney. From what little I had heard, since moving to Perth a year ago, I assumed Lloyd Rayney was guilty. This was largely based on public consensus in Perth, though I don't directly recall any conversations about the case, so most likely I've been swayed by the media.
Why you felt awkward as Professor Kelly's children interrupted his BBC interview.
You probably felt awkward when you saw South Korea expert, Professor Kelly's reaction as he was interrupted by his children during his BBC interview. But do you know why you felt his discomfort? Find out which nonverbal behaviour repeated nine times, to make you feel his pain.
What happens in the body when we feel an emotion?
When we experience emotions we feel physical sensations within our body. Have you ever stopped in the moment of an emotion, to evaluate what you are feeling? And where that feeling is? In an emotion, our brain triggers physiological changes within our body. These changes alter our autonomic processes (processes we don't consciously control), such as heart rate, breathing, sweating and blink rate. In turn these physiological changes create physical feelings, or sensations, within our body. We associate these physical feelings with the emotion. Researchers at Aalto University have created visual bodily maps of emotions, based on self reported bodily sensations, experienced when an emotion was triggered. The results were gathered from 701 participants from around the world.
What the Media Missed in the Karen Ristevski Case: The nonverbal behaviour pointing to deception
I check the news every morning to see if there's anything interesting to write about. I'm usually looking for nonverbal cues that have specific meaning, usually those that contradict the spoken word and point towards deception. These cues are the most reliable and give us insight into the reality of the situation; the truth. My mission is to educate you. To give you so many examples of these cues that you start to notice them in the people around you. So that you are better able to understand the true feelings of others, which allows you to formulate a more appropriate response, ultimately improving your interactions and relationships.
One of the news topics I'm always on the lookout for, is the case of Karen Ristevski, who disappeared from her home in Melbourne, Australia, earlier this year. Today's news brought this case to the headlines once again, after little mention of it for several months. The reason I've been so interested in this case, is down to a single nonverbal cue, displayed by Borce Ristevski, Karen's husband, back in July. Ever since then, I've been waiting to hear the outcome of this case, because to me, it's glaringly obvious that Borce is hiding the truth. And it's all down to one single nonverbal cue.
Nonverbal Communication: The heart of emotional intelligence
Nonverbal communication plays a large part in emotional intelligence. The most obvious link is in understanding the true feelings of others, based on their nonverbal communication cues; a topic I write about a lot. If you can read these cues, you have the ability to understand their emotions and can therefore adapt and respond appropriately. The latter part of the equation (your response) being the most significant.
Less obvious is that understanding, and awareness, of nonverbal cues can also help you to understand yourself! When I notice myself doing certain cues (many are involuntary), I pause and re-evaluate my own emotions, or what I just said. For example if I notice myself doing a one-sided shoulder shrug, or nod, as I say, "I don't care what they think", I can then re-evaluate my thoughts and conclude that I'm kidding myself. Of course I care, why wouldn't I?
Catching and Emotion: Why are emotions contagious?
Are you affected by other people’s emotions? Watch a short video that explains one of the reasons why emotions are so contagious and why we love hanging out with happy people.