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.

The Signal, ABC Radio News: Joe Biden's creepy behaviour

Reports from women about Joe Biden’s behaviour, have included his nuzzling into and sniffing their hair, getting intimately close and kissing on the face, lips, or head. Listen to me chat to the team from ABC Radio’s The Signal about differences in behaviours across generations, Biden’s inappropriate behaviours and sense of personal boundaries and what my advice to him would be.

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Gable Tostee Reveals what he was carrying after Warriena Wright fell fourteen storeys to her death

After receiving almost fifty emails regarding my analysis of Gable Tostee, I’ve completed a follow-up analysis, in which, I uncover new evidence answering the question, What was Gable Tostee carrying in his hand after Warriena Wright fell to her death from his fourteenth storey apartment?

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ABC Radio Perth: Bernard Tomic body language and true emotion revealed

When I was asked by ABC Radio Perth to look at Bernard Tomic’s nonverbal behaviour, I surprised to see a series of flirtatious winks, backed up by his verbal message. It was on closer inspection I discovered some other interesting and telling behaviours, which revealed the bigger picture. In this post, I shed light on Tomic’s true emotion.

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Gable Tostee Reveals his Guilt in Warriena Wright's Death

A recent request to analyse Gable Tostee’s behaviour and statements from a 60 Minutes interview with Liam Bartlett, led me through an emotional journey of surprise, contempt, sadness, disgust and anger–almost all of the universal expressions of emotion. How could this case have ended up with an acquittal?

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NW Magazine: The British Fashion Awards, reading the Beckham’s body language

Reading the body language of the Beckhams at The British Fashion Awards for Australian celebrity gossip magazine–NW Magazine: Are the rumours true–is their relationship on the rocks? Find out whether the emotional connection between them is missing, and whether that reflects their life and relationship?

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Oxytocin, Nonverbal Behaviours, Self Improvement Sophie Zadeh Oxytocin, Nonverbal Behaviours, Self Improvement Sophie Zadeh

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.

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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.

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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.

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Expressions, Emotion, Self Improvement Sophie Zadeh Expressions, Emotion, Self Improvement Sophie Zadeh

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.

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Expressions, Emotion, Self Improvement Sophie Zadeh Expressions, Emotion, Self Improvement Sophie Zadeh

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...

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TED, Expressions, Emotion Sophie Zadeh TED, Expressions, Emotion Sophie Zadeh

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. 

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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.

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