Kinesics

Body movement and gestures

(the study of body movements,
gestures, facial expressions, etc., as a
means of communication)
The study of relationship between
nonlinguistic body motion and
communication.

KINESICS
Its the academic study of body movement or
characteristics of physical appearance. Kinesics
is the interpretation of body language such as
facial expressions and gestures ie. non-verbal
behavior related to movement, either of any
part of the body or the body as a whole.
Gestures and body movements are unconscious
forms of expressions and therefore they have a
language of their own.

1.GESTURES
Gesture is deliberate movement/
signals of hands, arms, fingers
The meaning of a gesture depends on its
context

Gestures
Gestures may be
conflicting
Yawning while saying
you are not tired.
Looking involved but
saying, I dont care,

KINESICS 5 CATEGORIES:
(A) Emblems Stand alone & substitute
words/thoughts, gestures with specific cultural
meanings attached. Ex. Symbols- peace sign
(B) Illustrators-Augment verbal message/reinforce
words of speakers. Index or Icons. Ex. pointing at
something you're discussing
(C) Adapters- A response to a physical need or
unconscious gestures to relieve stress or boredom.
Ex. Scratch head when thinking , adjust glasses
(D) Regulators- Monitor, maintain, or control the
speaking of another individual Ex: nodding your
head, keep going, speed up
(E) Affect Displays- Movements of the face to convey
or show emotions(Frown Happy, sad)

Emblems
Emblems are used
intentionally.
They have verbal
equivalents
They have a clear,
consistent meaning
within a particular culture

Cross my heart
Shame on you
Peace sign
Im crazy

Illustrators
Illustrators are used
intentionally.
Illustrators are tied to
speech.
They reinforce or supplement
what is being said.

Illustrators are most

common in face-to-face
interaction
Illustrators are so habitual,
people use them when
talking on the phone

Examples of illustrators
Two palms held up signify I
dont know.
Wagging a finger while
making a point
Rolling ones eyes in
disbelief
Just a pinch
Hitting ones fist for
emphasis
A double head nod
Pointing when giving
directions
I caught a fish this big.
After you

Affect displays
Affect displays may or
may not be intentional
Affect displays convey
feeling and emotion
They are often
communicated via facial
expressions
They can be difficult to
interpret

Interpreting affect
displays:
Look at the face to
determine the emotion
Look at body cues to
determine the strength or
intensity of the emotion.

Regulators
Regulators are primarily
unintentional
They regulate turn-taking
behavior
Conversational give and
take depends on regulators

Types of turn-taking
Turn-requesting cues
Turn maintaining cues
Turn yielding cues
Turn denying cues

Regulators
Regulate the ebb and
flow of conversation

Adaptors
Adaptors are usually
unintentional.
Adaptors include selftouching behaviors
Adapters signal
nervousness,
anxiousness, boredom

Examples of adaptors

Fiddling with ones hair

Chewing ones fingernails
Tapping ones foot or leg
Biting ones lips
Scratching ones arm
Wringing ones hands
Clenching ones jaw

Adaptors-3 Types
1. Self-adaptors: satisfy a physical need
EX: scratching your head, pushing your hair out of
your face
2. Alter-adaptors: body movements you make in
response to your current interactions
EX: crossing your arms when someone unpleasant
approaches
3. Object-adaptors: manipulation of objects; often
happen when feeling hostile
EX: clicking pen, chewing pencil/Tapping a pencil,
Drumming ones fingers, Adjusting ones clothing,
Playing with jewelry

2. FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
Arrangement of Facial Muscle to communicate
emotions or reactions.
To interpret facial expressions correctly, it is
important to take the communication context
and culture into account.
People in some cultures rarely show emotion
(China); Asians will smile or laugh softly when
they are embarrassed.

Face Expression adds an emotion to

communication
Facial expression is a human universal (from
birth, except Fear that comes from 6mths
onwards) and therefore they are inherited
not learned (nature vs nurture)
The only other species are Primates
Facial expressions involve many muscles and
are involuntarily connected to how we really
feel (we cant fake it!)
A smile takes 17 muscles and a frown 47
muscles

3. Gaze/Eye Contact (Occulesics)

Eye contacts shrinking eyes, eye ball movement,
broadening of eyes etc.,
people in the U.S. favor direct eye contact, in other
cultures, such as the Japanese, the reverse is true; they
direct their gaze below the chin. In the Middle East, on
the other hand, the eye contact is more intense than U.S.
people are comfortable with.
A prolonged gaze or stare in the U.S. is considered rude.
In most cultures, men do not stare at women.

4.PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
1.Endomorphs- Round & Heavy(Stereotype:
Kind, gentle, Jovial)
2. Ectomorphs- Lean & have little
Muscle(stereotype: Brainy, Anxious, Cautious)
3.Mesomorphs- Muscular & Strong(stereotype:
Energetic, outgoing, confident)

5. POSTURE & GAIT

grow a spine
walking with a spring in
your step
stand up for yourself
stand up straight
hold your head high

Posture & Gait

In Western culture, an upright,
yet relaxed body posture, is
associated with confidence,
grow a spine
positivity, high self esteem
walking with a spring in
(Guerrero & Floyd, 2006).
your step
stand up for yourself
stand up straight
hold your head high
dont slouch.
stand still

Expressions related to
posture, gait

Posture & Gait

Power walk
Shuffling
Runway model walk
Sashay
Swagger
Arms swinging vs.
not swinging
Light in the loafers

Gait, posture and

victimization
A weak walking style sends
a cue of vulnerability to a
would-be mugger or
attacker. (Gunn,s Johnson,
& Hudson, 2002)
Confident walkers rank
near the bottom of
potential targets of
crime(Ivy & Wahl, 2009).

Posture and Body Movement

Nonverbal indicators of Liking
Forward lean
Body and head orientation facing
the other person
Open body positions
Affirmative head nods
Moderate gesturing and
animation
Close interpersonal distances
Moderate body relaxation
Touching
Initiating and maintaining eye
contact
Smiling
Mirroring (congruent posture)

Posture and Body Movement

Nonverbal indicators of
dislike
Indirect, oblique body
orientation
No eye contact, or eye
contact of short duration
Averted eyes
Unpleasant facial expressions
Relative absence of gestures
Body rigidity, bodily tension
Incongruent postures

Scheflens Dimensions of Posture

1.

2.

3.

inclusiveness/non-inclusiveness
The degree to which ones body
position includes or excludes someone
else.
Inclusiveness indicates liking, interest
in the other person.
face to face/parallel
The degree to which people face each
other, square on, versus at an angle or
side by side.
A square on position indicates mutual
involvement, some level of intimacy.
congruence/incongruence
The degree of mirroring, matching,
mimicry

Nonverbal Signals

Microsoft Photo

Vary from culture to culture

What does this symbol mean to you?

In the United States it is a
symbol for good job
In Germany the number
one
In Japan the number five
In Ghana an insult
In Malaysia the thumb is
used to point rather than a
finger
-Atlantic Committee for the Olympic Games

 Suspiciousness is indicated by glancing away or

touching your nose, eyes, or ears.
Defensiveness is indicated by crossing your arms
over your chest, making fisted gestures, or crossing
your legs.
Lack of interest or boredom is indicated by
glancing repeatedly at your watch or staring at the
ceiling or floor or out the window when the person
is speaking.

Axtell, Gestures

30

Additional Guidelines for Gesturing

in Various Cultures
The V for victory gesture, holding two fingers
upright, with palm and fingers faced outward,
is widely used in the U.S. and many other
countries. In England, however, it is a crude
connotation when used with the palm in.

Axtell, Gestures

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