RAGHU ENGINEERING COLLEGE (Approved by AICTE, New Delhi and Affiliated to JNTU, Kakinada)

DAKAMARRI (Visakhapatnam Dt.)

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project work entitled “BODY LANGUAGE” is the bonafide work of RAMANUJA.SVL(582), M.CHAITANYA(583), R.DHANUNJAI(584), R.POOJA(585), SAI AKHILESH.G(586), S.VINDHYA(587), VENKATA RAMANA(588) of B.Tech 1st year department COMPUTER SCIENCE ENGINEERING During the academic year 2013-14.

Project Guide

Prof. M.Bhanu Kumari

Dept.of H&S

Raghu Engineering College

Visakhapatnam

BATCH DETAILS

Team Leader

Ramanuja S.V.L. :- 13981A0582 Members R.Chaitanya :- 13981A058 R.Dhanunjai :- 13981A0584 R.Pooja :- 13981A0585 Sai Akhilesh.G :- 13981A0586 S.Vindhya :- 13981A0587 S.Venkata Ramana:- 13981A0588

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I convey my sincere thanks to our project guide Professor. Mrs.K.Bhanu Kumari Department of H&S, Raghu Engineering College, Visakhapatnam for her guidance and valuable suggestions given to us throughout the project work “BODY LANGUAGE”.

I would like to thank all my friends and my parents for their support and encouragement throughout the project work.

TOPIC PAGE NO.

Body Language as a language

Definition 1 Introduction 2 Types of body language 3

The Vocabulary of body language

Positive body language 4 Negative body language 6

Role of Eyes in body language

Introduction 8 How the eyes communicate 9 Eye Contact 9

Face the human art object

Facial Expressions 11 Smile- Universal Welcome 12

Aspects of body language

Gesture 14 Body movements 16 Posture 18

Appearance & Clothing 20

Conclusion 22

Bibliography 23

Body Language as a Language Definition

Body language refers to various forms of NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION, wherein a

person may reveal clues as to some unspoken intention or feeling through their physical behavior. These behaviors can include POSTURE, GESTURES, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, and EYE MOVEMENTS. Body language also varies depending on the culture. There are a

set of universally recognized gestures but many are influenced by our social settings.

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Body language is typically subconscious behaviour, and is therefore considered

distinct from sign language, which is a fully conscious and intentional act of

communication.

Body language may provide clues as to the attitude or state of mind of a person. For

example, it may indicate aggression, attentiveness, boredom, a relaxed

state, pleasure, amusement, and intoxication.

Introduction

Each person's body language is a bit different. Keep in mind that certain body language signals might mean something to one person; and they might mean something entirely different to someone else. And body language differs culturally, which adds to the soup.

Body language is the reason why selling face-to-face has a huge advantage over selling by phone Body language can tell a lot about how you feel and what you are thinking. Body language is also a way of communication. There are estimates saying that 90 percent of all information given to others is communicated through body language.

Our body language will give others an impression of ourselves or show our emotions. Body language can tell a lot about how you feel and what you are thinking. Body language is also a way of communication.

“If actions speak louder than words, then body language is shouting”.

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According to Albert Mehrabian(1971),one of the foremost experts in non-verbal communication ,the visual depicts the non-verbal behaviour while speaking. Mehrabian noted that if the message was inconsistent the impact would be as follows:

VERBAL --- 7% [WWOORRDDSS]

VVOOCCAALL --- 38% [TTOONNEE OOFF VVOOIICCEE,, IINNFFLLEECCTTIIOONN]

VVIISSUUAALL --- 55% [NNOONN--VVEERRBBAALL PPHHYYSSIICCAALL BBEEHHAAVVIIOOUURR]

The visual is the most controllable yet and yet perhaps the most unconscious element of message from sender to receiver. If the message is consistent then all three elements combine effectively. If there is excitement and enthusiasm in the voice, correlated with an energetic, lively face and body that exudes confidence and conviction of the message.

Types of Body Language

VOLUNTARY BODY LANGUAGE:- This is less commonly discussed because it seems unproblematic: it refers to movement, gestures and poses intentionally made by the person (smiling, imitating actions) and generally making movements with full or partial intention of making them and a realization of what they communicate.

INVOLUNTARY BODY LANGUAGE:-

Facial expressions are often a form of involuntary body language and a means of one to read the expression –and so expressions of another.

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The Vocabulary Of Body Language Body language, unlike spoken language, is inexact; so you have to be careful about

how

you interpret it. A certain movement or facial expression may be quite meaningful, or

it

may mean nothing at all. As a starting point, the following sections provide you with

some common body language terms and their generally-accepted meanings. POSITIVE BODY LANGUAGE:- Positive body language is generally quite reliable as an indicator of a person's

feelings.

It signals interest in the other person and in the

conversation.

Relaxed posture: - Comfortably seated, relaxed

Breathing, no visible stiffness or abrupt movements.

These indicate no major barriers to communication.

Arms relaxed - Uncrossed arms and hands open

(Palms up or otherwise visible to the

Other person) are signs of openness.

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Good eye contact - Looking in the other person's Eyes,

Particularly when they are speaking, indicates interest in that

person. Proper eye contact involves Looking away occasionally to

avoid staring.

Taking notes - Shows interest and involvement,

Particularly if notes are on what the

other person is saying.

Smiling/adding humor - This is a very positive sign.

It signals a warm personal relationship.

Leaning closer - Reducing the distance between two

people, particularly when the other person is speaking.

Indicates interest is up and barriers are down.

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Gesturing warmly - Talking with hands, particularly

with palms open, indicates involvement in the

conversation and openness to the other person. For all

of these positive gestures, moderation is the rule.

When they are exaggerated, they can become more

negative than positive.

NEGATIVE BODY LANGUAGE:-

Negative body language is somewhat less reliable as an indicator of the person's

comfort with the current conversation than positive body language. Actions that are

generally considered negative may just be a matter of comfort for this person, may

indicate that the person is tired, or may result from other matters that are weighing

on this person's mind.

Body tense - Stiffness, wrinkled brow, jerky body motion,

hands clasped in front or palms down on the table. These

can indicate concern with the topic or dealing with the

other person.

Arms folded in front - Creates a barrier; can express

Resistance to what is being said.

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Hand on face - A hand over one's mouth is a closed

gesture. Leaning on one's elbow with the chin in the

hand can communicate boredom.

Fidgeting - Moving around a lot, playing with things

and drumming fingers are usually a sign of boredom,

nervousness or impatience.

Yawning - Boredom, confusion. The other person is talking

too much or in too much technical detail.

Impatience - Trying to interrupt what the other person is saying,

opening one's mouth frequently as if to speak.

Distraction - Eyes flicking about, blank stares, flipping through literature without

really reading it, looking at others in the office, looking at the person's body or

clothing.

Leaning away - Avoiding moving closer, even when something is handed to the

person, is strongly negative.

Negative facial expressions - These include shaking head, eyes narrowed,

scowling and frowning.

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ROLE OF EYES IN BODY LANGUAGE:- The eyes are a part of the face but on account of their critical role in non-verbal communication they merit special treatment. According to a renowned person Emerson the eyes converse as much as their tongues, the ocular dialect needs no dictionary but is understood the world over.

Description of eye’s in Whiteside’s words:-

“The Windows of your soul……

And the mirrors of your heart…..

And the gauges showing fleeting feelings and changes”

Careful observation of a person’s eyes we can deduce his CHARACTER and

ATTITUDE. The eyes can convey messages of intended as well as unintended ones.

The eyes can even Signal:-

Intimacy

Need for approval

A plea for mercy

Attempts to fake

A person’s true mood

State of health

Personality

One who maintains direct eye contact with another displays CONFIDENCE and

HONESTY.

Avoiding eye contact by looking away displays DISHONESTY.

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How The Eyes Communicate…..

Analyzing the mass of the data on the eyes there are three ways in which the eyes are used to communicate:-

Dominance v/s Submission

Involvement v/s Detachment &

Positive v/s Negative Attitude

The study of the eyes will include different aspects of ‘Gaze’ – Pupil Expansion,

looking while listening, Looking while Talking, Mutual Gaze, Length of Gaze, and

Amount of eye opening and so on.

Eye Contact:-

In brief Eye Contact

Conveys a large variety of non-verbal messages to our verbal communication.

Establishes our relationship with the other person.

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Helps us keep our mind on the message.

Involves us in the emotional and the factual content of what we are saying.

Encourages the other to continue interacting with us.

Reflects our self-confidence.

It reveals other personality Traits.

Moreover eyes express the numerous emotional elements like Anger, Curiosity,

Disappointment, Joy, Love, Pride, Respect, Sadness, Satisfaction, Shock,

Strength, Surprise and Warmth.

In course of eye contact we need to take the following measures:-

If you have trouble looking someone in the eye, simply focus at something on

his or her face.

When Speaking to a group, look at everyone.

Look at key decision-makers or those who hold power.

Look at reactive listeners.

Don’t look at the floor, scripts, or anything that causes you to tilt your head

away from the receiver.

Don’t look at bad listeners who may distract you.

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“FACE”-THE HUMAN ART OBJECT:-

Facial Expressions:- The Face is the most significant --- and the most photographed---part of the human body. Face defines a person’s identity. The face 'evolves' with the growth of a person from infancy, through adolescence, middle age, and old age. The face has been

called 'THE ORGAN OF EMOTION' because it provides vital clues by reacting in fractions of a second, often unconsciously, revealing attitudes, moods, opinions a person would rather keep under wraps. It has been said that:

“Emotionally, the face is mightier than the word”

The face is also the most expressive part of the body. In our daily interaction with people it is the face that first draws our attention, since it is directly observable.

In our life our facial signals are all too fleeting; they appear and disappear, in a fifth of a second. The flashes of facial signals are generally spontaneous reactions which a person finds difficult to hide. It is for this very reason that they are so quick and instinctive, that they reflect one's true feelings, which may or may not match with what a person is saying.

Different kinds of Facial Expressions we go across:-

There are number of specific features, connected with our facial expressions which are evidenced in our face while we communicate for instance, we FORROW our forehead when we are concerned, angry; RAISE our eyebrows to express astonishment; FLARE our nostrils while interacting with someone with whom we are very upset.

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Facial expressions are a vital part of non-verbal communication. They serve as ' and necessary cues to those we communicate with. We often favor the company of people who enthusiastic and lively in their expressions and movements. One reason for this may be that persons who are lively keep men. Easily bored or inattentive; their body language and non-verbal communication adds visual appeal to the communication process.

Facial expressions which reveal different messages:-

Indicate our respect for others.

Reflect our interest in someone or something.

Show our curiosity in multifarious subjects.

Indicate our enthusiasm for life.

Transmit our positive attitude about people and things.

Convey our ambition as professionals.

Express our compassion for co-workers, family and friends.

Reveal the kind of personality we possess.

Communicate our ability to respond emotionally.

Smile:-

We must also take special care to create a smiling face. The smile has nothing mysterious about it, but it does have an effect. It is physically caused by muscles, which can be exercised.

The best way to practice smiling is not by moving your lips into a smile but by raising your cheekbones. Put muscle into your smile. Remember, a true smile must come from within; a false one does not work. When we practice and exercise the 'smile muscle', we are like an athlete who practices and trains his muscles so that they can be readily used in, response to the impetus of a real situation.

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Categories of smile:-

Simple smile: - This is when the teeth are not exposed. We generally wear the simple smile when we are watching something interesting or pleasant but are not physically involved in the action. We smile to ourselves.

Upper smile: -This smile exposes the upper set of teeth. It is a friendly smile, usually when we greet someone. It is accompanied by eye contact.

Broad smile: - This smile exposes both sets of teeth, and is usually accompanied by laughter, often without eye contact.

Characteristics of a Smile

A smile costs nothing, but gives much. It enriches those Who receive, without making poorer those who give.

A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in business, countersign of friendship,

It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the s nature's best antidote for trouble.

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Gesture A gesture is the verbal or non-verbal body movement used to express or

emphasize an idea, an EMOTION, or a STATE OF MIND.

Gesture is defined as

“Visible bodily action by which meaning is represented”.

This includes manual gestures, movements of the whole body (shoulder shrug), head movements (nodding) and facial expressions (smiling), postures (spatial distance), and 'clothing cues' (neckwear). Gesticulation is a form of non-verbal communication. Gestures convey messages. They are voluntary—often even involuntary—movements we make with the fingers, hands, arms, legs, head, indeed every part of the body—with the intention to communicate. They usually serve one of the following purposes.

They can be used to emphasize, clarify, or amplify a verbal message, such as when we point to a chair while offering someone a seat. They can regulate and control human interaction, such as a nod of agreement while someone is speaking.

They can also display effect or emotion, like making a fist with one hand and hammering the open palm of the other to prove insistence.

The sign 'V' with 2 fingers can mean victory, peace, the number 2 or "up yours" in Britain: -

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Gestures are often used in conjunction with verbal messages. They are simultaneous with the words they illustrate, or come slightly before them. Gesture clusters refer to 'the myriads of attitudes expressed by not one gesture but a series of related ones . . . called gesture-clusters'.

Gesture clusters, which are groups of non-verbal communication, are related to different attitudes. We have a cluster when a person talks with his fists clenched, shakes his index finger, and is blushing either due to heat or anger. Each gesture is like a word in a language. To understand any language we need to structure the words into units or sentences to obtain their complete meaning; for, taken by itself, a word has several meanings. If we isolate the various gestures in a cluster, we will not find it easy to understand the attitude expressed. Likewise, if we jump to conclusions on our interpretation of an isolated gesture, we could find ourselves making a mistake, because it is very important to understand the 'congruence' of gestures, that is, the harmony of gestures, with one another. We should look for attitudinal gestures that are so similar that they not only endorse one another but serve to make a cluster as well. Gestures cannot be separated from their `context' either.

Evil genius - Hitler taught himself to appear more charismatic in public speaking by practicing his speeches and using powerful gestures in front of the mirror.

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Body Movements We can distinguish four main kinds of gesticulations or body movements: emblem, illustrator, regulator and self-touching. Emblems are non-verbal acts that have direct verbal translation and can substitute for words the meanings of which are well understood by a particular group, class or culture. They originate in learning, most of which is culture specific, and may be shown in any area of the body. Examples of emblems are thumbs-up (or -down), the hitch-hike sign, the head nod, beckoning, pointing, waving to a friend in the distance, and certain rude gestures like the upward ex-tended index (or middle) finger.

Emblems are not used much in conversation. There are a number of reasons for using emblems: they can be faster than speech; they are silent (and can therefore be used for private comments); they have more impact than words; and they can be received at a greater distance.

Illustrators are non-verbal movements, mainly of the hands, that are directly related to speech; they serve to illustrate what is verbalized; for example, pointing to oneself, making a shape with the hands (like describing a spiral staircase), Defining objects, movements, and relationships, pointing, and as 'batons' to mark new points,

They are more closely linked to speech than emblems, and serve to clarify that being said.

They add considerably to the amount of information conveyed by speech, especially about shapes, physical objects, and spatial relationships. Illustrators are a supplement rather than a substitute for speech.

They are socially learned, usually through imitation by a child or a person of someone he wishes to emulate.

There are subtle indicators termed 'regulators' which are non-verbal acts that serve to regulate the flow of conversation between people. Regulators are non-verbal cues that monitor or control the speaking of another individual. When speaking, one nods one's head to show understanding or agreement, or when listening, one looks away or yawns to indicate that one is bored with the speaker. A frown shows that one either disbelieves or cannot comprehend what the speaker is saying.

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Regulators are often culture specific. Examples of regulators are the head nod, eye contact, and shift in body position. Because they are subtle they often tend to lead to miss communication and inappropriate responses among people of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Self-touching is a body-focused movement. Touching the face can indicate shame or other negative attitudes about oneself.

Self-touching is associated with hostility and suspicion. It occurs more often under certain conditions, for instance, during informal and formal interviews, when in subordinate roles (like being inter-viewed), and in interaction with the opposite sex. Some typical self-touching gestures are the hand-to-nose (fear) gesture, fingers on the lips (shame), and making a fist (anger).

Other gestures include covering the eyes, ears or mouth; movements connected with eating and excretion, grooming, and picking the nose, ears or teeth. These gestures are mainly used in private or in intimate relationships and are inhibited in public, where the people present usually ignore them. Fidgeting is an activity that often involves self-touching.

Body movements form a language but, viewed in isolation, they can be difficult or even to understand; they take on real significance only when considered alongside the other elements of the interaction process.

Body movements include the head, eyes, eyebrows, lips, neck, shoulders, arms, fingers and so on.

Body movements form a language, no doubt, but individual gestures movements, taken exclusively, are like a letter of the alphabet, or incomplete words; that is, they are meaningless in themselves.

For instance, some have `natural' smiles, while some others have the habit of leaning on their hands; all the time, or keeping their legs (and arms) constantly crossed. 'What is meaningful however a transition from one body position to another is'. If a person spends most of the time during a meeting leaning forward, for instance, it may be considered merely as a position of comfort. But if the same person keeps leaning back and moving forward during the session, he is communicating non-verbally. If a person is sitting perfectly still and suddenly starts twitching or moving his eyes, that is a transition. Even a change in the rate of breathing can be regarded as a transition.

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POSTURE How we hold our bodies can also serve as an important part of body language. The term posture refers to how we hold our bodies as well as overall physical form of an individual. Posture can convey a wealth of information about how a person is feeling as well as hints about personality characteristics, such as whether a person is confident, open, or submissive.

When we are trying to read body language, we notice some of the signals that a person's posture can send.

Sitting up straight, for example, may indicate that a person is focused and paying attention to what's going on. Sitting with the body hunched forward, on the other hand, can imply that the person is bored or indifferent.

OPEN POSTURE indicates friendliness, openness, and willingness, on the other hand CLOSED POSTURE is the indicator of hostility, unfriendliness, and anxiety.

“On the way we stand and hold ourselves is - our posture”.

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In order to maintain a good posture one needs to take care of his upper body and how he “Stand’s Tall”

Stand Tall

Head held high in neutral position with the ears in line with the shoulder line.

The shoulders are resting down.

Open your chest and breath deep into your abdomen. Your chest should be open, but not puffed up. Imagine as if you're a marionette and there's a string pulling your chest up from the center.

It's best to have both of your feet firmly on the ground, distributing the weight evenly between both heels.

It's important not to overextend the curve of your back or to tense it so you can barely move.

Some common postures we go across:

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Appearance & Clothing

Appearance Reflection World

“Appearance alone doesn't make the speaker”

But it does determine the image the audience forms of you and may influence the

effectiveness of your presentation. Dress the way you would like the audience to

perceive you. Follow some basic rules: Be neat. Iron your clothes. Shine your

shoes. Clean and trim your fingernails. Check your makeup. Brush your teeth.

You get the idea.

Be aware that your clothes can project a high authority image, a neutral image,

or a low authority image. Remember to dress for the audience and not for

yourself. This means taking into account the demographics of the audience —

age, level, education, industry — as well as their cultural expectations. A key

guideline is to never dress less formally than your audience. Get to know the

styles, cuts, and colors which flatter your height, weight, and body type. If

necessary, seek the guidance of an image consultant to help you assemble an

appropriate wardrobe and present a more professional image. While it is true that

inner qualities are important, poor first impressions are difficult to erase. When

presenting to international audiences, take cultural differences into account.

Nevertheless, stay true to who you are.

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For men, appropriate dress means that it is better to

wear a suit and tie. That way, if the audience is dressed

casually you can always take off your jacket, or later,

even your tie. However, you cannot put on an item of

clothing that you do not have! A dark blue suit works

with almost all shades of skin color. A white, or lightly

striped shirt is a good, formal choice. Shirts with

checkered designs come across as more casual.

Similarly, women should select classic business-style

clothing and avoid dressing in ways that draw attention

away from the message of their presentation. In

particular they should stay away from excessive jewelry,

short skids, low necklines or or anything which

compromises their professionalism.

Both men and women should avoid looking too faddish. In a corporate context,

you want to appear reliable and steady, not like someone who changes with the

wind. On the other hand, with a younger audience or in a college or university

setting, you may be able to get away with more fashionable styles that make you

look "cool".

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Conclusion Body language is universal. Everyone has body language; one is born with it. It is expressed differently from culture to culture, but the innate use of it is common to all humans on the planet. This form of nonverbal communication is of paramount importance because it is the most pure of all human expressions. One must have awareness and be knowledgeable in understanding body language to successfully maneuver in today’s complex digital society. In this era of so many forms of non-personal communication for example the wide spread use of like texting on cell phones, the human interaction is severely diminished. One spends an estimated ninety percent of verbal communication texting, instead of standing face to face talking. With all of this actual human contact eliminated the importance of nonverbal communication and of understanding it is greatly increased.

Communication between cultures can be difficult and confusing because of complexities in language; however, with the use of body language, messages become clearer and easily translated because most body language is universal. Facial expressions are a primary example of the globalization of non verbal communication, because humans primitively and inherently react to varying facial expressions. A smile in any language or corner of the world means happiness and is welcomed, while a frown in any context is more omniscient and troubling to an observer. Body posture also claims universal meaning; a tall posture with shoulders tilted back exudes confidence while slumped shoulders do not. Personal interactions between separate nations and cultures can become extremely frustrating; however, if the signs of body language are utilized, understandings can be reached without extensive study of any language other than the instinct we as humans are born with. The cultures of the world may contrast greatly, but it is the human form and primitive body language which connects the globe.

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BiBliography Internet sources:-

www.google.co.in --- Google

www.study-body-language.com --- Study body language

www.wikipedia.org --- Wikipedia

Book Sources:-

Body Language (a guide for professionals) by --- HEDWIG LEWIS

Strengthen your communication skills by --- Dr. M. Hari Prasad

Dr. Salivendra J. Raju

Dr. G. Suvarna Lakshmi

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