It seems to many that they understand non-verbal signals well the interlocutor. But from the eyes of the most careful observer, to slip away the fact that in reality these signals are extremely contradictory. 
Photos from open sources When last year Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes announced a divorce, reporters rushed to assure a friend friend, what was to be expected. “Just look at the language bodies! “- shouted headlines under which pictures with a frowning Holmes holding Cruz at arm’s length. A when Barack Obama lost the first election last year debate with Mitt Romney, some commentators pointed to the president on his “languid” gestures, the habit of dropping his eyes and pursing his lips. Like, this testified to apathy and unpreparedness Obama: Popular Culture Gains Extensive Interpretation Experience similar signs. Firstly, it’s useful, because we’re not interested in what the interlocutor looks like and what he really has in mind. Secondly, the better I see hidden connections (more precisely, the stronger I I convince myself of this), the higher my conceit. Is this so? Does body language really exist? And if so, is it possible with his help manipulate people? 
Photo from open sources Hope, humility … (Photo by Flavio Ewerton.) You can answer these questions with the frequently mentioned statistics: 93% of our communication occurs non-verbally, whereas in words, we transmit only 7% of the information. These numbers are the first time published in the late 1960s the american psychologist armenian Origin Albert Mehrabyan. He drew attention to the fact that with voice and facial expression of emotions that do not match words (say, for example, “my fish” with irritation and sticking out lower jaw), people tend to believe more in non-verbal signs. After conducting a series of experiments, the scientist concluded that 38% transmitted information accounts for intonation, and 55% – for other non-verbal signals. The next four-plus decades, Mr. Mehrabyan struggling at the University of California at Los Angeles, spent on explaining to everyone and everyone that do not take these numbers with religious zeal. They are applicable only for special circumstances – for example, when someone tells about what he likes and dislikes. And if the interlocutor he’s not talking about his feelings, not about his attitude to something, etc., these calculations are useless. And then – if really in any We are able to understand the situation 93% of what was said without words, why learn a foreign language? And why are people still successfully cheating each other? Speaking of lies. We are convinced that liar is always gives itself away, you just need to learn to read his gestures. It’s believed that, telling a lie, a person averts his eyes (in Anglo-Saxon culture the notion that the liar is looking to the right) has been confirmed moves, squeezes his hands, scratches his nose … The first of these superstitions in last year exposed Richard Wiseman their Hertfordshire University (UK) and colleagues. They did not find any correlations neither in laboratory experiments, nor studying police press conferences on finding missing people where help is sometimes people ask, in reality they themselves had a hand in the disappearance of man. It turned out that liars do not look right more than left. As for the other signs, meta-analysis is more than 100 studies have shown that the only feature really occurring among liars more often than others – this is dilated pupils and certain types of restless behavior: they tend to twirl in the hands of any random object, scratch (but do not rub!) face and play with hair. The best way to expose liars, scientists say, is not to follow his body, but to listen, what and how he says. Their voice gets a tone higher, they don’t go into details, often resort to phrases with denial, have the habit of repeating words. In general, researchers conclude, subjective opinion (scent, intuition) is more effective in such moments than trying to resort to scientific methods. The most interesting lies in the fact that people who tell the truth also sometimes demonstrate exactly the same body language. For example, interlocutor fidgets uneasily in an armchair and avoids a direct look because of the general emotional discomfort that is not necessarily caused the need to lie. And in conditions when you are interrogated with addiction, anyone can feel uncomfortable. Probably, therefore, we never learned how to easily see a lie. American psychologist Paul Ekman showed that most people deal with this task is no better than a blind case. And the judges, the cops, forensic experts and special agents are marginally better. A sad situation is observed in the interpretation of other movements. For example, most people think that arms crossed constitute a protective gesture or give out rejection of the interlocutor and his opinions. “But you have to look at what position there is a torso. So, if it is unnaturally straightened and even a little tilted back, it means that the person is simply demonstrating your invulnerability to you, ”says David McNeill of Chicago University (USA). In addition, he can cross his arms, just because he is cold or because he has no pockets. McNeill is not at all sure that hand movements have a lot value. In today’s popular trainings they teach that the connection the fingertips in front of you gives you authority, and open a hand signals your honesty. Perhaps, says Mr. McNeill, these and other gestures are really perceived in the environment “managers”, but their significance is much wider. In other words, the language body arbitrary. An open hand can be “read” not only as a sign that the interlocutor can be trusted, but also as a recognition of gravity shouldered load. In the absence of context and without words, any a gesture can mean anything. And yet there are such movements, who seem to understand almost everything. For example, at the Olympic and 2008 Paralympic Games Athletes representing a variety of cultures, in a sign of victory they showed the fingers of the letter “V”, lifting the chin. Curiously, even this gesture was used. athletes blind from birth. Probably a proudly upturned head – the action is innate, but not acquired as a result of observation of surrounding. When defeated, everyone also behaves the same way – stoop and look at the ground. Indeed, the position of the body is more accurate indicates victory and defeat than facial expression. Hillel Aviezer from Princeton University (USA) and his colleagues in the past told the following year: the faces of professional tennis players, when they take or give away an important point, they look so the same that viewers are very difficult to guess what is happening. But if you close face, everything becomes clear from body language. Other studies say that much can be understood by gait. Women’s walk and female dance seem more attractive to men when the body of a beautiful person resides in that part of the menstrual cycle, which contributes to conception. Probably the female body itself signals the male about readiness for intercourse, even if the woman this does not even think. Moreover, women and heterosexual men prefer dancing strong men. Probably thereby women take note of a potential sexual partner, and men are a likely rival. But here, damn it, not everything smooth. Karl Grammer from the University of Vienna (Austria) found confirmation of the widespread belief that a woman demonstrates interest in a man, touching his hair, shaking off clothes, nodding their head and looking directly into the eyes. But at the same time he found out that a woman behaves in a similar way in the first minutes meeting with any man whether she liked him or not. Therefore the data gestures speak of flirting only if the woman does not abandoned them after the first four minutes or so Togo. Mr. Grammer believes that the lady uses this trick to keep a man’s attention on her person until she decides whether to flirt with him seriously. The situation is even greater complicates John Thoresen of Durham University (UK), who recorded on video how different people walk, and then brought image on diffused light displays to remove all context and leave only the movement of the limbs. Almost everyone the viewer considered the gait of a smug person a sign an adventurous extrovert with a pretty character who trustworthy. A slow, free, relaxed gait was called belonging to a calm, unperturbed person. When the researcher compared these calculations with the characters of people, really possessing these walks, he did not find any correlations. 
Photo from open sources Once in a different world, a young earthling from computer game Another World demonstrates to a native that he came with good intentions. But even on our planet it can mean anything. It turns out body language is nothing really He doesn’t tell anything useful about anyone. There are just people who mistakenly believe that they can look into your body language soul. Is it possible to manipulate such people? Mr. Thoresen believes that faking a walk is easy. “I have no data capable of confirm this idea, but I’m sure that a person can to train so that he inspires confidence, “says the scientist. Indeed, let’s recall the corporate culture. That’s where clear body language adopted. At a job interview you should sit straight, look in the eyes, smile and sympathetically nod your head as a sign that you understand perfectly and approve of. If your facial expression does not change, if you are with look away at the walls and ceiling if your head remains motionless, you most likely will not be hired. Just don’t go too far with these tricks – the man who smiles too broadly, violently reacts to any word and does not take his eyes off interviewer, looks somewhat intimidating. Psychologist Dana Carney from University of California at Berkeley (USA) goes even further and suggests that by changing the language of our body we will help ourselves change internally. She and her colleagues asked volunteers to two minutes to take the pose of a powerful person or some akakiy Akakievich. In the first case, the experimenter straightened his shoulders, lifted his legs on the table, laid his hands behind his head or stood with legs and arms wide apart on hips. In the second – compressed, trying to take up less space. Then to volunteers a gamble was offered with absolutely equal chances of winning, and scientists meanwhile took samples of saliva for testosterone concentration and cortisol (hormones of “strength” and stress, respectively). So, the former were more often included in the game (86% versus 60% of the latter), and they 20% increased testosterone content and 25% decreased level cortisol, while the second was the opposite: 10% fell testosterone, 15% increased cortisol. It is obvious that taken our poses affect not only our emotional, but also physiological condition. Increased Testosterone Associated with Better pain tolerance, that is, we really become stronger. Ms. Carney also points to the results of other studies: a straight back leads to positive emotions, and a stoop to bad mood; a smile through strength makes you happier, and a gloomy mine leads to the opposite effect. They say Botox because of which it is difficult to make an unhappy face, and really improves mood. So judge others with great care. Think better about yourself. As one popular song says: “Not stand pillar, accept at least some position. “Prepared based on NewScientist.
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