Todosia Madalina

”Spiru Haret” National College of Computer Science
Teacher: Rotaru Daniela Student: Todosia Maria-Magdalena
Table of Contents
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1. Introduction- How Body Language Reveals Emotions and Thoughts

 Why Women are More ” Perceptive”
 Inborn, Genetic or Learned Culturally?
 Some Basic Origins
 Why Kids Are Easier to Read
2. Eye Body Language
a. The Dilating Pupils
b. The ”Looking Up” Cluster
c. Looking Down
d. Looking Sideways
e. Lateral Movement
f. Gazing
g. Eye Contact
3. Lips Body Language
a. The Smile
b. Laughing Till You Cry
c. Pouting
d. Licking the lips
e. Gaping mouth
4. Hands Body Language – The Power Is In Your Hands
a. Touch
b. Palms Up
c. Palms Down
d. Hands behind the back
e. Arms Akimbo
f. Shoulder Shrug
g. How to Detect Openness
h. Palm Power
5. Legs Body Language
a. At Attention
b. Legs Apart
c. The Foot-Forward
d. Leg Cross
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e. The European Leg Cross

f. The American Figure Four
g. Figure Four Leg Clamp
h. Type of Walk
6. Body Language Tips for Your Next Job Interview
7. Other body activities
a. Yawn
b. Sneez
c. Goosebumps
d. Wrinkled skin
e. Hiccup
8. Conclusion
9. Bibliography
1.Introduction
How Body Language Reveals Emotions and Thoughts
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I chose this topic because I want to show you , how our body communicate and how
many things our body express. I consider that everybody should know , how easily we can
show interest or disinterest in a discussion or how our body behaves in some situations. In the
next slides , I will present you some situation when our body talks.
Body language sometimes is an easier way of expressing feelings than spoken
language. Body language is used in our everyday conversation, yet many people do not even
realize what they are really „saying” about themselves. People may give their true feelings
away by not being aware of their own body language. Research has shown that people more
readily pay attention to their impressions of how a person acts through body language than
what is being said through words. Three easily detected actions that reveal a persons feelings
are head nodding, leg shaking, and eye contact.
Body language is an outward reflection of a person's emotional condition. Each
gesture or movement can be a valuable key to an emotion a person may be feeling at the time.
For example, a man who is self-conscious about gaining weight may tug at the fold of skin
under his chin; the woman who is aware of extra pounds on her thighs may smooth her dress
down; the person who is feeling fearful or defensive might fold their arms or cross their legs
or both; and a man talking with a large-breasted woman may consciously avoid staring at her
breasts while, at the same time, unconsciously use groping gestures with his hands.
The key to reading body language is being able to understand a person's emotional
condition while listening to what they are saying and noting the circumstances under which
they are saying it. This allows you to separate fact from fiction and reality from fantasy. In
recent times, we humans have had an obsession with the spoken word and our ability to be
conversationalists. Most people, however, are remarkably unaware of body language signals
and their impact, despite the fact that we now know that most of the messages in any face-to-
face conversation are revealed through body signals.
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Why Women are More ” Perceptive”
We say someone is ”perceptive” or ”intuitive” about people, we are unknowingly

referring to their ability to read another person's body language and to compare these cues
with verbal signals. In other words, when we say that we have a ”hunch” or ”gut feeling” that
someone has told us a lie, we usually mean that their body language and their spoken words
don't agree. This is also what speakers call audience awareness, or relating to a group. For
example, if an audience were sitting back in their seats with their chins down and arms
crossed on their chest, a ”perceptive” speaker would get a hunch or feeling that his delivery
was not going across well. He would realise that he needed to take a different approach to
gain audience involvement. Likewise, a speaker who was not ”perceptive” would blunder on
regardless.
”Being 'perceptive' means being able to spot the contradictions between someone's words and
their body language.”
Overall, women are far more perceptive than men, and this has given rise to what is
commonly referred to as ”women's intuition”. Women have an innate ability to pick up and
decipher non-verbal signals, as well as having an accurate eye for small details. This is why
few husbands can lie to their wives and get away with it and why, conversely, most women
can pull the wool over a man's eyes without his realising it.
Research by psychologists at Harvard University showed how women are far more
alert to body language than men. They showed short films, with the sound turned off, of a
man and woman communicating, and the participants were asked to decode what was
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happening by reading the couple's expressions. The research showed that women read the
situation accurately 87% of the time while the men scored only 42% accuracy. Men in
'nurturing' occupations, such as artistic types, acting and nursing, did nearly as well as the
women. Female intuition is particularly evident in women who have raised children. For the
first few years, the mother relies almost solely on the non-verbal channel to communicate
with the child and this is why women are often more perceptive negotiators than men because
they practise reading signals early.
Inborn, Genetic or Learned Culturally?
When you cross your arms on your chest, do you cross left over right or right over left?
Most people cannot confidently describe which way they do this until they try it. Cross
your arms on your chest right now and then try to quickly reverse the position. Where one
way feels comfortable, the other feels completely wrong. Evidence suggests that this may well
be a genetic gesture that cannot be changed.
Seven out of ten people cross their left arm over their right.
Much debate and research has been done to discover whether non-verbal signals are
inborn, learned, genetically transferred or acquired in some other way. Evidence has been
collected from observation of blind people (who could not have learned non-verbal signals
through a visual channel), from observing the gestural behaviour of many different cultures
around the world and from studying the behaviour of our nearest anthropological relatives, the
apes and monkeys.
The conclusions of this research indicate that some gestures fall into each category.
For example, most primate babies are born with the immediate ability to suck, showing that
this is either inborn or genetic. The German scientist ,Eibl-Eibesfeldt round that the smiling
expressions of children born deaf and blind occur independently of learning or copying,
which means that these must also be inborn gestures. Ekman, Friesen and Sorenson supported
some of Darwin's original beliefs about inborn gestures when they studied the facial
expressions of people from five widely different cultures. They found that each culture used
the same basic facial gestures to show emotion, which led them to the conclusion that these
gestures must also be inborn.
Some Basic Origins
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Most of the basic communication signals are the same all over the world. When people
are happy they smile; when they are sad or angry they frown or scowl. Nodding the head is
almost universally used to indicate ”yes” or affirmation. It appears to be a form of head
lowering and is probably an inborn gesture because it's also used by people born blind.
Shaking the head from side to side to indicate ”no” or negation is also universal and appears
to be a gesture learned in infancy.
The evolutionary origin of some gestures can be traced to ourprimitive animal past.
Smiling, for example, is a threat gesture for most carnivorous animals, but for primates it is
done in conjunction with non-threatening gestures to show submission.Baring the teeth and
nostril flaring are derived from the act of attacking and are primitive signals used by other
primates.Sneering is used by animals to warn others that, if necessary, they'll use their teeth to
attack or defend. For humans, this gesture still appears even though humans won't usually
attack with their teeth.
Why Kids Are Easier to Read
Older people are harder to read than younger ones because they have less muscle tone
in the face. The speed of some gestures and how obvious they look to others is also related to
the age of the individual. For example, if a five-year-old child tells a lie, he's likely to
immediately cover his mouth with one or both hands.
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The act of covering the mouth can alert a parent to the lie and this mouth-covering
gesture will likely continue throughout the person's lifetime, usually only varying in the
speed at which it's done. When a teenager tells a lie, the hand is brought to the mouth in a
similar way to the five-year-old, but instead of the obvious hand-slapping gesture over the
mouth, the fingers rub lightly around it.
The original mouth-covering gesture becomes even faster in adulthood. When an adult
tells a lie, it's as if his brain instructs his hand to cover his mouth in an attempt to block the
deceitful words, just as it did for the five-year-old and the teenager. But, at the last moment,
the hand is pulled away from the face and a nose touch gesture results. This is simply an
adult's version of the mouth-covering gesture that was used
in childhood.
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2.Eyes Body Language
The eyes are often called, with some justification, ”the windows of the soul” as they
can send many different non-verbal signals. For reading body language this is quite useful as
looking at people’s eyes are a normal part of communication .When a person wears dark
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glasses, especially indoors, this prevents others from reading their eye signals. It is
consequently rather disconcerting, which is why ”gangsters”and those seeking to appear
powerful sometimes wear them.
a. The Dilating Pupils

In given light conditions, your pupils will dilate or contract as your attitude and
mood change from positive to negative and vice versa. When someone becomes
excited, their pupils can dilate to up to four times their original size. Conversely, an
angry, negative mood causes the pupils to contract to what are commonly known as
”beady little eyes” or ”snake eyes”. Lighter eyes can look more attractive because it's
easier to see the dilation taking place.
b. The ”Looking Up” Cluster

When a person looks upwards they are often thinking. In particular they are probably
making pictures in their head and thus may well be an indicator of a visual thinker. When
they are delivering a speech or presentation, looking up may be their recalling their Looking
upwards and to the left can indicate recalling a memory. Looking upwards and the right can
indicate imaginative construction of a picture (which can hence betray a liar).
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Looking up may also be a signal of boredom as the person examines the surroundings
in search of something more interesting.
Head lowered and eyes looking back up at the other person is a coy and suggestive
action as it combines the head down of submission with eye contact of attraction. It can also be
judgemental, especially when combined with a frown.
c. Looking Down
Looking at a person can be an act of power and domination. Looking down
involves not looking at the other person, which hence may be a sign of submission
but it can also indicate that the person is feeling guilty.
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A notable way that a lower person looks down at a higher person is by tilting
their head back. Even taller people may do this.
Looking down and to the left can indicate that they are talking to themselves. Looking
down and to the right can indicate that they are attending to internal emotions.
In many cultures where eye contact is a rude or dominant signal, people will look
down when talking with others in order to show respect.
d. Looking Sideways
Much of our field of vision is in the horizontal plane, so when a person looks
sideways, they are either looking away from what is in front of them or looking
towards something that has taken their interest.
A quick glance sideways can just be checking the source of a distraction to assess for
threat or interest. It can also be done to show irritation (”I didn’t appreciate that
comment!”).
Looking to the left can indicate a person recalling a sound. Looking to the right can
indicate that they are imagining the sound. As with visual and other movements, this can be
reversed and may need checking against known truth and fabrication.
e. Lateral movement
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Eyes moving from side-to-side can indicate shiftiness and lying, as if the person is
looking for an escape route in case they are found out.
Lateral movement can also happen when the person is being conspiratorial, as if they
are checking that nobody else is listening.
Eyes may also move back and forth sideways (and sometimes up and down) when the
person is visualizing a big picture 13denti literally looking it over.
f. Gazing
Looking at something shows an interest in it, whether it is a painting, a table or a

person. When you look at something, then others who look at your eyes will feel compelled
to follow your gaze to see what you are looking at. This is a remarkable skill as we are able
to follow a gaze very accurately.
People who are lying may look away more often as they feel guilty when looking at
others. However, when they know this, they may over-compensate by looking at you for
longer, than usual.
When people are offered a choice in front of them (as in shops), they will stare at the
options as they evaluate them. They will usually end up looking longer at their preferred
option, perhaps often looking back at it while they scan others.
g. Eye Contact
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Eye contact between two people is a powerful act of communication and may show
interest, affection or dominance. Looking at a person acknowledges them and shows that
you are interested in them, particularly if you look in their eyes.If a person says something
when you are looking away and then you make eye contact, then this indicates they have
grabbed your attention.
Staring , in generally indicates particular interest in something or someone, it also can

indicate shock and disbelief, particularly after hearing unexpected news. A short stare, with
eyes wide open and then back to normal indicates surprise.
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3.Lips Body Language
When you meet someone for the first time, it takes that person 3 to 7 seconds
to make her judgement about you. I do it. You do it. We all do it… Unconsciously.
Basically, we decide how comfortable we are with that person. Remember, we are
wired for self-preservation.
In a nutshell…
– perception of a possible pain/danger from that person = not very comfortable
– perception of safety = comfortable.
Once that first assessment is made we adapt our feelings, posture, language,
and tone. These first few seconds alone can make or break a relationship whether
when influencing someone in a sales situation, when flirting, or simply when trying
to honestly connect with someone…
And one of the most crucial body language signal to influence our first
impression is the smile. This also appears to be the most recognized signal in every
country and every culture.
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a. The smile
Smiling indicates happiness… and a friendly attitude… Smiling indicates we
want to communicate with someone. It shows interest. But there is much more to it…
Research suggests smiling is a learned phenomenon. Young babies don’t smile

naturally. They mimic the expressions of those looking at them… But by the time we
reach adulthood, it has become a signal critical to making a good first impression.
Smiling also has an actual impact on your physiology. First, let’s look at the 2
main types of smiles:
The Genuine Smile:
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A genuine smile involves the whole face including the eyes. More than just the
mouth, many facial muscles are in action. The most visible is the tightening around the
eyes. This action around the eyes is extremely difficult to fake and is the main signal
you want to look at if you think somebody might not be telling you their real feelings.
The Forced Smile:
Usually used out of politeness. People who put on a smile only use the muscles around
the mouth. But the top half of their face remains virtually unchanged. Their smile is also less
likely to be showing their teeth. This smile could mean the person is not telling the whole
truth.
Do not fake a smile. Research shows that a large majority of people instantly and
unconsciously recognize the sincerity of your smile simply looking at the top half of your
face.
b. Laughing Till You Cry

Laughter and crying are closely linked from a psychological and physiological
standpoint. Think of the last time someone told you a joke that made you buckle up
with laughter and you could hardly control yourself. How did you feel afterwards?You
felt a tingling sensation all over, right? Your brain released endorphins into your
system that gave you what was once described as a ”natural high”. People who have
trouble with laughing at the tough things in life often turn to drugs and alcohol to
achieve the same feeling that endorphin induced laughter produces. Alcohol loosens
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inhibitions and lets people laugh more, which releases endorphins. This is why most
well-adjusted people laugh more when they drink alcohol, while unhappy people
become even more despondent or even violent.
c. Pouting
It is when the lower lip slides forward. It 18dentic evident in kids who show their
displeasure and insult. But adults do it too, only with much more subtlety of course, we don’t
want to appear childish.
d. Licking the lips

It is a self-comforting signal. We want to touch (pull the lip) or lick it to release some
inner tension by stimulating the nerves in our lips. This sort of licking would be quick and
partial. We automatically understand that licking the lips or pulling them would give away our
insecurities, so we try to contain it. But if the tension is high enough we accidently leak it out
– literally by sticking out the tongue.
Like all tension signals, it is often associated with telling a lie, but it is not always the
case. It means that whatever the person is saying –is not quite sure about it, or he or she is
uncomfortable in his or her situation. To be more accurate, you need to watch carefully if the
lick appears especially in regards to specific issue or detail.
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e. Gaping mouth
A person looks surprised when they have widened eyes and a gaping mouth.This
emotion is also related to shock and fear. We are usually not conscious when we make this
face since it is an instantaneous reaction.
4.The Power Is In Your Hands
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It is interesting that our brain gives a disproportionate amount of attention to the

fingers, and hands, as compared to the rest of the body. This could be in part because our
first touch is with our hands and we seek the hands of our parents for safety or it is because
the human hand can hold a weapon. For whatever the reason, we tend to focus on the hands
and are mesmerized by them. Hitler used them to his advantage, as do magicians, orchestra
conductors, and surgeons.
When you communicate, your brain automatically involves your hands to convey
thoughts and emotions, without you even knowing it. In that way, your hand body language
signals what you don’t say with your words. Being able to properly read body language is a
key to ANY successful relationship.
a. Touch
How you touch another person reveals how you feel toward them. When you make
full contact with your palm, this communicates warmth, familiarity and fondness. Touching
with only your fingertips means less fondness, maybe even some discomfort.
When a person touches you and you notice that his hands are warm, this tells you
20dent more or less at ease. Cold, clammy hands mean 20dent tense – not necessarily because
of you, but possibly because of the circumstances.
b. Palms Up
Open palms usually have a positive effect on people. It is effective in making amends
or closing a sale. Combined with outstretched arms, it communicates acceptance, openness
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and trustworthiness.When done with a jerk of the shoulders, it can mean resignation or
admitting weakness, as if to say, “I have no idea”.
c. Palms down
This means confidence and shows that you know what you are talking about but it also
conveys rigidity.
Downward palms with straightened fingers indicate a sense of authority, even

dominance or defiance. When a person does this while talking to you, it means 21dent not
going to budge and you might have to change your approach.When combined with a chopping
action, a downward palm indicates emphatic disagreement.
d. Hands behind the back
This is usually shows some amount of confidence, as the front torso and vital parts are
exposed. You will often see this in men, and while it is always better to show hands, this is
perhaps the exception to the rule as far as hand confidence displays go.For many people, this
hand position makes them feel totally uncomfortable when they are being looked at. They feel
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naked. The emotions attached to this gesture are superiority, confidence and power. The
person exposes their vulnerable stomach, heart, crotch and throat in a subconscious act of
fearlessness. Our experience shows that, if you take this position when you are in a high-stress
situation, such as being interviewed by newspaper reporters or waiting outside a dentist's
surgery, you'll begin to feel confident and even authoritative, as a result of cause and effect.
e. Arms Akimbo
To appear bigger for fighting or courting rituals , birds will fluff their feathers , fish
can expand their body size by sucking in water and cats or dogs make their fur stand and
end. The hairless human , however , no longer has a thick pelt to expand , to make himself
look more imposing when hei s angry. Elbows up and pointed out shows readiness to
dominate ; elbows in and head tilted show submission.
Hands-on-hips makes you look bigger and more noticeable because you take up more
space.
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f. Shoulder Shrug
The Shoulder Shrug is also a good example of a universal gesture that is used to show
that a person doesn't know or doesn't understand what you are saying. It's a multiple
gesture that has three main parts: exposed palms to show nothing is being concealed in
the hands, hunched shoulders to protect the throat from attack and raised brow which is
a universal, submissive greeting.
g. How to Detect Openness

When people want to be open or honest, they will often hold one or both palms
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out to the other person and say something like, ”I didn't do it!”, ”I'm sorry if I upset you”
or ”I'm telling you the truth”. When someone begins to open up or be truthful, they will
likely expose all or part of their palms to the other person. Like most body language
signals, this is a completely unconscious gesture, one that gives you an ”intuitive” feeling
or hunch that the other person is telling the truth.
”Trust me ! I am a doctor.”
The palms are intentionally used everywhere

to infer an open, honest approach
However, the hidden palms may give her an intuitive feeling that he is not telling the
truth. A woman who is trying to hide something will try to avoid the subject or talk about a
range of unrelated topics while doing various other activities at the same time.
When men lie their body language can be obvious.
Women prefer to look busy as they lie.
Salespeople are taught to watch for a customer's exposed palms when he gives reasons
or objections about why he can't buy a product, because when someone is giving valid reasons,
they usually show their palms. When people are being open in explaining their reasons they use
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their hands and flash their palms whereas someone who isn't telling the truth is likely to give
the same verbal responses but conceal their
hands. Keeping their hands in their pockets is a favourite ploy of men who don't want to
participate in a conversation. The palms were originally like the vocal cords of body language
because they did more ”talking” than any other body part and putting them away was like
keeping one's mouth shut.
h. Palm Power
One of the least noticed, but most powerful, body signals is given by the human
palm when giving someone directions or commands and in handshaking. When used in a
certain way, Palm Power invests its user with the power of silent authority.
There are three main palm command gestures: the Palm-Up position, the Palm-Down
position and the Palm-Closed and Finger-Pointed position. The differences of the three
positions are shown in this example: let's say that you ask someone to pick up something
and carry it to another location. We'll assume that you use the same tone of voice, the
same words and facial expressions in each example, and that you change only the
position of your palm. The palm facing up is used as a submissive, non-threatening
gesture, reminiscent of the pleading gesture of a street beggar and, from an evolutionary
perspective, shows the person holds no weapons. The person being asked to move the
item will not feel they are being pressured into it and are unlikely to feel threatened by
your request. If you want someone to talk you can use the Palm-Up as a ”handover”
gesture to let them know you expect them to talk and that you're ready to listen. The
Palm-Up gesture became modified over the centuries and gestures like the Single-Palm-
Raised-in-the-Air, the Palm-Over-the-Heart and many other variations developed.
Palm up = non threatening
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Palm down = authority

When the palm is turned to face downwards, you will project immediate authority.
The other person will sense that you've given them an order to move the item and may begin
to feel antagonistic towards you, depending on your relationship with him or the position you
have with him in a work environment. Turning your palm from facing upwards to facing
downwards completely alters how others perceive you.
The Palm-Closed-Finger-Pointed is a fist where the pointed finger is used like a
symbolic club with which the speaker figuratively beats his listeners into submission.
Subconsciously, it evokes negative feelings in others because it precedes a right over-arm
blow, a primal move most primates use in a physical attack.
Pointing finger — 'Do it or else!'

The Palm-Closed-Finger-Pointed gesture is one of the most annoying gestures anyone
can use while speaking, particularly when it beats time to the speaker's words. In some
countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines, finger pointing at a person is an insult as this
gesture is only used to point at animals. Malaysians will use their thumb to point to people or
to give directions.
Shaking hands is a relic of our ancient past. Whenever primitive tribes met under
friendly conditions, they would hold their arms out with their palms exposed to show that no
weapons were being held or concealed.
Although it is a generally accepted custom to shake hands when meeting a person for
the first time, there are some circumstances in which it may not be appropriate for you to
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initiate a handshake. Considering that a handshake is a sign of trust and welcome, it is

important to ask yourself several questions before you initiate the hand shake: Am I
welcome? Is this person happy to meet me or am I forcing them into it?
Let's assume that you have just met someone for the first time and you greet each
other with a handshake. One of three basic attitudes is subconsciously transmitted:
1. Dominance: ”He is trying to dominate me. I'd better be cautious.”
2. Submission: ”I can dominate this person. He'll do what I want”
3. Equality: ”I feel comfortable with this person.”
1. Dominance is transmitted by turning your hand (striped sleeve) so that your palm
faces down in the handshake . Your palm doesn't have to face directly down, but is the
upper hand and communicates that you want to take control of the encounter.
2. Submission
The opposite of the dominant handshake is to offer your hand with your palm facing
upwards, symbolically giving the other person the upper hand, like a dog exposing its throat
to a superior dog.
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3. Equality
When two dominant people shake hands, a symbolic power struggle takes place as
each person attempts to turn the other's palm into the submissive position. The result is a vice-
like handshake with both palms remaining in the vertical position and this creates a feeling of
equality and mutual respect because neither is prepared to give in to the other.
5.Legs Posture
The legs evolved in humans to serve two purposes: to move forward to get food and to
run away from danger. Because the human brain is hardwired for these two objectives - to go
towards what we want and move away from what we don't want - the way a person uses their
legs and feet reveals where they want to go. In other words, they show a person's commitment
to leaving or staying in a conversation. Open or uncrossed leg positions show an open or
dominant attitude,while crossed positions reveal closed attitudes or uncertainty.
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a. At attention
This is a formal position that shows a neutral attitude with no commitment to stay or
go.In male-female encounters , it is used used by women that men as it effectively keeps the
leg together like ”no comment” signal. Schoolchildren use it when talking to a teacher, junior
officers use it when talking to senior officers, people meeting royalty do it and employees use
it when talking to the boss.
b. Legs apart
As mentioned later , thisis predominantly a male gesture . The feet are both firmely
on the ground , making a clear statement that he has no intetion of leavinig .It is used as a
dominance signal by men , putting their mnasculinity on show.
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c. The Foot-Forward
This a valuable clue to a person's immediate intentions, because we point our
lead foot in the direction our mind would like to go and this stance looks as if the
person is beginning to walk. In a group situation, we point our lead foot at the
most interesting or attractive person but when we want to leave, we point our feet
at the nearest exit.
d. Leg cross
The next time you attend a meeting with men and women you will notice some
groups of people standing with their arms and leg crossed, it means negativity. Tension may
be seen in crossed legs and greater anxiety leads to legs held more rigidly and which move
more jerkily. Crossed legs can also mean that the person wants to visit the toilet! If you
interact with them you would find that one or all of them are unfamiliar with others in the
group.While open legs can show openness or dominance, crossed legs shows a closed,
submissive or defensive attitude.
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e. The European Leg Cross
One leg is crossed neatly over the other, with 70% of people crossing left over right.
This is the normal crossed-leg position used by European, Asian and British cultures.
When a person crosses both legs and arms they have emotionally withdrawn from the
conversation and it can be futile to try to be convincing when they sit like this.
f. The American Figure Four
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The Figure Four is still uncommon in Britain and Europe among older people but is
now seen in diverse cultures such as Russia, Japan, Sardinia and Malta among the
younger generations who are addicted to American films and television.
Women who wear trousers or jeans can sometimes be seen sitting in the Figure Four
position, but they usually do it only around other women, not men, as they don't want to
appear too masculine.
Studies also show that most people make most of their final decision to do something
when both feet are on the ground, so the Figure Four is not conducive to asking someone to
make a decision.
g. Figure Four Leg Clamp

Not only does this person have a competitive attitude, they lock the Figure Four into a
permanent position using one or both hands as a clamp. This is a sign of the tough-
minded, stubborn individual who rejects any opinion other than their own.
h. Parallel-Legs
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Because of the bone configuration of female legs and hips, most men can't sit like this
so it becomes a powerful signal of femininity. Not surprisingly, over 86% of male
participants in experiments , voted this the most attractive female sitting position.
i. Type of Walk
People walk differently, partly in habit and partly 33denti intent.A fast walk shows a
person in a hurry or with a generally determined character who likes to get things done. A
slow walk may be a person who 33dentica to kill, is daydreaming, is lazy or perhaps gets
aches and pains when they walk faster.An affected or stylish walk indicates a focus on the
self and a certain self-consciousness with a concern for how others see them. Longer strides
indicate confidence while shorter steps show timidity or preciseness.When people get lost
in the wilderness, they tend to walk in circles. This is because legs are not 33dentica land
blindfolded people quickly veer off a straight line.
6.Body Language Tips for Your Next Job Interview

Before the Interview
Suceava , 2017 33
Put on your confidence even before the interview commences. In the waiting area,
have good posture while standing and sitting. Keep your back straight and your chin parallel
to the ground. While you may not have met your interviewer at this point, it's still possible
that the receptionist or potential future co-workers are observing you.
When you sit down to wait, place your briefcase or purse to the left side of your chair
— that will reduce awkwardness when you have to shake the interviewer's hand, and grab
your personal items.
The Handshake
Most likely, the handshake will be your only moment of physical contact with the
interviewer. Studies say that handshakes play a significant role in first impressions, so make it
count.
Your shake should be neither bone crushing, nor limp fish. Aim for a firm handshake, and as
you shake, make eye contact and smile.
During the Interview
While first impressions do count for a lot, it's during your conversation that
interviewers will have an extended time to take you in. Your answers to questions are
important, as is your stance while listening and responding. Keep these body language tips in
mind.
First and foremost: No slumping! Keep your back straight. Lean forward slightly to
indicate interest. Do not recline back into the chair fully; this can make you seem bored or
disengaged.
Avoid crossing your arms or placing items in your lap; these habits indicate
defensiveness, nerves, and a need for self-protection, when what you'd ideally convey during
an interview is confidence.
Avoid Crossing Your Legs .Most experts recommend against crossed legs. With a
long interview, you might need to re-cross them because your leg is falling asleep. This could
come across as fidgeting.
Suceava , 2017 34
Suppress Restless Habits. Speaking of fidgeting…if you're a nail-biter, knuckle

cracker, hair twirler, or leg tapper, don't allow these habits to make an appearance during the
interview. All will appear unprofessional and convey nerves. Plus: Most of these actions are
generally considered impolite.
Eye Contact: It's important to make eye contact during your interview, but don’t
mistake that for a directive to make constant eye contact. That is disconcerting and
aggressive. At the same time, avoiding eye contact entirely comes across as untrustworthy and
distant — it could make it seem like your answers are dishonest. Balance it out: Aim to make
eye contact as you listen and respond to questions, but allow it to break occasionally, and let
your eyes wander.
7. Other body activities
Have you ever asked why do you yawn ? Or why do you get goose bumps ? Well , our
body sends us different kind of signals through different kind of gestures which , many of us
consider natural.
Suceava , 2017 35
a. Why do we yawn?
All humans yawn. So do most vertebrate animals. Surely it serves some useful
function. But what that might be has puzzled scientists throughout the ages. Now a series of
experiments suggests a surprising reason for yawning. It cools the brain, says Andrew C.
Gallup. When you start to yawn, powerful stretching of the jaw increases blood flow in the
neck, face, and head. The deep intake of breath during a yawn forces downward flow of spinal
fluid and blood from the brain. Cool air breathed into the mouth cools these fluids.
Gallup's theory predicts that colder outside air should cool the brain better than hot air.
The body should therefore yawn more when the air is cool, and yawn less when the air is hot.
Where better to test this than in Tucson, Ariz.? Gallup's team went there twice: Once in the
winter, when it was a cool 71.6 degrees F outside, and once in early summer, when it was
98.6 degrees F. The researchers asked 80 pedestrians to look at pictures of people yawning.
It's well known that people often yawn when they see others yawn.
Sure enough, in the cooler weather 45% of people yawned when they looked at the pictures.
But in hotter weather, only 24% of people yawned. Moreover, people yawned more if they'd
been outside longer in the cool weather, and yawned less if they'd been outside longer in the
hot weather.
These results mimicked an earlier study in which Gallup's team showed that budgie parakeets
yawned more in cool temperatures than they did in hot temperatures. And it supported a rat
study in which rat brains cooled a bit when the animals yawned.
Next time you're sitting near someone who yawns, try this: Don't yawn. Odds are,
you'll find that it's pretty difficult to hold back. The reason that it's hard to stifle a yawn —
especially when someone nearby is doing it and you're trying hard not to — appears to reside
in the area of the brain that's responsible for motor function, a new study from England finds.
Scientists refer to the urge to yawn when you see someone else doing it as contagious
yawning. This is a type of "chophenomenon." In other words, it's an automatic imitation of
another person. Contagious yawning isn't unique to humans, either. Other animals, including
Suceava , 2017 36
dogs and chimpanzees, are also susceptible to the phenomenon, the scientists said. But the
reason why yawns spread from person to person, or animal to animal, is unknown.
To study what's going on in the brain when someone "catches" a yawn, the researchers
observed 36 adults who were asked to watch video clips of other people yawning. Using
transcranial magnetic stimulation, the researchers measured the participants' brain activity
during the experiments.
Did you yawn ? Hahaha
b. Sneez
”God bless you! Gesundheit! Cover your face!”
When you sneeze, you are likely to hear one of these responses, ranging in inspiration
from the medieval to the hygienic. Different cultures throughout history have interpreted a
sneeze as either an auspicious sign or a bad omen, but it may be said that both are right:
Sneezing is the good that gets the ill out.
It’s not just allergies and illnesses that can produce that familiar tickling in the nose.
Banks explains: “People sneeze for a lot of reasons other than just getting something up their
noses. Clinically speaking, we consider sneezing a non-specific reaction, because there are a
lot of sources that irritate.”
ACHOO syndrome: Why some people sneeze every time they see the sun
While certainly not as dramatic as bursting into flames, for some people, sudden
exposure to sunlight produces an unexpected reflex - they sneeze. Chances are this happens to
you, or one of your friends. It's called the 'photic sneeze reflex' and is more common than
you'd expect, occurring in 17 to 35 percent of the world's population, according to informal
surveys. But what causes it?
Sneezing can't really be controlled - it's one of the body's reflexes, and is typically
associated with irritation in the nose. From here the signal is sent via neural pathways to the
Suceava , 2017 37
brain, resulting in a powerful release of air through your mouth and nose, which not only
helps expel mucous or irritants from the nasal passages as fast as possible, but also contracts a
bunch of muscles in the body, including the eyelids and the trachea.
c. Goosebumps
Why do humans get "goosebumps" when they are cold, or under other
circumstances?
Imagine swimming in a lake on a hot summer day. The water is quite warm,
but the wind is strong and the moment you leave the water you feel chilly and get
"goosebumps." So you change clothes and move inside to warm up. You make a nice
cup of tea, get under a blanket and switch on the radio. Suddenly, you hear a song
from a long time ago, the song your grandmother used to sing to you when you were a
child. Again, you feel a chill on your back and again, you get goosebumps. Why do
such seemingly unrelated events elicit the same body reaction? The reason for this is
the physiology of emotions.
In addition to cold, the hair will also stand up in many animals when they feel
threatened--in a cat being attacked by a dog, for example. The elevated hair, together
with the arched back and the sideward position the animal often assumes, makes the
cat appear bigger in an attempt to make the dog back off. People also tend to
experience goosebumps during emotional situations, such as walking down the aisle
during their wedding, standing on a podium and listening to a national anthem after
winning in sports, or even just watching horror movies on television. Quite often a
person may get goosebumps many years after a significant event, just by thinking
about the emotions she once experienced, perhaps while listening to the romantic song
to which she danced many years ago with the love of her life.
The reason for all these responses is the subconscious release of a stress
hormone called adrenaline. Adrenaline, which in humans is produced in two small
beanlike glands that sit atop the kidneys, not only causes the contraction of skin
muscles but also influences many other body reactions. In animals, this hormone is
Suceava , 2017 38
released when the animal is cold or facing a stressful situation, preparing the animal
for flight-or-fight reaction. In humans, adrenaline is often released when we feel cold
or afraid, but also if we are under stress and feel strong emotions, such as anger or
excitement. Other signs of adrenaline release include tears, sweaty palms, trembling
hands, an increase in blood pressure, a racing heart or the feeling of 'butterflies' in the
stomach.
d. wrinkled skin
Some parts of human skin, better known as glabrous skin, have a unique
response to water. Unlike the rest of the body, the skin of our fingers, palms, and toes,
and soles wrinkles after becoming sufficiently wet. Five minutes or so will usually do
the trick.
Wrinkled skin gives people better control over objects, which could have
helped our ancestors to pull wet plants out of the ground when they were looking for
food: They would also have enjoyed a greater balance when they were in a hurry, in a
wet and slippery environment, scientists explain.
People think that their fingers wrinkle because they absorb water and swell,
producing the visible bumps visible to the naked eye. This has been denied, however,
by studies that have shown that the wrinkle effect disappears when the fingers of the
fingers are cut.
In fact, the fingers do not swell, but narrow, because the blood vessels inside
them contract. The effect is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, the one
managing the heart rate and breathing.
e. Hiccup
A glass of water, a true scare or stop breathing can stop hiccup?
Suceava , 2017 39
Hiccups are sudden, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm that occur at the
same time as a contraction of the voice box and total closure of the glottis, effectively
blocking air intake. The glottis is the middle part of the larynx, where the vocal cords
are located. Experts have yet to reach a definitive conclusion on what the mechanisms
are that cause hiccups . According to studies, the following circumstances, conditions
and illnesses have been associated with a higher risk of developing hiccups: too much
food is eaten ; food is eaten too rapidly; there is a sudden change in temperature; fizzy
drinks are consumed ; some people get hiccups after eating spicy foods; after eating
dry breads.
There are some treatments for stoping hiccup:
-Keep your breath and rarely count to 10.
- Drink quickly a glass of cold water.
- Eat a teaspoon of sugar or honey.
Did you know … that the longest hiccup in the world had the American Charles
Osborne. He hung for 68 years, 10 to 10 minutes?
Suceava , 2017 40
8. Conclusion
To sum up , our body can even speak and express things we do not want to
convey. It is important to know how to educate our body to communicate so that we
can enjoy others. I strongly recommend the series as ”Lie to me” or books as ”The
Definitive Book of Body Language” , ” Body Language: How to Read Others'
Thoughts by Their Gestures” and others.
”Can you fake body language?” The general answer to this question is ”no”,
because of the lack of congruence that is likely to occur between the main gestures,the
body's micro-signals and the spoken words. For example,open palms are associated
with honesty but when the faker holds his palms out and smiles at you as he tells a lie,
his micro-gestures give him away. His pupils may contract, one eyebrow may lift or
the corner of his mouth may twitch, and these signals contradict the open palm gesture
and the sincere smile. The result is that the receivers, especially women, tend not to
believe what they hear.
Our body can be very complicated and difficult to understand. I have tried to
talk about something interesting, but all the topics are very complex and I could not go
into detail. Still, I learned how complicated my body is and how many can it convey,
without realizing it.
Suceava , 2017 41
Now, every time I communicate with someone, I'm very careful about body
language to figure out if I'm a boring person or not.
9. Bibliography:
 ” Lie to me ”
 http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/book_of_body_language/chap6.html
 https://www.thebalance.com/body-language-tips-for-your-next-job-interview-
2060576
 https://www.2knowmyself.com/body_language/body_language_main
 Allan and Barbara Pease – Body Language The Definitive Book
Suceava , 2017 42

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”Spiru Haret” National College of Computer Science

Teacher: Rotaru Daniela Student: Todosia Maria-Magdalena

1. Introduction- How Body Language Reveals Emotions and Thoughts

e. The European Leg Cross

How Body Language Reveals Emotions and Thoughts

Why Women are More ” Perceptive”

We say someone is ”perceptive” or ”intuitive” about people, we are unknowingly

Inborn, Genetic or Learned Culturally?

Some Basic Origins

Why Kids Are Easier to Read

2.Eyes Body Language

a. The Dilating Pupils

b. The ”Looking Up” Cluster

Looking at something shows an interest in it, whether it is a painting, a table or a

Staring , in generally indicates particular interest in something or someone, it also can

3.Lips Body Language

Research suggests smiling is a learned phenomenon. Young babies don’t smile

The Genuine Smile:

The Forced Smile:

b. Laughing Till You Cry

d. Licking the lips

4.The Power Is In Your Hands

It is interesting that our brain gives a disproportionate amount of attention to the

Downward palms with straightened fingers indicate a sense of authority, even

d. Hands behind the back

g. How to Detect Openness

The palms are intentionally used everywhere

Palm up = non threatening

Palm down = authority

Pointing finger — 'Do it or else!'

initiate a handshake. Considering that a handshake is a sign of trust and welcome, it is

e. The European Leg Cross

f. The American Figure Four

g. Figure Four Leg Clamp

6.Body Language Tips for Your Next Job Interview

During the Interview

Suppress Restless Habits. Speaking of fidgeting…if you're a nail-biter, knuckle

7. Other body activities

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