Physical communication and body language

Physical communication and body language
(Part Three)
By KEITH W. WRIGHT
December 10, 2009, 9:18am
This week, as we continue our study of body language as a non verbal communication (NVNVC) tool, we will discover that the position and use of the head is one of the NVC keys.
LEANING THE HEAD TO ONE SIDE
Leaning the head may be a sign of disinterest, impatience or boredom, that is, if it not physical and is actually the remedial response to a pain in the neck. If the head is turned and the listener is looking away, it is usually an indication of lack of interest, or even disbelief, in what is being said.
When a listener loses attention or does not agree with what is being said, it is almost natural to look or glance elsewhere. However, one must remember that certain people are more kinaesthetic than auditory and unless they are “doing’’ something with their hands, they can be very easily distracted.
PHYSICAL RESPONSES
When a listener is in disagreement with what is being said, physical responses may include rubbing or scratching the chin, touching the side of the face, scratching the ear, fiddling, doodling or staring away for an indefinite period.
The constant crossing and re-crossing of the legs and shifting one’s seated position can also be a sign of the person feeling mentally threatened, challenged or uncomfortable about the topic being explored.
INTENSE EYE CONTACT
Negatively, making intense eye contact might be a way of the receiver indicating that he or she does not trust the deliverer enough to take their eyes off them even for a moment.
In contrast, lack of eye contact can indicate a negative attitude and opposition or disinterest.
To make the issue a little more confusing, consistent or intense eye contact might indicate that a person is thinking positively about what the speaker is saying or has said. On the other hand, individuals who are basically shy or suffer from low self-esteem or even from mentally-related disorders, may have great difficulty making eye contact without a degree of physical discomfort.
Eye contact can also have a cultural significance. In most western countries, it customary for children to be inculcated at a very early age that eye contact should be made when speaking to someone. In contrast, in some other cultures, it is deemed improper to intensely look at someone or “eye-ball” another person similar to rules that apply in some correctional centers in the West.
The significance of eye contact becomes clouded even further when it is part of an arms–folded response. Some psychologists argue that this is a sign of a person who is bothered by something else at the time and that he or she is hoping that the issue can be discussed.
Again if eye contact is being made but the person is inattentive and is doodling or fiddling with some object, it could mean that their mind is on something else also.
The use of the eyes and specifically what part of the other person’s head is being looked at, is also believed to be of significance by some who have researched the issue of eye contact. For example, looking at one of the speaker’s eyes and then to the other and finally to the forehead, is said by some to be a sign that the receiver is taking a position of authority in a conversation.
If the person, having looked progressively at both eyes then looks at the nose, they are indicating their acceptance of the evenness or equality of the communication. However, if the final object of sight is the lips, it is suggested that the action could have romantic or amorous connotations.
When a person repeatedly blinks during an interview, questioning or a conversation, the issue of his or her veracity arises and the possibility of their not telling the whole truth comes to the fore.
While the above reactions are all believed to have a variety of specific communication-related meanings, it would be unwise not to also take into consideration the fact that some people have physical disabilities and impairments can cause them to physically act or react in a different way in what are, in the main, unexpected or abnormal situations.
In next week’s column we shall consider some possible interpretations of Body Language Actions involving the face, the eyes, the head and the hands.