Appendix 2: The basics of body language

There follow brief descriptions of some of the basic elements of body language to help you quickly analyse people around you.

Feet and legs

Happy feet

Feet and legs bounce in a happy way.

Feet point upwards, indicating a positive state.

Caution: May signal impatience, restlessness, nerves instead.

Shifting direction/orientating reflex

Feet point towards the things you like and away from things you dislike.

Feet turned away indicate disengagement and a desire to distance oneself from people, objects and so on in the environment.

Shifting feet indicate a desire to leave.

Foot freeze

If someone naturally bounces or wiggles their feet and suddenly stops, it indicates that the person is feeling threatened or stressed.

Foot lock and leave

Interlocking the feet or turning the toes inwards are restraining behaviours. This indicates insecurities, anxiety or feeling threatened. It can appear more natural in women, but maintaining this position for prolonged periods of time is unnatural for both genders.

Knee clasp

Hands on knees with a forward lean of the torso indicates an intention to move or leave.

The leg kick

This is an automatic, subconscious way of combating something unpleasant.

Leg splay

Territorial displays establish dominance. The wider apart the feet, the less comfortable/more dominant the individual.

Leg cross

Standing with crossed legs indicates high levels of comfort.

Bringing legs together dissipates confrontation.

Seated leg cross

When sitting side-by-side, the top leg will point towards the other person if they are on good terms.

If a person does not like the topic companions brings up, he or she will switch the position of the legs so that the thigh becomes a barrier (blocking).

Overall principle: congruence equals harmony.

Torso

Ventral fronting

The ventral front – where the eyes, mouth, chest, breasts, genitals are located – is very sensitive to things and people you like or dislike. People face their ventral fronts towards people or things they like.

Ventral denial

When someone does not like what is being said or the person who is saying it, it is natural to turn the ventral front away or turn so his or her back is facing them.

The torso shield

When it is impractical or socially unacceptable to lean away from someone or something we dislike, the arms or objects may subconsciously be used as barriers. The tighter the grip, the more anxious the person is.

Females may cross their arms over their stomachs or cross one arm across their fronts and grab the opposite arm at the elbow. They may also place their bag on their laps.

Males may suddenly button their jackets, play with their ties, cufflinks or watches and cross their arms.

Torso displays

Splaying or spreading the limbs out is a territorial or dominance display. It is reserved for those in positions of power or authority.

Puffing the chest

This is a signal of asserting dominance. It is used in fight mode.

Baring the torso

Removing an item of clothing, such as jacket, scarf, tie or hat, when unnecessary, indicates a willingness to engage in a fight.

Breathing behaviours and the torso

When under stress, a person will breathe rapidly, the chest expanding and contracting rapidly to oxygenate the body in preparation for a fight.

Arms

Subdued

Restrained, constricted arms indicate negative feelings.

Exuberant

Free, expansive movements (waving, pointing, gesticulating) indicate a positive state of mind.

Arm withdrawal

This occurs when someone is upset, threatened or fearful. It can be observed when two people are arguing.

Restriction of arm movement

Arm freeze, like foot freeze above, can indicate a feeling of distress.

Territorial arm display

This is easy to observe on public transport. It is common to see people vying for extra space by trying to take up as much of the arm rest as possible, at the expense of their neighbours. It can also be observed in boardrooms where one person – usually a dominant one – will spread their papers, pens and so on about and use their elbows to dominate the space. Claiming territory in this manner can have negative effects.

Hooding

This is often seen during business meetings. A seated person will lean back and interlaces his or her hands behind his or her head. A hooding effect takes up a large amount of room so is a sign of wanting to be dominant.

Planting fingertips

If when standing a person leans slightly forwards to plant their fingers, spread apart, on a desk, this is a display of confidence and authority.

Hands

Visible hands

Someone keeping his or her hands visible while talking will be viewed as honest and transparent. It is a natural trustbuilder.

Handshake

Hearty, firm and with a few pumps – a good handshake is critical in creating contacts and a good impression. You can complement it by maintaining good eye contact and smiling.

Aggressive hand gestures

Finger pointing and snapping fingers at someone are both considered highly offensive.

Nervous hands

Stress or being exposed to something very negative can trigger quivering of the hands. However, this can also occur as a reaction to high levels of excitement. Context is key.

Steepling

A signal of the highest level of confidence.

It involves touching the spread fingertips on both hands like a church steeple. Females tend to steeple at waist level, while males tend to do so at chest level, making it more visible and powerful.

When experiencing a rapid change in confidence, the fingers of steepled hands can quickly interlock and become prayer hands – a gesture expressing low confidence. Steeping is an excellent tool for establishing authority in a confident, non-aggressive way.

Thumb displays

Thumbs pointing upwards is always a sign of a high level of confidence. Interlacing the hands, as mentioned above, is usually a sign of a low level of confidence, but this is transformed into the opposite when the thumbs are extended straight up.

People who show their thumbs are generally more aware of their environment, more acute in their thinking and sharper in their observations than those who don’t.

When thumbs are stuck in pockets with the fingers hanging out, this indicates low levels of confidence or self-esteem.

Frozen hands

Liars tend to gesture, touch and move their hands and legs less than honest people.

Stroking or rubbing of the hands

A person who is in doubt or under a low level of stress will lightly rub the palms of his or her hands together. If the situation becomes progressively more stressful, the stroking will become more dramatic as a response to this.