One of the most fascinating things about human beings is our sophisticated and elaborate ability to communicate. This ability is not only restricted to speech and the acquisition of language but to every gesture and movement that we make, to give life and meaning to our words.
Moreover, even within the context of language, the way we use our voice, its tonality, inflections, volume, speed and pitch all have a significant impact on the way we send and receive messages.
The earliest studies of body language take us back to Charles Darwin's work in 1872. This paved the way to numerous other studies that attempted to understand the role and meaning of non-verbal messages in human beings. Among the most famous is the work of Albert Mehrabian, a pioneer researcher in the field of body language in the Sixties, who concluded that 55 per cent of the impact of human communication is attributable to body language, 38 per cent to use of voice, and only seven per cent to words alone.
Another key contributor to research on non-verbal behaviour was anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell who said that "all movements of the body have meaning. None are accidental". He concluded that over 65 per cent of our communication is non-verbal. He also estimated that humans can make and recognise around 250,000 facial expressions with our 47 facial muscles.
Since these early studies many researchers have explored this intriguing subject from various angles. Among the most prominent are Paul Ekman, who focused on the expression of emotion in the human face and came up with the six universal expressions; Michael Argyle, who found that non-verbal communication is 12 times more powerful than language in the communication of interpersonal attitudes; and Gregory Bateson who came up with the term "double bind" to explain the detrimental effect on children receiving contradictory verbal and non-verbal messages.
All studies indicate that for us to become more proficient, accurate, and effective in our communication and relational skills, we need to give non-verbal communication its due attention and importance.
Body language, in particular, can be regarded as the external manifestation of our emotional state. Every gesture and body movement can give us valuable insight into how a person is feeling. An important factor in this respect is that since body language is so unconsciously driven we tend to be largely unaware of it.
Our body, therefore, often reveals what our words do not. Furthermore, in our daily interactions, when our body language contradicts our words, people will tend to go with what our body is "saying" rather than the actual words we speak. For example we may be speaking with confidence and certainty while wringing our hands (a sign of tension and anxiety).
Every major part of our body has significant impact on the messages we give out and read in other people. The face is obviously the most powerful non-verbal communicator and it is essential that as we interact we scan people's faces for the clear and sometimes subtle changes of expression that indicate how the other person is reacting to us or to what they are saying.
Our arms and hands are also key players in communication. Indeed, some researchers claim that through hand movements we unwittingly display our inner thoughts and ways of understanding and perceiving the world. Consider, for example, a person who is saying he has a problem while making large all encompassing gestures with his arms. This may reveal the magnitude of his perception of the problem.
Also important are our legs and feet as well as the general orientation of our body. We often unconsciously orient our body towards our intention. For example, if we need to terminate a conversation, we may naturally start to open up our angle to face the direction we want to go. Likewise, in a social group, we may point our leading leg while standing towards the people we are most attracted to.
One of the key tools in neuro linguistic programming (NLP) is precisely the careful study of body language as well as the use of one's voice in order to greatly increase one's power of communication. NLP, for example, uses the concept of mirroring body language and pacing to quickly build rapport with a person.
When used ethically, these techniques can be very beneficial in improving the quality of our interactions and relationships with people. It also shows how through harnessing and changing our posture, tonality, facial expressions, as well as our thinking, we can actually shift into more useful and healthy emotional states.
What is important is to be cautious about the conclusions we make from noticing people's body language. It is essential that we keep the verbal and environmental context constantly present and to look at clusters of information rather than isolated signals.
Although, non-verbal messages are more reliable sources of information than words, they are still not complete messages and should not be regarded as such. Humans have a tendency to 'thin-slice', that is, make snap judgments based on minimal experience. Thin-slicing is a way of coping with a barrage of information coming our way. It is a very functional tool, however, it can lead to wrong judgments.
One of the main reasons for misunderstanding non-verbal messages is that our own experiences and associations filter the meaning that is communicated. Everything we perceive is filtered through a series of "perceptual filters" that distort, delete, and generalise meanings. The key is that a nonverbal signal is not a complete message. Watch for a pattern of signals that all have the same meaning. Body language should match verbal expressions. Look for body language in clusters of signals with common meanings and consider the whole context.
Body talk seminar
A Body Talk seminar, to be held on February 16, at Mount St Joseph Retreat House, Targa Gap, Mosta, is a full day dedicated to improving our understanding of body language in communication so that we can have more insight into reading human behaviour and more choice regarding the messages we want to give with our body.
During the seminar participants will have the opportunity to experience the power of body language as well as experiment with sending and reading messages. It is an innovative, enjoyable and highly educational experience that will bring about more interest in the subject. This seminar will prove especially beneficial for people who work in constant interaction with other people. It is also very useful for life in general, mostly in improving the quality of our communication and, as a result, enhancing our relationships with people.
Patrick J. Psaila has been a freelance psychologist working with various organisations for the past 14 years. After graduating in Malta he furthered his studies at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He is also an Internationally Licensed Master Practitioner of NLP and full member of the Society of NLP, the largest and longest established NLP licensing body in the world, endorsed by Dr Richard Bandler, co-creator of NLP. Mr Psaila works with various large and medium-sized organisations involved in manufacturing, education, health, tourism, banking, and other services as a trainer, HR consultant, and psychologist. His current area of specialisation and interest is developing personal and professional development programmes for managers and leaders in organisations, focusing on the importance of Emotional Intelligence in leadership. Besides his freelance work he is also a sessional lecturer and trainer with the University of Malta, the Malta Institute of Management and the Foundation for Human Resources Development. He is also a member of the Malta Psychololgy Profession board responsible for the licensing of psychologists working in Malta. For further details about the Body Talk seminar, contact him through his Website at www.workassistmalta.com or call the seminar administrator on 7979-3373 after 5 p.m.