BODY LANGUAGE

MORE HUMAN COMN TAKES PLACE BY WAY OF GESTURES, POSTURES, POSITION AND DISTANCE THAN BY ANY OTHER WAY

- PROF RAY BIRDWHISTLE

AIM

INTRO TO BODY LANGUAGE

PREVIEW•PART I - WHAT IS BODY

LANGUAGE ?•PART II - CHARACTERISTICS

OF BODY LANGUAGE.•PART III - TERRITORIAL ZONES

AND SPACES.•PART IV - APPLICATION OF

SCIENCE OF BODY LANGUAGE.

WHAT IS BODY

LANGUAGE ?

BODY LANGUAGE IS THE WAY PEOPLE UNCONSIOUSLY

TELEGRAPH THEIR PRIVATE

THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS

THROUGH BODY MOVEMENTS .

CHARACTERISTICS OF BODY LANGUAGE.

•TWO ESSENTIALS OF ANY LANGUAGE ARE :–A MEDIUM OF COMN–SCRIPT

NON VERBAL VOCALISATION

• PARALANGUAGE IS THE TECH TERM FOR VOICE CUES THAT ARE NON VERBAL, eg :– LAUGHING – CRYING – GROANING– YAWNING– FEEDBACK SIGNALS LIKE

‘GOOD’,’REALLY’

TERRITORIAL ZONES AND SPACES

•AN INVISIBLE SPACE AROUND US, TREASURED AS OUR OWN POSSESSION AND CARRIED WHEREVER WE GO,WHICH REPRESENTS THE AMOUNT OF SPACE WE FEEL WE MUST HAVE BETWEEN OURSELVES AND OTHERS.

PERSONAL TERRITORY FURTHER DIVIDED INTO ZONES

• INTIMATE DIST ZONE: EXTENDS UPTO 18“ AND RESERVED FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

• PERSONAL DIST ZONE: EXTENDS FROM 2 1/2’ TO 4’ GIVING CREDENCE TO THE OLD ADAGE OF KEEPING PEOPLE AT AN ARM’S DISTANCE.

• SOCIAL DIST ZONE: EXTENDS UPTO 12’ WHILE INTERACTING WITH UNKNOWN PEOPLE /AT BUSINESS LEVEL

• PUBLIC DIST ZONE: DIST MAINT BY POLITICIANS, ACTORS DUE TO SECURITY REASONS AND CHARACTERISED BY DIFFICULT TO SEE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, A LOUDER VOICE AND EXAGGERATED BODY MOV TO CONVEY A PT

APPLICATIONS OF THE SCIENCE OF BODY

LANGUAGE •BODY LANGUAGE ANALYSIS IS

NOW UTILISED IN WIDELY DIVERSE FDs BY :–CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORS– INTERROGATORS– PSYCHOLOGISTS–ACTORS

–EDUCATIONISTS–COUNSELLORS–MANAGERS– INTERVIEWERS–EVEN IN THE ARMY IT HELPS A CDR READ HIS COMD BETTER THEREBY GIVING HIM A BETTER GRIP OF HIS MEN AND FEELING THEIR PULSE.

CONCLUSION

• WORDS ARE ON THE HEAD LEVEL WHILE NON VERBAL LANGUAGE IS AT THE FEELING OR GUT LEVEL

• WE FEEL RATHER THAN THINK ABOUT ITS MEANING

• UNLIKE WORDS, BODY LANGUAGE -POSTURES, GESTURES, MOVEMENTS -ARE UNEDITED, INVOLUNTARY , UNCONSCIOUS AND SPONTANEOUS.

•HENCE IT’S MSG IS INVARIABLY MORE TRUTHFUL AND GENUINE

•DESPITE SEMANTICS, WORDS ARE BY AND LARGE SPECIFIC, WHEREAS BODY LANGUAGE NEEDS INTERPRETATION.

•THE GREATEST ADVANTAGE OF BODY LANGUAGE BEING THAT IT IS UNIVERSAL