Understanding Body Language and Facial Expressions
Speaking volumes without saying a word
By Kendra Cherry, MS
January 30, 2025
Body language refers to the nonverbal signals that we use to communicate. These nonverbal signals make up a huge part of daily communication.
Examples of body language include facial expressions, eye gaze, gestures, posture, and body movements. In many cases, what we don’t say can convey volumes of information.
So, why is body language important? Body language can help us understand others and ourselves. It provides information about how people may feel in a given situation. We can also use body language to express emotions or intentions.
Facial Expressions
Think for a moment about how much a person is able to convey with just a facial expression. A smile can indicate approval or happiness. A frown can signal disapproval or unhappiness.
In some cases, our facial expressions may reveal our true feelings about a particular situation. While you say that you are feeling fine, the look on your face may tell people otherwise.
Just a few examples of emotions that can be expressed via facial expressions include:
* Happiness
* Sadness
* Anger
* Surprise
* Disgust
* Fear
* Confusion
* Excitement
* Desire
* Contempt
The expression on a person’s face can even help determine if we trust or believe what the individual is saying.
There are many interesting findings about body language in psychology research. One older study found that the most trustworthy facial expression involved a slight raise of the eyebrows and a slight smile. This expression, the researchers suggested, conveys both friendliness and confidence.
Researcher Paul Ekman has found support for the universality of various facial expressions tied to particular emotions, including joy, anger, fear, surprise, and sadness.
Research even suggests that we judge people’s intelligence based on their faces and expressions.
One study found that individuals with narrower faces and more prominent noses were likelier to be perceived as intelligent. People with smiling, joyful expressions were also judged more intelligent than those with angry expressions.
The Eyes
The eyes are frequently referred to as the “windows to the soul” since they are capable of revealing a great deal about what a person is feeling or thinking.
As you engage in conversation with another person, taking note of eye movements is a natural and important part of the communication process.
Some common things you may notice include whether people are making direct eye contact or averting their gaze, how much they are blinking, or if their pupils are dilated.
The best way to read someone’s body language is to pay attention. Look out for any of the following eye signals.
Eye Gaze
When a person looks directly into your eyes while having a conversation, it indicates that they are interested and paying attention. However, prolonged eye contact can feel threatening.
On the other hand, breaking eye contact and frequently looking away might indicate that the person is distracted, uncomfortable, or trying to conceal his or her real feelings.
Researchers suggest that eye contact can also increase prosocial behavior by heightening self-awareness. It may also cause people to experience greater feelings of embarrassment when they violate social norms, which may make them more likely to adhere to socially acceptable behavior.
Blinking
Blinking is natural, but you should also pay attention to whether a person is blinking too much or too little.
People often blink more rapidly when they are feeling distressed or uncomfortable. Infrequent blinking may indicate that a person is intentionally trying to control his or her eye movements.
For example, a poker player might blink less frequently because he is purposely trying to appear unexcited about the hand he was dealt.
Pupil Size
Pupil size can be a very subtle nonverbal communication signal. While light levels in the environment control pupil dilation, sometimes emotions can also cause small changes in pupil size.
For example, you may have heard the phrase “bedroom eyes” used to describe the look someone gives when they are attracted to another person. Highly dilated eyes, for example, can indicate that a person is interested or even aroused.
The Mouth
Mouth expressions and movements can also be essential in reading body language. For example, a person might chew on their bottom lip when they are feeling worried, anxious, or insecure.
Covering the mouth may be an effort to be polite if the person is yawning or coughing, but it may also be an attempt to cover up a frown of disapproval.
A smile may be genuine, or it may be used to express false happiness, sarcasm, or even cynicism.
When evaluating body language, pay attention to the following mouth and lip signals:
* Pursed lips. Tightening the lips might indicate distaste, disapproval, or distrust.
* Lip biting. People sometimes bite their lips when they are worried, anxious, or stressed.
* Covering the mouth. When people want to hide an emotional reaction, they might cover their mouths to avoid displaying smiles or smirks.
- Turned up or down. Slight changes in the mouth can also be subtle indicators of a person’s mood. When the mouth is slightly turned up, it might mean that the person is feeling happy or optimistic. On the other hand, a slightly down-turned mouth can indicate sadness, disapproval, or even an outright grimace.
Gestures
Gestures can be some of the most direct and obvious body language signals. Waving, pointing, and using the fingers to indicate numerical amounts are all very common and easy to understand gestures.
Some gestures may be cultural, however, so giving a thumbs-up or a peace sign in another country might have a completely different meaning than it does in the United States.
The following examples are just a few common gestures and their possible meanings:
* A clenched fist can indicate anger in some situations or solidarity in others.
*A thumbs up and thumbs down are often used as gestures of approval and disapproval.
* The “okay” gesture, made by touching together the thumb and index finger in a circle while extending the other three fingers, can be used to mean “okay” or “all right.” In some parts of Europe, however, the same signal is used to imply you are nothing. In some South American countries, the symbol is actually a vulgar gesture. In recent years, it’s also gained notoriety for its use by alt-right trolls.
- The V sign, created by lifting the index and middle finger and separating them to make a V-shape, means peace or victory in some countries. In the United Kingdom and Australia, the symbol takes on an offensive meaning when the back of the hand faces outward.
The Arms and Legs
The arms and legs can also be useful in conveying nonverbal information. Crossing the arms can indicate defensiveness. Crossing legs away from another person may indicate dislike or discomfort with that individual.
Other subtle signals, such as expanding the arms widely, may be an attempt to seem larger or more commanding, while keeping the arms close to the body may be an effort to minimize oneself or withdraw from attention.
When you are evaluating body language, pay attention to some of the following signals that the arms and legs may convey:
* Crossed arms might indicate a person feeling defensive, self-protective, or closed-off.
* Standing with hands placed on the hips can indicate that a person is ready and in control, or it can also be a sign of aggressiveness.
* Clasping the hands behind the back might indicate a person feeling bored, anxious, or even angry.
* Rapidly tapping fingers or fidgeting can indicate that a person is bored, impatient, or frustrated.
- Crossed legs can indicate that a person is feeling closed off or in need of privacy.
Posture
How we hold our bodies can also serve as an important part of body language.
Posture can convey a wealth of information about how a person is feeling as well as hints about personality characteristics, such as whether a person is confident, open, or submissive.
Sitting up straight, for example, may indicate that a person is focused and paying attention to what’s going on. Sitting with the body hunched forward, on the other hand, can imply that the person is bored or indifferent.
When you are trying to read body language, try to notice some of the signals that a person’s posture can send.
* Open posture involves keeping the trunk of the body open and exposed. This type of posture indicates friendliness, openness, and willingness.
- Closed posture involves hiding the trunk of the body often by hunching forward and keeping the arms and legs crossed. This type of posture can be an indicator of hostility, unfriendliness, and anxiety.
Takeaways
Understanding body language can go a long way toward helping you better communicate with others and interpreting what others might be trying to convey. While it may be tempting to pick apart signals one by one, it’s important to look at these nonverbal signals in relation to verbal communication, other nonverbal signals, and the situation.
You can also learn more about how to improve your nonverbal communication to become better at letting people know what you are feeling—without even saying a word.
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