The body language or facial expressions are the oldest and most natural forms of communication between human beings Body language is a form of significant and complex interaction of nonverbal communication and involves various emotional states: love, fear, hostility, hatred.
Absolutely. I have always used body language as a teaching tool. A body does not always need to express affects. It can communicate pointing as well. It also allows feigning. Sometimes a little playacting is necessary to underscore ideas in class.
Have you been watching the ScienceTV series 'Animal Minds" on BBC2? See the latest insights into animal communication (programme 3) Catch it on the web on BBC iplayer and your question may have an exciting new dimension!
Yes! I actively teach my students cues and sensutivity to cues to make their lives easier. Consider the opposite, the autistic person, who can't recognize cues. Their lives are so much more difficult.
For a lot of the best empirical research on just this point, please see pretty much any and all of the work coming from Susan Goldin-Meadow's lab: https://goldin-meadow-lab.uchicago.edu/page/lab-publications-articles-chapters
True! Your BL reinforces your spoken words and sends off a non-verval cue to the other person. I used it in T-groups. I used it as a reading tool in my volunteer work as a Pychosocial responder/debriefer for the victims of the recent typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda here in my country the Philippines.
When I was a graduate student eons ago, I recall how my teacher and mentor at Brown University (USA), the late Juan López-Morillas, used body language so vehemently, that he would almost injure himself in the process. For example, he would speak of avant-garde movements kicking out traditional forms, and he would deliver a kick into the air while nearly failing to catch his balance. I found him an inspiration in my own teaching. At times, clowning is not out of place in the classroom if you are driving home a lesson. Your gesture becomes indelibly imbedded in the memories of your students.
Body language is a better reflection of your internal beliefs than your words. Students 'read' your body language quite effectively and subconsciously, so I teach teachers to be aware of their body language as part of a whole school effort to reduce negative behaviours and bullying. Many teachers will talk to students in an attempt to create a relationship, but this is often unsuccessful if the body language reflects disinterest or worse disdain. So YES body language is critical and the best way to manage body language is to foster appropriate beliefs. On the last point. I am naturally intense and my face at rest is almost frowning. Over the last 10 years or so I have retrained my face, so that when I am at school, its normal pose is a slight smile. I did this by consciously thinking of amusing situations as I walk. Over this time I have found students becoming more ready to smile back and talk to me openly. They greet me more warmly and carry their own smile away with them to infect others.
Its a great news. will try your method for my clinic too. may be it will be effective tool to comminicate to patients.
I have experienced the situation described by Mark; I am a serious person by nature but even when I feel light, enthusiastic etc. I am often perceived as still serious. I have found this perception affects every aspect of my life. Anecdotes aside, there is a bulk of research from different angles on nonverbal communication, found in the fields of psychology, communication, speech, education, sensation/perception, just to begin. Perls was especially eloquent in a lecture where he described his view of communication, which in sum begins with observation of how the patient moves/doesn't move, and he made the point that, like alchemy, communication is considered an interaction but there is a great deal of available and useful material that may come prior to that type of interaction. The point was also raised above that we are always (to use my words) throwing off signals, some intentional, some we are unaware of; and we are always being 'read'. Many people don't think about this because those who read us typically do not point out that they have; they may have missed our point, they may have misinterpreted the signal, they may have been multitasking, leaving us with the idea nonverbal communication isn't as critical in our lives as it is. I agree with the many views that boil down to learning to know oneself and what one is signaling as much as possible, and learning how to accurately understand others, versus going on assumptions. However, our society seems to be moving away from this end and in fact, with the availability of Botox as one example, we are facing the first generation of children being raised and taught by individuals who have radically altered the primary way humans communicate. This specific example has been commented on in health columns in the NY Times, as well as anecdotally. I am intensely interested in the effects of Botox use in mothers and how that may alter developmental learning, such as social referencing. If one connects data on depressed mothers (esp. affect) and their children, and other related data sets, I'm not sure how any ill effects that are discovered years in the future can be remedied. Excellent discussion.
Dear Mark, Kelly and Satyaprasad
I would like to thanks your very important opinions.
Regards
Dr Nelson, You are a great teacher in the aspect that you have unfolded new dimensions in the art of communication. Action speaks louder than words.
Dear Satyaprasad
Its a great pleasure to share with you in the RGgroup
Thank you very much
Regards
Dear Nelson, I agree. We are all fortunate to have this forum to share, and in addition, my youngest son is at university, studying cogsci and works in a speech lab. We had a very lively (with sons, always) discussion after reading through your post, given our different backgrounds.
An interesting idea, but cannot be generally true, otherwise the congenitally blind would be severely socially handicapped.
Attitudes reflect through our body language. Confidence or arrrogance, defeatist or compromiser, winner or looser. By communicating what we are through our body language we are sending signals that the communication process is ready.
A professor who wants to convey something important to his students but has difficulty in speech or language will try and dominate by his actions. A person who is strong in his lectures will stand still and hipnotise the crowd. A magician waves his wand since he knows the public is enthusistic to see what next, A sober grief stricken or anxious presetations will only add insult to wounds.
Practise speeches the way Churchill used to do , stand in front of a mirror.
Dear Satyaprasad
Thank you very much
The mirror help us improve our body language
Regards
In my opinion, body language is nothing but the translated form of mental actions. This can be true in many instances. The art to read the mental thoughts through the body/facial actions of the other, is known as 'ingitam' in Indian context. The great epic of India, Ramayana, describes the hero Rama to be a great exponent in this art.
Regards
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Correction