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| Smiling seems to have a universal meaning of happiness based on several studies. |
Have you ever watched a film in a foreign language and not
been able to understand what they are saying but understood the contexts of the
conversation? What contexts clues were
present that gave you those insights? Chances
are you understood the conversation because you picked up on the body language
cues. Edward T. Hall believed that at
least 65% of language is based in body language and facial gestures, which
allows people to understand subtext and alternative meanings attached to verbal
language. It does, however, beg the
question as to how exactly in a world full of diverse spoken languages we can
understand each other through our body language. Today’s blog post covers this topic by
reviewing the evidence on the universal meanings of body language.
Body language is the use of gestures, stances, and facial
expressions to articulate specific intended or unintended messages. As previously discussed in a separate
blog post there is quite a bit of uniqueness to the meaning attached to
specific gestures (e.g. the thumbs up or the finger curl), but there are also
some universal meanings attached to certain facial expressions. Several studies have been completed over the
past few decades on several different cultural groups, and consistently there
are a series of facial expressions that seem to hold universal meaning among diverse
cultural groups. The full list of the
facial expressions and their meaning can be found in Table 1.
Table 1: Universally Understood Facial Expressions
|
Facial Expression
|
Meaning
|
|
Smile
|
Happiness
|
|
Frown
|
Sadness
|
|
Open Mouth
|
Surprise
|
|
Raised Eyebrows
|
Surprise
|
|
Wrinkled Nose
|
Disgust
|
|
Firmly Pressed Lips
|
Anger
|
What is even more interesting is that it appears that some
nonhuman primates also can interpret body language among different species,
including in humans. Bonobos and
chimpanzees have demonstrated an understanding of the gestures between their
species, and if you have ever seen these or other apes (e.g. gorillas or orangutans)
at the zoo you may have been able to interpret their happiness or sadness based
on their facial expressions. As the
researchers of the nonhuman primate study suggest there may be a connection
among primates that led to an evolution of the universal meaning of these
facial expressions, but further study on this topic would need to be completed
for such conclusions can be reached.
Bibliography
Georgiou, A. (2018, March 7). Do humans and apes
share ‘universal body language’? Newsweek.
Holler, J., & Peeters, D. (n.d.). Is Body
Language Universal? Retrieved July 10, 2018, from Max Planck Institute:
http://www.mpi.nl/q-a/questions-and-answers/is-body-language-universal
LiveseySolar. (2018). Cultural Differences in
Body Language and Universal Facial Expressions. Retrieved July 10 , 2018,
from LiveseySolar Healthcare Marketing:
https://liveseysolar.com/cultural-differences-in-body-language-and-universal-facial-expressions/
Muoio, D. (2014, August 12). Body Talk: Gestures
are not always universal! Retrieved July 10, 2018, from Arch Profile:
http://blog.archprofile.com/archinsights/body_language_gestures
Site Author, C. (2013, March 5). Some Gestures
Are Universal . Retrieved July 10, 2018, from The Only Book On Body
Language That Everybody Needs To Read.:
http://bodylanguageproject.com/the-only-book-on-body-language-that-everybody-needs-to-read/some-gestures-are-universal/
Vitelli, R. (2017, April 12). How Universal Is
Body Language? New research suggests emotional body language may transcend
culture. Retrieved July 10, 2018, from Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/media-spotlight/201704/how-universal-is-body-language
9 comments:
I feel as though body language is underrated . I’m the sense that no one pays attention to body language as they should. I grasped body language when I was really young , my moms facial expressions came before any words came out her mouth, and then I knew. Body language really can make or break a conversation but it can also enhance the communication between one another . I also think the fact that primates have picked up on body language is astounding but helpful . Weird to know a primate can see the body language in humans .
-Jazlyn Logan
I feel like body language does not matter. I can have a serious conversation with someone and have a smile on my face. I laugh at facial expressions when I'm supposed to be serious. I didn't know that animals can tell when your sad until my dog seen that I was sad one day and came to comfort me that's really interesting.
-Tae'lor Pearson
Body language, is my life. I find myself and bestfriend doing a lot of body language towards each other. As an example, when I'm uncomfortable around large groups of people I tend to stand with my legs crossed or have an uneasy smile. My bestfriend knows my body language so she knows to come near me to make me feel a little at ease. I think people use body language more than they think, I am an observant person I try to base a person off what I see them do or how they react to things. Based off body language I can kind of tell the moods of people, and it amazes me that sometimes I'm accurate. Body language is another sign of communication nonverbally .
Jovan Black
I think its cool that the nonhuman primates can tell from our body language if we are happy,sad,& mad.Its also interesting to know that they have picked up our body language.
-Jasmine Busby
I live by body language theres alot you can tell by a person body language. I read people based off that. I can tell when a person is bother, not engaged in a conversation, sad, happy, you name it. I feel like body language goes along way and is underrated by alot of people.
I understand that some facial expressions are universial for the most part. However, there is certain time that say a firmed pressed lips is not anger but, frustration.
Elaine christopher
I cannot believe that over half of communication is body language although thinking about it makes sense, reading cues and addressing what needs to be said based on how they carry themselves or the type of conversation that will be had. These can be misinterpretted though.
Qwynn Marquez
its a little intimidating to realize how much we communicate without meaning to.
petra andrei
The post gains weight when studies are mentioned that show some facial expressions have universal implications across a wide range of cultural groupings. This aspect underlines the importance of nonverbal cues in expressing intents and feelings across linguistic and cultural divides and emphasizes their cross-cultural significance. An interesting new angle to the conversation is provided by studies on nonhuman primates, such as chimpanzees and bonobos, that comprehend body language in humans and other species. It allows us to understand the evolutionary foundations of nonverbal communication by comparing communication between humans and primates.
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