Nonverbal Behavior and the Expressions of emotions Made by Agne Dambrauskaite

Content Emotions The nature of emotions Which culture most controls their facial emotions? Nonverbal behavior Nonverbal behavior in different countries Examples of body language

Emotions People feel at least 6 basic emotions: Anger Joy Disgust Fear               Emotions People feel at least 6 basic emotions: Anger Joy Disgust Fear Sadness Surprise

Emotions The basic emotions appear very early, and people learn to identify the same emotions before they go to school. It is claimed, that certain facial expressions and emotions are programmed into human beings by their genes.

Emotions First of all, newborns make an early sign of fear, interest and disgust. Babies are smiling at people they recognize at about 4 to 6 weeks of age. At 3 or 4 months they are expressing anger, surprise and sadness.

The nature of Emotions Emotions are made up of subjective, behavioral and psychological components. Subjective components: Harold Schlosberg found 3 dimensions that describe feelings reflected on faces: The first dimension goes from pleasant to unpleasant; The second scale goes from attention to the experience, at one end, to rejection of it, at the other ; The third dimension goes from intense, at one extreme, to neutral, at the other.

The nature of Emotions Behavioral components: Facial expressions affect observers more directly. Gestures and actions. In young children, emotion are often accompanied by predictable behavior.

The nature of Emotions Psychological components: Are psychological reactions to all emotions similar? Are psychological reactions to the same emotions uniform?

Which Culture Most Controls Their Facial Emotions? Russians most tightly control the display of their emotions . Americans display the least control over their facial expressions .

Nonverbal behavior Mehrabian (1971) found that non-verbal aspects were a significant part of communication, particularly when mixed messages are sent ; Nonverbal behavior is usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless messages.

Nonverbal behavior It can be used for: Expressing emotion (e.g. smiling to show happiness) Conveying attitudes (e.g. staring to show aggression) Demonstrating personality traits (e.g. open palms to show accepting qualities)

Examples Of Body Language NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR INTERPRETATION Brisk, erect walk Confidence Standing with hands on hips Readiness, aggression Sitting with legs crossed, foot kicking slightly Boredom Sitting, legs apart Open, relaxed Arms crossed on chest Defensiveness

Nonverbal behavior in different countries Non-verbal behavior also varies across cultures . People from collectivist countries (Japan) try to hide both positive and negative emotions. Asian and African cultures are taught to avoid eye contact. Cues communicating immediacy in western culture may be considered aggressive in other countries.

Can you guess the meaning of this Japanese gesture? a. I'm scared like a bunny b. I've been hearing things about you c. I'm angry

Can you try to guess what this French gesture means? a. I don't believe you b. I wish I hadn't seen that c. I am looking at a very handsome man

Conclusion From our handshakes to our hairstyles, nonverbal details reveal who we are and impact how we relate to other people. By paying closer attention to other people's nonverbal behaviors, you will improve your own ability to communicate nonverbally.

Sources http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/which-culture-most-controls-their.php[2008-04-26] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_language [2008-04-26] http://www.deltabravo.net/custody/body [2008-04-26] http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/05/which-culture-most-controls-their [2008-04-26]