How to Read Body Language

All human have different mind and most of the time we can see through the body language what a person feels. One thing that is really important for a psychologist to do is to analyze and understand his patient. Nonverbal behavior is itself complex since everyone is different and presenting themselves differently. He has to takes into account many aspects like their personality, social factors, verbal behavior and culture. Here are some aspects that a psychologist can analyze when a patient come in his office and how you can identify them.

1. Posture

First of all, the psychologist will observe a lot of things like the physical appearance, immediately when the patient enter his office. He will probably make a first physical contact like shaking his hand to see how he will react. This way, he will see if he is confident by the way he shakes his hand or if he is nervous because he has a sweaty hand. The psychologist will start a conversation with the patient and while listening and asking question, he will observe his posture because it tells a lot about his feeling. If a person is sitting up straight with his legs apart, for example, it may indicate that the patient is focused, relax and paying attention to what's going on. On the other hand, if he is sitting with the body hunched forward and his arms crossed on his chest it can imply that he is bored or indifferent.

2. Eyes

Another think that a psychologist can do is to look carefully the eyes of his patient. The eyes are 'the mirrors of the soul'. They tell you so much that for reading body language, eyes contact is a must. Simply sign like looking left and up may tell that the patient is thinking about an experience and emotional feeling. Some people associate this with lying, but liars usually look straight at you so that they won’t be suspected of lying. Constantly looking down signals that the patient could feel guilty, not wanting to face the person in front of him. The pupils are another part of our body language that we practically have no control over. It can reveal that he is interested in the person he is talking to or the object he is looking at.

3. Facial expressions

The face has many muscles and can make numerous facial expressions like anger, sadness, scary, surprise, joy and distaste. It is probably easier for someone like a psychologist to read those facial expression on a patient. For example, when a person is angry you can notice that most of the time his teeth are showing, with snarling lips and depressed corners of the mouth. The nose is wrinkled and the eyes are bulging out. When he is sad the corners of his mouth would be depressed and his lower lip will be shaking. The skin around his eyes is pulled in and the eyes are tearing up. If he is happy his forehead is relaxed, the corners of the mouth are curling up, sometimes showing the teeth. If someone's laughing out loud, the mouth is open. The cheekbones are lifted. For instance, not all facial expressions are equally easy to understand. People are generally better at reading facial expressions that are pleasant rather than unpleasant. For a psychologist all of this is very important to better understand the person.

Conclusion

We all subconsciously give away hints as to our true feelings, through our movements and gestures.  Body language is not always simple to read but for a psychologist it can be important to take the times to analyze them and know how to read them if he want to be able to help his patient.

Glossary

In Social Science, we learn about many human aspects, like Psychology. We have to use the proper word to be able to express ourselves and understand the subject. In this glossary you will find a few words and their definitions that we use in psychology

Body language

This is the conscious and unconscious movements and postures by which attitudes and feelings are communicated. It is the transmission and interpretation of feelings, attitudes, and moods, through body posture, movement, physical state, position, facial expression and eye movement

Analyze

To examine carefully and in detail someone or something and try to identify the causes, the key factors and the possible results

Attitude

A manner of thinking, feeling, or behaving that reflects a state of mind or disposition

Emotion

A strong feeling (such as love, anger, joy, hate, or fear)

Mental illness

Any disease of the mind who can affect someone and can cause psychological emotional or behavioral problems serious enough to require psychiatric intervention

Mind

The part of a person that thinks, reasons, feels, and remembers

Observation

A statement about something you have noticed, a comment or remark to gain information

Stimulus

An action, or a condition that causes a physiological or psychological activity or response in an organism

Unconscious

The part of the mind containing instincts, impulses, images, and ideas that are not available

Variables

Something that can varies or might be change.  

Référence:

L'Univers de la psychologie, 2e Édition, Samuel E. Wood, Ellen Green Wood, Denise Boyd, Francine Hétu.

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