Summary

In 1971, US Educational Psychologist Albert Mehrabian published his famous 7%-38%-55% Rule on non-verbal communication. He found that only 7 percent of communication comes from spoken words, 38 percent is from the tone of the voice, and 55 percent comes from body language. Since then, a great deal has been written on the subject of body language.

As always, we've scoured the net for the best material to help you understand how to interpret this language of the body more easily, and to become more aware of the way you communicate with your own body.

Understanding body language can be an effective tool both for the speaker and the listener. By being able to analyze the body language of yourself and others, you can create certain desirable situations such as a successful job interview, a great date, meeting and becoming accepted by new people or social groups, closing a business deal, effectively speak in public, become better at getting the opposite sex interested in you, etc.

Finally, for those interested in foreign languages, body language can actually help immensely when learning a new language to tell whether you have been understood, to get a gist of the feeling behind what is being said when you don't understand everything and more. Read on to learn more about this intriguing, useful and oft-overlooked, aspect of language.

What is body language?

Body language is a term for communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or in addition to, sounds, verbal language or other communication. It forms part of the category of paralanguage, which describes all forms of human communication that are not verbal language. This includes the most subtle of movements that many people are not aware of, including winking and slight movement of the eyebrows. In addition body language can also incorporate the use of facial expressions.

Although they are generally not aware of it, many people send and receive non-verbal signals all the time. The technique of 'reading' people is used frequently. For example, the idea of mirroring body language to put people at ease is commonly used in interviews. It sets the person being interviewed at ease. Mirroring the body language of someone else indicates that they are understood.

Online Videos about Body Language