As a member of the human race, we are genetically predisposed to automatically observe and decode behaviour and facial cues when we are interacting with other people. The survival of prehistoric man/woman would have depended on their reaction by swiftly observing and homing in on visual clues from those around them as well as their physical location.
Whilst some of us might have lost some of this highly tuned sensitivity, decoding body language and its meanings can be learnt by looking at the 5 C’s of Context, Clusters, Congruence, Consistency and Culture. Here we look at:
Context – The connotations of nonverbal communication will change according to the context. For example, if someone is crying in the audience at a graduation ceremony, it would indicate elation as opposed to crying at a funeral.
Clusters – Non-verbal signs occur simultaneously or in a ‘cluster’. Facial expressions, how someone stands and their actions together will reinforce what is being said.
Culturally, there are differences between Eastern and Western cultures in displaying emotion. Westerners tend to be more open and clearer in their expression such as smiling while Eastern culture may be conditioned to mask or control their emotions, the hypothesis being that they will focus more on the eyes are they are more likely to give and indication of a true reflection of someone’s feelings.