BA-II Functional English Paper B: T.V. Journalism

Body Language: The Hidden Signals Chapter 9 Body Language: The Hidden Signals

Introduction to Body Language Body language is a form of mental and physical ability of human non-verbal communication, which consists of: Body Posture Gestures Facial Expressions Eye Movements Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously. While, Kinesics refers to the interpretation of body language or sometimes, as it’s more technical term.

Body Language Flow-chart

Introduction to Body Language James Borg states that human communication consists of 93% body language and paralinguistic cues, while only 7% of communication consists of words themselves. However, Albert Mehrabian, the researcher whose 1960s work is the source of these statistics, has stated that this is a misunderstanding of the findings. Others assert that "Research has suggested that between 60 and 70 percent of all meaning is derived from nonverbal behavior." Body language may provide clues as to the attitude or state of mind of a person. For example, it may indicate aggression, attentiveness, boredom, relaxed state, pleasure, amusement, and intoxication etc.

List of Basic Emotions Amusement Relief Contempt Satisfaction Contentment Sensory pleasure Embarrassment Shame Excitement Guilt Pride in achievement - Paul Ekman

Gestures A form of non-verbal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body. Differ from physical non-verbal communication that does not communicate specific messages, such as purely expressive displays, proxemics, or displays of joint attention. Allow individuals to communicate a variety of feelings and thoughts, from contempt and hostility to approval and affection, often together with body language in addition to words when they speak.

Use of Gestures in Air-Force Military air marshals use hand and body gestures to direct flight operations aboard aircraft carriers.

Postures Can provide important information on non-verbal communication and emotions. Psychological studies have shown the effects of body posture on emotions. This research can be traced back to Charles Darwin when he studied emotion and movement in man and animals. Certain patterns of body movements are indicative of specific emotions. Researchers studied sign language and found that even non-sign language users can determine emotions from only hand movements. An example is the fact that anger is characterized by forward whole body movement. The theories that guide research in this field are the self-validation or perception theory and the embodied emotion theory.

For Example: Closed Posture

For Example: Open Posture

Pool of Labels eye movements hairstyling eye-contact teeth grinding head and neck movements creating impact of presence clearing throat arms crossed creating rapport with interlocutors finger pointing preparation make-up sense cracking knuckles manners facial features creating rapport with audience thumbs up lip movements fingers scratching head physique brow movements legs foot-pointing versatility confidence state of calm standing cross- legged being peppy facial muscles cultivated charms humorous twitching composure preening hand clamped over mouth reading cues laughter dress sense hands nail-biting natural charms posture

Sartorial Sense Sartorial Sense explores the importance of the senses and emotions in the way people dress, and how they attach value and significance to clothing. Cloths, like mannerisms and speech, are the mark of one’s identity, projecting one’s self-perception. They also signal how the individual would like to be taken. In TV Journalism, how the performers dress contributes to the image of the program. It is comparable with the impact set-designs have.

As they say, Dress to the Occasion !!!

Standard Hand Signals Used In TV Industry

Body Language: The Hidden Signals End of Chapter 9 Body Language: The Hidden Signals