Introduction
Body language constitutes an integral part of effective communication and conveys valuable insights on the attitudes and emotional states of an individual. It encompasses all the nonverbal cues performed consciously or unconsciously by a speaker or a recipient of a message. Many researchers and studies have illustrated how these postural expressions can guide the recognition of a person’s attitude and emotional state of the user. This implies that since messaging is a complex undertaking encompassing intentional and unintentional actions, their correct interpretation is imperative as it influences the effectiveness of the communication. For instance, enthusiastic facial expressions manifest general positive attitude and eagerness to learn, contributing to the creation of a positive environment, which promotes better understanding and experiences. Similarly, addressing a person whose eyes are downcast and body turned away indicates disengagement and boredom, which necessitate the speaker to employ tactics to keep the audience engaged. These perspectives suggest that body language can be used to determine the attitudes and emotions of people engaged in communication. Although body languages and gestures are not universal, they provide valuable insights into emotion and attitudes of people, which are critical in understanding and enhancing the completeness of relayed messages.
Body Language and its Illustration of Emotions and Attitudes in Communication
In the process of communication, people constantly express their emotional states and attitudes. These nonverbal cues constitute postural communication, which forms an integral aspect of effective conveyance and understanding of messages. Kar and Kar (2017) corroborate this perspective and argue that body language is an indispensable accessory, which enhances the completeness and understandability of relayed messages. According to Sheth (2017), the nonverbal cues are a form of postural communication used to generate meanings, effectively complementing the deployed words. For instance, the tonal voice, facial expressions, and body posture can depict such attitudinal and emotional conditions as disengagement, fear, or curiosity. In this regard, the deployed nonverbal gestures are useful markers and insightful lenses through which people can determine the emotional state of attitudes of a person (Kuhnke, 2016). Notably, body language is more spontaneous and instinctive, which make its considerably difficult to control. Therefore, it exposes a person’s underlying feelings and thoughts, rendering it an effective strategy of determining emotions and attitudes in communication.
Body language analysis entails the interpretation of such physical behaviors as eye movements, tonal variations, gestures, facial expressions, and posture. These physical manifestations are triggered by internal processes, which are initiated by various stimuli. According to Kuhnke (2016), there is a robust connection between a person’s feelings, emotions, and their behaviors. Ferrer and Mendes (2017) affirm this view and contend that understanding the behavioral manifestations of a person can help illuminate their underlying emotions and attitudes. This implies that an individual’s state of mind, emotional position, and attitudinal condition are ultimately disclosed in such bodily movements as shifting in the seat, restlessly shifting eyes, and involuntary tapping of feet. The findings of a study conducted by Abramson et al. (2021) showed that interactions between people are accompanied by postural elements, which can be used to decode emotions and attitudes. For instance, the poise of a person who is slumped on the seat, fiddling with the phone, or struggling to maintain an upright stance could be disinterested in the conversation.
The notion of emotions and attitudes influencing behavior is also manifested in the physical presentation of a person through such expressive actions as dressing, tattoos, and hair styles. The grooming details provide useful information on the attitudes and emotions of a person. Lewis (2012) posits that people’s dressing habits are definitive reflections of such personality attributes as feelings, mood, aspirations, and character. In business circles, this is a critical consideration as clothing preferences are deemed an intimate display of positive or negative emotions and attitudes. According to Stolovy (2021), dressing, attitudinal condition, and emotional states of a person are interrelated constituents, and the former is a representation and an outward expression of personality. Sheth (2017) amplifies this perspective, asserting that clothes and associated accessories accentuate body movements and mirror personality and attitude or the wearer. In this regard, appearances effectively communicate how a person feels about themselves and how they would want to be viewed.
Additionally, the choice of clothing, their attributes, and garment features symbolize the underlying moods and attitudes of a person. In business circles, dressing habits are considered as overt behaviors directly influenced by personality, moods, and attitudes. For instance, Rosenbusch et al. (2021) argues that personal grooming constitutes an integral part of body language and has been used to make inferences about such personal attributes as happiness, confidence, and trustworthiness. Maram et al. (2021) ratify this argument by illustrating how individuals purposefully select their clothing to shape their appearance and influence their impression. This is an important dimension of body language, particularly in business communications and relationships. For instance, Kar and Kar (2017) contend that dressing habits are often a representation of a person’s character and illuminate the emotional and attitudinal predisposition. In this regard, clothing choices and grooming habits enhance the better understanding of communication by revealing the underlying feelings, thoughts, and emotions of an individual.
In teaching settings, body language constitutes an influential aspect of communication, interaction, and information dissemination. According to Khandamova (2020), manifesting and displaying the right aspects of postural communication create positive classroom environment ideal for teaching and learning. Notably, such expressions as enthusiastic facial expressions enrich the educational experiences by enhancing and maintaining robust teacher-student relationships. Suhrobovna (2020) validates this perspective and argue that body language influences other people’s perceptions, emotions, feelings, and attitudes. Similarly, it reflects invaluable information about their moods, mental state, serving as windows through which their emotions and sentiments can be reliably identified. For instance, a teacher who manifests jovial facial displays creates an impression of amiability, approachability, and friendliness, which are fundamental in the teaching-learning processes. This implies that both tutors and learners use each other’s facial impressions to develop impressions about the emotional or attitudinal status of one another. For instance, a teacher can accurately recognize disengagement, boredom, or disinterest among learners, and initiate mechanisms to enliven and motivate the classroom.
Additionally, appraisal theories have stablished a strong connection between emotions, attitudes, and cognition. According to these theoretical frameworks, emotions and attitudes directly influence the cognitive processes. For instance, Tyng et al. (2017) assert that emotions and moods can enhance or impede people’s perception, memory, reasoning, attention, and problem-solving. Since these attributes are integral attributes of body language, it is imperative to accurately discern and interpret them correctly for the initiation of appropriate action. For instance, a more energetic classroom inferred by high body and gesture movements indicate profound interest and positive attitude towards the information being relayed in a learning session (Lopez et al., 2017). Conversely, a teacher would have to adjust their teaching modality or messaging if they observe that the learners are lethargic with low concentration levels as manifested by such expressions as arms-crossed posture and maintain little eye contact. Therefore, bodily postures can help in the correct and accurate determination of a person’s attitude or emotions.
Learners also decode the teachers’ attitude and emotions through the postural communication and manifestations of specific body languages. For instance, their gait, stance, eye contact, and walking styles within the classroom convey information regarding their confidence, authority, and character (Lewis, 2012). For instance, lethargic posture illustrates powerlessness, inability, and general absence of self-assurance. Teachers who demonstrate these expressions are perceived as weak and are easily ignored by students. Conversely, tutors who maintain an erect gait and straight shoulders are deemed authoritative and commanding, which increases the preponderance of being believed and heeded by learners. Similarly, attentive gaze and unswaying eye contact establish classroom control and dominance, inform about the teacher’s enthusiasm, alertness, and mental sharpness. Learners decode these expressions and determine the teacher’s emotion and attitudes, which in turn influence the students’ behaviors and classroom reaction. Therefore, teachers’ postural communication expresses their emotions and attitudes, which can help them establish effective classroom control or trigger credibility doubts among the learners.
Conclusion
Body language encompasses the expressive actions constituting an integral component of effective communication. The postural elements are often involuntary and reveal a person’s feelings, emotions, and attitudes, which enhance the effectiveness of the messaging. Multiple studies illustrate how these physical expressions are triggered by the emotional and attitudinal predisposition of a person. This implies that since the deployment of expressive actions is involuntary, they manifest the internal occurrences and events taking place in the course of communication. Therefore, body language can reliably illuminate the emotions and attitudes of a person.
References
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