Kinesics
By Tan Wei Heng, Toh Wei Chuan,
Khor Yuk Liang, Ch'ng Liyang William
Significant Nonverbal Behaviours Involving The Torso, hips, Chest and Shoulders
The Torso Lean
Like much of our body, the torso will react to perceived dangers by attempting to distance itself from anything stressful or unwanted. When an object is thrown at us, our limbic system sends signals to the torso to move away instantly from that threat, regardless of the nature of the object that is being thrown.
Distancing sometimes takes place abruptly or very subtly; a mere shifting of body angle of just a few degrees is enough to express negative sentiment.
For example, people or friends who are pulling apart emotionally will also begin to pull apart physically. Their hands don’t touch as much, and their torsos actually avoid each other. When they sit side by side, they will lean away from each other. They create a silent space between them. Similarly, when an individual is standing next to someone who is being obnoxious or someone he does not like, his torso will lean away from that individual.
The Torso Shield
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When it is impractical or socially unacceptable to lean away from someone or something we dislike, we often subconsciously use our arms or objects to act as barriers. Clothing or nearby objects can also serve the same purpose.
Some examples include:
- A businessmen may suddenly decide to button his jacket when talking to someone with whom he is uncomfortable, only to undo the jacket as soon as the conversation is over
- On campus or in school, women place their notebooks across their chests as they walk into class, particularly for the first few days
- Men may reach across the front of himself to play with his watch to create a barrier in front of him when feeling slightly insecure
- Prince Charles of England often reaches over to adjust his shirtsleeve or play with his cuff links. A man may also fix his tie knot, perhaps longer than usual, as this allows for the arm to cover the ventral area of the chest
Torso Embellishments
Nonverbal communication also includes symbols, we have to give some attention to clothing and other accoutrements that are worn on the torso.
Clothing says a lot about us and can do a lot for us. In a sense, our torsos are billboards upon which we advertise our sentiments. During courtship, we dress up to enchant; while working we dress for success. It can be very subdued, very sinister, or very flamboyant (such as that of musicians Liberace or Elton John), reflecting the mood and/or personality of the wearer.
We alternatively can use torso adornments or bare parts of our torsos to attract others, to show off how muscular or fit we are, or to advertise where we fit in socially, economically, or occupationally. This may explain why so many people fret excessively about what to wear when attending a high-profile function or going on a date.
Our personal adornments allow us to show our pedigree or our allegiance to a particular group—for example, wearing the colors of our favourite team. Thus, clothing can be very descriptive, such as if they are of high or low status, whether they conform to social norms or are part of a sect and so on. In a way, we are what we wear.
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Torso Splays
Splaying out on a couch or a chair is normally a sign of comfort. However, when there are serious issues to be discussed, splaying out is a territorial or dominance display.
This splay behaviour is disrespectful and shows indifference to those in authority. It is a territorial display that should not be encouraged or tolerated. This is not conducive to longevity on the job, since it sends a strong negative nonverbal message of disrespect for authority.
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Shoulder Shrugs
The difference between a full and slight shoulder shrug can mean a lot in context. An honest and true response will cause both shoulders to rise sharply and equally. Expect people to give full (high) shoulder shrugs when they confidently support what they are saying. There is nothing wrong with saying, “I don’t know!” while both shoulders rise up toward the ear.
As discussed previously, this is a gravity-defying behaviour that normally signifies the person is comfortable and confident with his or her actions. However if you see a person’s shoulders only partially rise or if only one shoulder rises, chances are the individual is not limbically committed to what he or she is saying and is probably being evasive or even deceptive.
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Weak Shoulder Displays
While conversing or in reaction to a negative event, moves his or her body so the shoulders begin to slowly rise toward the ears in a manner that makes the neck seem to disappear. The key action here is that the shoulder rise slowly. The person displaying this body language is basically trying to make his head disappear, like a turtle.
Such an individual is lacking confidence and is highly uncomfortable.
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One Last Comment on The Torso
There are a lot of books on nonverbal behaviour that neglect to mention the torso and the shoulders. That is unfortunate, because a lot of valuable information comes to us from this portion of our physique. If you have neglected to observe this area of the body for nonverbal clues, I hope the material in this chapter has convinced you to expand your observational range to include the “billboard” of the body. Its reactions are particularly honest because, with so many of our vital organs housed there, the limbic brain takes great care to protect our torsos.