Kinesics is the interpretation of body communication such as facial expressions and gestures, nonverbal behavior related to movement of any part of the body or the body as a whole. The equivalent popular culture term is body language, a term Ray Birdwhistell, considered the founder of this area of study, neither used nor liked (on the grounds that what can be conveyed with the body does not meet the linguist's definition of language).
Birdwhistell's work
Kinesics was first used in 1952 by an anthropologist named Ray Birdwhistell. Birdwhistell wished to study how people communicate through posture, gesture, stance and movement. His ideas over several decades were synthesized and resulted in the book Kinesics and Context. Interest in kinesics specifically and nonverbal behaviour generally was popularized in the late 1960s and early 1970s by such popular mass-market (nonacademic) publications as How to Read a Person Like a Book. Part of Birdwhistell's work involved filming people in social situations and analyzing them to show elements of communication that were not seen otherwise. One of his most important projects was The Natural History of an Interview, a long-term interdisciplinary collaboration including Gregory Bateson, Frieda Fromm-Reichmann, Norman A. McQuown, Henry W. Brosin and others.
Drawing heavily on descriptive linguistics, Birdwhistell argued that all movements of the body have meaning and that nonverbal behaviour has a grammar that can be analyzed in similar terms to spoken language. Thus, a "kineme" is "similar to a phoneme because it consists of a group of movements which are not identical, but which may be used interchangeably without affecting social meaning."
Birdwhistell estimated that no more than 30 to 35 percent of the social meaning of a conversation or an interaction is carried by the words. He also concluded that there were no universals in these kinesic displays, a claim that was disputed by Paul Ekman, who was interested in analysis of universals, especially in facial expression.
Modern applications
In a current application, kinesic behavior is sometimes used as signs of deception by interviewers looking for clusters of movements to determine the veracity of the statement being uttered, although kinesics can be equally applied in any context and type of setting to construe innocuous messages whose carriers are indolent or unable to express verbally.
Relevant concepts include:
- Emblems - Body movements or gestures that are directly translatable into a word or phrase
- Illustrators - Accompany or reinforce verbal messages
- Batons - Temporally accent or emphasize words or phrases
- Ideographs - Trace the paths of mental journeys
- Deictic movements - Point to a present object
- Kinetographs - Depict a bodily action
- Spatial movements - Depict a spatial relationship
- Pictographs - Draw a picture of their referent
- Rhythmic movements - Depict the rhythm or pacing of an event
- Affect Displays - Show emotion
- Regulators - Control the flow and pace of communication
- Manipulators - Release physical or emotional tension
Kinesic behaviors are an important part of nonverbal communication. Body movements convey information, but interpretations vary by culture. As many movements are carried out at a subconscious or at least a low-awareness level, kinesic movements carry a significant risk of being misinterpreted in an intercultural communication situation.
See also
- Intercultural competence
- Metacommunicative competence
- Nonverbal communication
- Body language
- Cold reading
- Eye contact
- Facial expression
- Gesture
- Posture
- Proxemics
- Paralanguage
References
- Danesi, M (2006). "Kinesics". Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics: 207–213. doi:10.1016/B0-08-044854-2/01421-8. ISBN 9780080448541.
- Birdwhistell, R. L. (1952). Introduction to Kinesics: An Annotation System for Analysis of Body Motion and Gesture. Washington, DC: Department of State, Foreign Service Institute.
- Birdwhistell, R. 1970. Kinesics and Context. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.
- Nierenberg, G. I., & Calero, H. H. (1971). How to Read a Person Like a Book. New York: Hawthorn Books.
- Jump up ^ Leeds-Hurwitz, W. (1987). The Social History of The Natural History of an Interview: A multidisciplinary investigation of social communication. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 20, 1-51.
- Knapp, M. 1972. Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction. Reinhart and Winston, New York, pp. 94-5.
- McDermott, R. 1980. Profile: Ray L. Birdwhistell. The Kinesis Report, 2, 3: 1-16.
- Ekman, P; Friesen, W (1971). "Constants across cultures in the face and emotion" (PDF). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 17 (2): 124–9. doi:10.1037/h0030377. PMID 5542557. S2CID 14013552. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-02-28. Retrieved 2015-02-28.
- Ekman, Paul (2004). "Emotional and Conversational Nonverbal Signals". Language, Knowledge, and Representation. pp. 39–50. doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-2783-3_3. ISBN 978-94-015-7073-2.
External links
- Report on kinesics by David B. Givens for the Center for Nonverbal Studies.
- On the Origin of Language by Andrej Poleev.
Kinesics is the interpretation of body communication such as facial expressions and gestures nonverbal behavior related to movement of any part of the body or the body as a whole The equivalent popular culture term is body language a term Ray Birdwhistell considered the founder of this area of study neither used nor liked on the grounds that what can be conveyed with the body does not meet the linguist s definition of language Birdwhistell s workKinesics was first used in 1952 by an anthropologist named Ray Birdwhistell Birdwhistell wished to study how people communicate through posture gesture stance and movement His ideas over several decades were synthesized and resulted in the book Kinesics and Context Interest in kinesics specifically and nonverbal behaviour generally was popularized in the late 1960s and early 1970s by such popular mass market nonacademic publications as How to Read a Person Like a Book Part of Birdwhistell s work involved filming people in social situations and analyzing them to show elements of communication that were not seen otherwise One of his most important projects was The Natural History of an Interview a long term interdisciplinary collaboration including Gregory Bateson Frieda Fromm Reichmann Norman A McQuown Henry W Brosin and others Drawing heavily on descriptive linguistics Birdwhistell argued that all movements of the body have meaning and that nonverbal behaviour has a grammar that can be analyzed in similar terms to spoken language Thus a kineme is similar to a phoneme because it consists of a group of movements which are not identical but which may be used interchangeably without affecting social meaning Birdwhistell estimated that no more than 30 to 35 percent of the social meaning of a conversation or an interaction is carried by the words He also concluded that there were no universals in these kinesic displays a claim that was disputed by Paul Ekman who was interested in analysis of universals especially in facial expression Modern applicationsIn a current application kinesic behavior is sometimes used as signs of deception by interviewers looking for clusters of movements to determine the veracity of the statement being uttered although kinesics can be equally applied in any context and type of setting to construe innocuous messages whose carriers are indolent or unable to express verbally Relevant concepts include Emblems Body movements or gestures that are directly translatable into a word or phrase Illustrators Accompany or reinforce verbal messages Batons Temporally accent or emphasize words or phrases Ideographs Trace the paths of mental journeys Deictic movements Point to a present object Kinetographs Depict a bodily action Spatial movements Depict a spatial relationship Pictographs Draw a picture of their referent Rhythmic movements Depict the rhythm or pacing of an event Affect Displays Show emotion Regulators Control the flow and pace of communication Manipulators Release physical or emotional tension Kinesic behaviors are an important part of nonverbal communication Body movements convey information but interpretations vary by culture As many movements are carried out at a subconscious or at least a low awareness level kinesic movements carry a significant risk of being misinterpreted in an intercultural communication situation See alsoIntercultural competence Metacommunicative competence Nonverbal communication Body language Cold reading Eye contact Facial expression Gesture Posture Proxemics ParalanguageReferencesDanesi M 2006 Kinesics Encyclopedia of Language amp Linguistics 207 213 doi 10 1016 B0 08 044854 2 01421 8 ISBN 9780080448541 Birdwhistell R L 1952 Introduction to Kinesics An Annotation System for Analysis of Body Motion and Gesture Washington DC Department of State Foreign Service Institute Birdwhistell R 1970 Kinesics and Context University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia Nierenberg G I amp Calero H H 1971 How to Read a Person Like a Book New York Hawthorn Books Jump up Leeds Hurwitz W 1987 The Social History of The Natural History of an Interview A multidisciplinary investigation of social communication Research on Language and Social Interaction 20 1 51 Knapp M 1972 Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction Reinhart and Winston New York pp 94 5 McDermott R 1980 Profile Ray L Birdwhistell The Kinesis Report 2 3 1 16 Ekman P Friesen W 1971 Constants across cultures in the face and emotion PDF Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 17 2 124 9 doi 10 1037 h0030377 PMID 5542557 S2CID 14013552 Archived from the original PDF on 2015 02 28 Retrieved 2015 02 28 Ekman Paul 2004 Emotional and Conversational Nonverbal Signals Language Knowledge and Representation pp 39 50 doi 10 1007 978 1 4020 2783 3 3 ISBN 978 94 015 7073 2 External linksLook up kinesics in Wiktionary the free dictionary Report on kinesics by David B Givens for the Center for Nonverbal Studies On the Origin of Language by Andrej Poleev
