Glossary

Behavioral Attitude

Proactive attitude of trying to change someone’s behavior.

Closing

Who withdraws into oneself while drawing back or becoming tense!

Cognitive future

One of the four quadrants used in the movement of the eyes; it corresponds to a nonconscious movement of the glance at the top right.

Cognitive past

One of the four quadrants used in the movement of the eyes; corresponds to a nonconscious movement of the glance at the top left.

Congruence

The physical attitude of a human being corresponds to his mental attitude.  It is congruent.

Conscious (gesture)

Gesture essential to the description (ex: He moved towards this door)

Control

Rigidity under stress

Disguised emotions

These are emotions that are not really felt, but which we seek to convey. We, therefore, express emotion while feeling another one at the same time.

Emotion

Expression of an interior feeling (sensation) resulting in a gesture, a movement or a micro-movement

Emotional future

One of the four quadrants used in the movement of the eyes; it corresponds to a nonconscious movement of the glance at the bottom right.

Emotional past

One of the four quadrants used in the movement of the eyes; corresponds to a nonconscious movement of the glance at the bottom left.

Empathy

A fusion of nonverbal communication: We feel the same emotions as the other and we are in the same bodily state as he or she. We identify with the other. This definition is more in keeping with the discoveries of emotional intelligence than with the traditional psychological dialogue, which describes empathy as a process with which it is possible to distance oneself.

Impulse

A very short-term state of being which can change itself or not, into emotion and which is seen by a micro-movement

Incoherence

By definition, a gesture which does not seem consistent with what is stated after the fact

Induction

The reasoning starts from a premise. Bringing in the proposal itself, what we seek to observe. Introducing the perspective that we seek to demonstrate by bringing it to the core (center) of the demonstration. Example: “I think this person is sad because I observed this and that.” By this reasoning, we refuse to read anything other than sadness. Induction immediately removes any scientific claim to reasoning.

Inference

The reasoning which comes from what was observed. A logical operation by which a proposal, by virtue of its link with other proposals already held for true, is accepted. The reasoning is based on what was noticed. By looking at this and that, therefore it may mean that. Reasoning must be deduced.

Inner attitude

A movement that expresses the inner state of the present emotion

Item

Gesture or movement that describes an attitude; (a hand gesture, body position on the chair, blinking of the eyes, etc…)

Lateral

Which tilts to the sides; particularly important when analyzing the movements of the head

Mental library

Contrary to the truth, action to lie, to twist the truth, omitting details

The accumulation of images in our mind, allowing the reading of nonverbal communication

Microattitudes

This is one of two forms of micro-movements, the other form of micro-movements being made by micro-reactions. Micro-attitudes are different from micro-reactions simply because the hand comes into action when they are expressed. We can identify three types of micro-attitudes: micro-scratches, micro-caresses, and micro-fixations.

Microcaress

Narcissistic retreat into oneself in comparison with a feeling that is unconsciously expressed: a gesture of self-contact. It is addressed to oneself, when it is performed in front of his speaker, with the desire to see him get closer to us. e.g.: to stroke the left internal forearm; can also express the need for comfort: e.g.: “To wash the hands» can show discomfort and the gesture of micro-caress comforts us.

Microfixation

The motionless posture of concentration or total relaxation

Micromovement

Concept and surreptitious movement: There are two types of micro-movements: micro-attitudes and micro-reactions

Microreactions

Surreptitious movements of the face or the body.

Micro scratches

Unconscious itching, which is not caused by allergies

Non-conscious (gesture)

Also called an unconscious gesture; the person who produces a non-conscious gesture cannot be aware of it. Ex: Lower Sampaku

Nonverbal communication          

Which excludes words. Appeared for the first time in the English language in 1956.

Palpebral fissure

Space separating the higher and lower eyelids.

Prehension (gesture)

A gesture that establishes the relationship between the body and all objects which can come into contact with it.

Projective (gesture)

Projecting one’s feelings by gestures inviting others in the communication. Gesture describing nothing in particular, which serves to emphasize the emotion

Pronation

Movement of the articulation that causes a rotation of the hand, which allows the palm of the hand to turn downwards or inwards.  Pronation indicates a closed mind and sometimes a stiffness under stress (hands) or a certain control (feet). Often seen on the axes of the wrists and ankles – stiffness

Quadrants of the eye

The movement of the eye is divided into four quadrants.

Rotational

From right to left or from left to right: Important in understanding the movements of the neck or the ankles.

Sagittal

From front to back: Serves to describe certain movements of the neck. Distress

Sanpaku

Top sanpaku: the white of the eye is visible under the superior eyelid. There is a sign of great distress when the white is visible underneath the eye. The emotional state identified in the area of the eye above and below the iris.

Lower sanpaku: the white of the eye is visible under the lower eyelid

Semi-conscious (gesture)

A gesture that is done unconsciously, but can also be identified by both the person who carries it out and the one who receives it. The majority of the gestures are semi-conscious.

Supination

Movement contrary to pronation: The rotation of the hand therefore consists of turning the palm upward or outward. Supination indicates an openness (hands) or carelessness (feet). Often seen on the axes of the wrists and ankles – fluidity

Symbolic (gesture)

Conscious cultural gesture representing what one seeks to convey (example: this is O.K.).

Unconscious

The unconscious is what is not conscious. The concept does not overlap with the reality of the psychoanalytic concept.

GLOSSARY – OTHER TERMINALOGY RELATED TO NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Axes

Asperger

Asymmetry of the face

Attitude

Anger

Arm-cross

Arm-swing

Autism

Body alignment

Body language

Body movement

Brain

Communication

Cry

Distance

Disgust

Eye contact

Eye-blink

Eyebrow-lower

Eyebrow-raise

Eyes

Face

Facial expression

Facial recognition

Fear 

Feet

Fight-or-flight

Fingertip cue

Fist

Handshake

Hands

Hand-behind-head

Hand-behind-body

Happiness

Head

Head-nod

Human brain

Hypothalamus

Kinesics

Kiss

Lie

Lips

Love sign

Men

Mouth

Nose

Palm

Posture

Rapport

Sadness

Seduction

Self-touch

Shoulders

Sign

Signal

Smile

Space

Territory

Tone of voice

Walk

Woman

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