Kinesics

Kinesics

Kinesics is the interpretation of body language such as facial expressions and gestures — or, more formally, non-verbal behavior related to movement, either of any part of the body or the body as a whole.

The term was first used (in 1952) by Ray Birdwhistell, a ballet dancer turned anthropologist who wished to study how people communicate through posture, gesture, stance, and movement. Part of Birdwhistell's work involved making film of people in social situations and analyzing them to show different levels of communication not clearly seen otherwise. The study was joined by several other anthropologists, including Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson.

Drawing heavily on descriptive linguistics, Birdwhistell argued that all movements of the body have meaning (ie. are not accidental), and that these non-verbal forms of language (or paralanguage) have a grammar that can be analysed 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" (Knapp 1972:94-95).

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 disputed by Paul Ekman's analysis of universals in facial expression.

A few Birdwhistell-isms are as follows:
*Social personality is a temporo-spatial system. All behaviors evinced by any such system are components of the system except as related to different levels of abstractions.
*Even if no participant of an interaction field can recall, or repeat in a dramatized context, a given series or sequence of body motions, the appearance of a motion is of significance to the general study of the particular kinesic system even if the given problem can be rationalized without reference to it.
*All meaningful body motion patterns are to be regarded as socially learned until empirical investigation reveals otherwise.
*No kineme ever stands alone.

In one current application, kinesics are used as signs of deception by interviewers. Interviewers look for clusters of movements to determine the veracity of the statement being uttered. Some related words may be:
*Emblems a substitute for words and phrases
*Illustrators accompany or reinforce verbal messages
*Affect Displays Show emotion
*Regulators Control the flow and pace of communication
*Adaptors Release physical or emotional tension

Kinesics are an important part of non-verbal communication behavior. The movement of the body, or separate parts, conveys many specific meanings and the interpretations may be culture bound. 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 communications situation.

ee also

*Paralanguage
*Nonverbal communication
**Body language
**Cold Reading
**Eye contact
**Facial expression
**Gesture
**Posture
**Proxemics
*Metacommunicative competence
*Intercultural competence

References

* Birdwhistell, R. 1970. "Kinesics in Context." University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.
* Knapp, M. 1972. "Nonverbal Communication in Human Interaction." Reinhart and Winston Inc., New York.
* McDermott, R. 1980. "Profile: Ray L. Birdwhistell," The Kinesis Report 2, 3: 1-16.

External references

* [http://members.aol.com/doder1/kinesic1.htm Report on kinesics] by David B. Givens for the Center for Nonverbal Studies.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • kinesics — (n.) study of body language, 1952, from Gk. kinesis movement, motion (see CITE (Cf. cite)) + ICS (Cf. ics). Related: kinesic …   Etymology dictionary

  • kinesics — [ki nē′siks, kīnē′siks; ki nē′ziks, kīnē′ziks] n. [< Gr kinēsis (see KINESIOLOGY) + ICS] the study of bodily movements, facial expressions, etc. as ways of communication or as accompaniments to speech kinesic adj …   English World dictionary

  • kinesics — noun plural but singular in construction Etymology: Greek kinēsis motion + English ics Date: 1952 a systematic study of the relationship between nonlinguistic body motions (as blushes, shrugs, or eye movement) and communication …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • kinesics — kinesic, adj. kinesically, adv. /ki nee siks, ziks, kuy /, n. (used with a sing. v.) the study of body movements, gestures, facial expressions, etc., as a means of communication. [1950 55; < Gk kínes(is) (see KINESIS) + ICS] * * * …   Universalium

  • kinesics — noun Non verbal communication by means of gestures, and/or other body movement. See Also: kinesic …   Wiktionary

  • kinesics — The study of nonverbal, bodily motion in communication. See body language. * * * ki·ne·sics (kĭ neґsiks) the study of body movement as a part of the process of communication …   Medical dictionary

  • kinesics — See body language …   Dictionary of sociology

  • kinesics — study of gestural communication Sciences and Studies …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • kinesics — n. study of bodily movement as a form of communication …   English contemporary dictionary

  • kinesics — [kɪ ni:sɪks, kʌɪ ] plural noun [treated as sing.] the study of the way in which certain gestures and movements of the body serve for non verbal communication. Origin 1950s: from Gk kinēsis motion + ics …   English new terms dictionary

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