Decoding Body Language

Crossing of the arms, biting of the lower lip, a change in breathing rate — all of these body movements can communicate a wide range of things. But what do they mean? Retired FBI Special Agent Joe Navarro, who made a career out of "reading" the body language of spies and criminals, offers insight on what our bodies say without our permission.

ANDREA SEABROOK, Host:

This week on Science Out of the Box, what our bodies say without our permission.

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SEABROOK: It got us thinking about all the times we blink or nod or cross our legs or arms. So, we called Joe Navarro; we asked him to come into our member station in Tampa and tell us what some of those non-verbal gestures mean.

M: Here's one that most people miss. Somebody says to you, say, Andrea, how about helping me move this weekend. You immediately cover your eyes with your fingers and your rub them. That wasn't what you wanted to do this weekend and you'll help them, but it's a blocking behavior that is demonstrative of how you really feel.

SEABROOK: children who are born blind, they will cover their eyes when they hear things they don't like. So, that's how hardwired that is in us.

SEABROOK: So, as a body language expert, Joe Navarro, are you constantly aware of your own body language?

M: You know, I really don't try to block it. I think it takes too much time. People who know me, when I'm happy, they see it in my face. And when I'm not they'll also see it in my face.

SEABROOK: Could you fake it, though? I mean, if you know these signals that way couldn't you manipulate them?

M: And speaking of that, here's one we often miss when someone is lacking confidence and they're making a statement. Sometimes their shoulder will come up towards their ear. And I have found myself, you know, when I'm asked, well, you know, how sure are you of this? And I find myself rising towards my ear. And I have to say to myself, well, actually, not that very sure.

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SEABROOK: These behaviors that you describe, are they universal? Do unconscious gestures mean the same thing in every culture?

M: It depends. The ones that I talk about specifically are what we call limbically-derived behaviors. And things that have to do with emotions - positive, negative - are fairly much universal.

SEABROOK: So, after many years of catching criminals, you now teach these skills, I understand, to university students, corporate executives, and even people trying to improve their poker game are the things you won't teach people.

M: So, to me, it's no different. It's an educational process and incredibly I've had surgeons who have attended there and then invited me to, for instance, go to Baylor University School of Medicine, and then businesses started to ask me to come and teach for them.

SEABROOK: What would a surgeon want with this?

M: Well, one of the things that they're up against is before surgery they're interviewing the patient and so forth and a lot of times patients aren't forthcoming with concerns and issues. So, one of the things that I teach them is when you're asking your patient about any issues or anything that they may be concerned about, see if they touch their neck at all. If they begin to touch their neck, this is usually a very good indicator that there is some issue there, there is something that they feel uncomfortable about and that they should perhaps pursue. And this is a very accurate indicator. And the beauty of it is that you see it in real time.

SEABROOK: Wow, cool.

M: And by the way, Andrea, you just changed your posture a minute ago.

SEABROOK: I did. I was flaring my nose wings at my producer.

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M: Yeah, and I could tell from your breathing rate.

SEABROOK: Joe Navarro is a retired FBI special agent and author of the book, "What Every Body is Saying." He joined us from member station WUSF in Tampa, Florida. Joe Navarro, thanks very much for speaking with us.

M: Great talking to you, Andrea.

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