Interesting And Random Body Language Facts
- Crossing
one’s finger is a way of making the Sign of the Cross. It began as a
way to ask God for protection without attracting the attention of
pagans.[2]
-
- Body language is the means by which humans
(and some other animals) convey information through conscious or
subconscious body movements or facial expressions. Body language is
officially known as kinesics (kin-EE-siks).[8]
-
- Body
language seems to have three major uses: 1) as a conscious replacement
for speech, 2) to reinforce speech, and 3) as a mirror or betrayer of
mood.[3]
-
- The first modern book on body language
appeared more than 350 years ago. John Bulwer’s Chirologia: Or the
Natural Language of the Hand (1644) was a pioneering work on hand
movements.[6]
-
- A woman has a wider-ranging peripheral
vision, which allows her to check out a man’s body from head to toe
without getting caught. A male’s peripheral vision is poorer, which is
why a man will move his gaze up and down a woman’s body in a very
obvious way. Men do not “ogle” more than women—their tunnel vision means
they just get caught more easily.[7]
- A
normal, relaxed blinking rate is 6–8 blinks per minute, and the eyes are
closed for about 1/10th of a second. People under pressure (such as
when they are lying) are likely to dramatically increase their blinking
rate.[6]
-
- Americans usually stand 18–48 inches away
from each other, which is the size of their “personal bubble.” Japanese,
however, have a personal bubble, or intimate zone, of 10 inches. And
people from rural areas tend to have larger personal bubbles than those
that live in a city.[8]
- The Duchenne smile brings health benefits more powerful than any other smile
- Of
all the facial expressions, the smile may be the most deceptive. There
are around 18 different smiles, but only one, the Duchenne smile,
reflects genuine happiness.[3]
-
- The “Crotch Display”
is predominately a male gesture. This is where a person plants both feet
firmly on the ground with legs apart. It is used as a dominance signal
by men because it highlights the genitals and puts masculinity on show.[11]
-
- When a person crosses both legs and arms they have emotionally withdrawn from the conversation.[7]
- A
woman is instinctively four times more likely to mirror another woman
than a man is to mirror another man. Additionally, while women also
mirror men’s body language, men are reluctant to mirror a woman’s
gestures or posture unless he is in courtship mode.[7]
-
- There
are six universal facial expressions: 1) anger, 2) disgust, 3) fear, 4)
happiness, 5) sadness, and 6) surprise. Recently, some scientists have
argued that looks of contempt and embarrassment are also universal
expressions.i[11]
-
- Britain, along with most of
Northern Europe and the Far East, is classed as a “non-contact” culture,
in which there is very little physical contact in daily interactions.
By comparison, the Middle East, Latin America, and Southern Europe are
considered “high contact cultures” where physical touch is a large part
of socializing.[4]
- Studies show that women laugh at
men they’re attracted to, and men are attracted to women who laugh at
them. From a man’s perspective, saying a woman has good sense of humor
doesn’t mean she makes jokes; it means she laughs at his jokes.[7]
-
- In
the Middle East, same-gender eye contact tends to be more intense and
sustained than in the West. However, in many Asian, African, and Latin
American countries, unbroken eye contact is considered aggressive and
confrontational.[4]
-
- An early landmark in the
scientific study of nonverbal communication was the naturalist Charles
Darwin’s The Expression of the Emotions of Man and Animals (1872). It
was the first to claim that humans and apes expressed similar facial
expressions inherited from a common ancestor. In 1969, British zoologist
Desmond Morris argued that humans owed their nonverbal communication to
their animal nature.i[11]
-
- The “flight response” is
an instinctual response to a threat. However, in the modern world, we
have adopted it to meet our modern needs. Subconscious “evasive” actions
include closing the eyes, rubbing the eyes, placing objects (e.g., a
purse) on a lap, turning feet to the exit, and leaning away from a
person.f[8]
-
- People often subconsciously sniff their right hand after shaking another person’s hand
- Some scientists believe that humans shake hands in order to exchange body odors.[3]
- Eye
blocking (covering the eyes, delaying opening the eyes, lowering the
eyes for a prolonged time) is a very powerful display of consternation,
disbelieve, or disagreement.[8]
- Subconscious
pacifying behaviors take various forms, such as massaging/stroking our
necks or playing with our hair. Sometimes people pacify by rubbing their
cheeks or lips from inside with their tongues. All these pacifying
behaviors release calming endorphins to soothe the brain.f[8]
- When
feeling discomfort, men typically prefer to touch their faces. Women,
on the other hand, prefer to touch their necks, clothing, jewelry, arms,
and hair.[8]
- Neck touching and/or stroking is one of
the most significant and frequent pacifying behaviors we use in
response to stress. Specifically, when women subconsciously touch or
cover their suprasternal notch (the hollow area between the Adams apple
and the breast bone: “the neck dimple”), she typically feels distressed,
threatened, uncomfortable, insecure, or fearful.[8]
- Neck
touching or massaging is a powerful and universal stress reliever and
pacifier. Interestingly, a pregnant woman will initially move her hand
to her neck and then at the last movement divert to her belly, as if to
cover her fetus.[8]
-
- “Leg cleansing” is one of several
pacification behaviors. In this calming behavior, a person places the
hand or hands palm down on the leg or legs and slides them down the
thighs toward the knee. While it often occurs in people who are being
deceptive, innocent people who are merely nervous also use it.[8]
-
- People
under stress will often exhibit “ventilation action,” which relieves
stress and emotional discomfort. A man often will put his fingers
between his shirt collar and neck and pull the fabric away from his
skin. Women may do it more subtlety by tossing the back of her hair to
ventilate her neck.[6]
-
- In stressful situations, some
individuals will pacify themselves by crossing their arms and rubbing
their hands against their shoulders, in a self-administered body hug.
This is reminiscent of the way a mother hugs a young child.[6]
- When
two people talk to each other, they normally speak toe to toe. If one
person turns his feet slightly away or repeatedly moves one foot in an
outward direction, this is a strong sign of disagreement, and they want
to leave. In fact, the feet and legs are the body parts most likely to
reveal a person’s true intentions.[6]
-
- The way people angle their faces affects their attractiveness to the opposite sex
- People are typically perceived as more attractive when they tilt their heads.[1]
- Eve
n when a person is standing still, a person’s body is telling a story.[11]
- When
people find themselves in confrontational situations, their feet and
legs will splay out, not only for greater balance but also to claim more
territory. They typically will not cross their legs while standing
because it puts them slightly off balance.[6]
-
- One
prison inmate noted that in prison “it’s all about posture, how we stand
and how we look. We can’t look weak, not for one moment.”[6]
- People
who tend to take up more space (territory) through their daily
activities also tend to be more self-assured, more confident, and of
higher social status. This has been demonstrated throughout history and
in most cultures.[6]
-
- During high-comfort social
interactions, our feet and legs will mirror those of the person with
whom we are talking (also known as isopraxism).[8]
-
- When
people sit side to side, the direction of the leg crosses become
significant. If they are good terms, the top leg crossed over will point
toward the other person. If a person is uncomfortable, he will switch
the position of the legs so that the thigh becomes a barrier.[8]
- Custom
officers note that passengers who point their feet toward the exit
while turning to the officer to make their custom’s declaration are more
likely to be concealing something they should have declared. While
their faces and the words are obliging, their feet reveal otherwise.[6]
-
- When
a foot suddenly begins to kick, it is usually a good indicator of
discomfort. This is seen in people being interviewed as soon as a
question is asked that they don’t like.[6]
- The “face
platter” or when a person places one hand on top of the other and rests
his or her face on top of the hands is often used in courtship. It’s
used mainly by women and by gay men who want to attract a man’s
attention. Their face is placed as if it were on a platter for the other
person to admire.[7]
- The “face platter” is a common courtship gesture
- A
sudden crossing of the arms during a conversation often indicates
discomfort. Or a businessperson may suddenly decide to button his or her
jacket when talking to someone disagreeable, only to undo the jacket
once the conversation is over.[6]
- Splaying out on a
couch or a chair is normally a sign of comfort. However, when serious
issues are being discussed, splaying can indicate territorial or
dominance display. Teenagers, in particular, will often sit splayed out
on a couch or chair as a nonverbal way to dominate their environment and
show disrespect while being chastised. Splaying is also very
inappropriate during a job interview since it shows a nonverbal message
of disrespect for authority.[8]
- Humans like many
other animals (e.g., lizards, birds, dogs, and primates) puff up their
chests when they are trying to establish territorial dominance. Human
males may also bare their torso. Scientists are unsure whether this is
to show off muscles, protect discarded clothing, or rob an opponent of a
type of hold.[8]
- A partial shoulder shrug indicates
that the speaker is not committed to what was just said. A more honest
and true response causes both shoulders to rise fully, sharply, and
equally. When only one side rises, the message is dubious.[8]
- Sometimes
called the “regal stance,” arms behind the back means “don’t come
near.” Royalty often uses this stance to keep people at a distance.[8]
- Arms
akimbo (a standing person whose extended arms are out in a V pattern
with the hands placed on the hips, thumbs backward) is a powerful
territorial display that is used to establish dominance or indicate that
there are “issues.” Women tend to use arms akimbo less often than men.[8]
- Arms
akimbo with thumbs forward represents a more inquisitive, less
authoritarian position than arms akimbo with thumbs backward.[8]
- Genital framing is a way men (typically) subconsciously assert their dominance
- Genital
framing, or when someone hooks their thumbs inside their waistbands on
either side of the zipper, is a powerful dominance display, especially
for males.[8]
- Each person has a space requirement
called “proxemics” that is both personal and cultural in origin. Some
people have larger space “bubbles” than others, and if a person enters
another person’s space bubble, it causes arousal. The definition of that
arousal depends on the context and who is invading.[9]
- The
“hooding affect” is a powerful territorial display among humans.
Interlaced hands behind the head are indicative of comfort and
dominance. Usually the senior person at a meeting will pose or “hood”
this way.[8]
- Fingertips planted and spread apart on a surface are a significant territorial display of confidence and authority.[8]
- One
of the best ways to establish rapport with someone is to touch that
person on the arm somewhere between the elbow and shoulder (though it is
always wise to first assess the person’s personal and cultural
preferences).[7]
- Exhaling with puffed out cheeks is great way to release stress and to pacify. People often do this after a near mishap.[8]
- Hand-steepling
may be the most powerful high-confidence hand gesture. It involves
touching the spread fingertips of both hands in a gesture similar to
praying hands, but the fingers are not interlocked and the palms may not
be touching. In the U.S., women tend to steeple low (at the waist),
while men tend to steeple at chest level.[8]
- In
contrast to hand-steepling, hand wringing is a universal way of showing
distress or concern. A person can go from steepling (high confidence) to
fingers interlaced (low confidence) and back to steepling (high
confidence), reflecting the ebb and flow of confidence and doubt.[8]
- Thumbs
can be a powerful form of body language. Often seen with high-status
individuals, the thumb sticking out of the pocket is a high-confidence
display. Generally when individuals carry their thumbs high, it is a
sign they think highly of themselves or are confident.[8]
- Eye-blocking is hard wired into the human brain
- Children who are born blind will cover their eyes when they hear bad news.[8]
- Thumb
displays are powerful body language indicators. For example, thumbs in
the pocket indicate low status and confidence. People in authority
should avoid this display because it portrays weakness.[8]
- A
limp or exposed wrist is a sign of submission. Both women and
homosexual men tend to do this subconsciously in a room with others that
they want to attract. It is not unusual for a woman who is smoking to
hold her cigarette with her wrist turned out and exposed.[6]
- Research suggests that liars tend to gesture less, touch less, and move their arms and legs less than honest people.[6]
- Microgestures,
or sudden leakages of emotion, are usually less than a second in
duration but are expressions of true feeling. They typically show up
only when we’re trying to hide a very strong feeling that is contrary to
what we are admitting to.[5]
- Research shows that whatever we’re feeling first shows up in our body and only (nanoseconds) later enter in our conscious minds.[6]
-
- People who smile without actually feeling happy can make themselves feel happier.[3]
- When
we are truly relaxed and comfortable, facial muscles relax and the head
will tilt to one side, exposing our most vulnerable area, the neck.
This is a high-comfort display that is almost impossible to mimic when
we feel threatened.[3]
-
- Squinting can be very brief,
just 1/8 of a second, but in real time may reflect negative thoughts or
emotions. We squint when we are angry or even when we hear voices,
sounds, or music we don’t like.[6]
-
- Research suggests
that assuming a “power pose” makes people feel more powerful and
actually changes testosterone and cortisol levels in the body.
Practicing “power poses” before an important meeting for 2–3 minutes
will help you feel more powerful.[8]
- Princeton researchers note that our body expresses emotion better than our face.[3]
- A “thumbs up” gesture means different things in different cultures
- The
“thumbs-up” sign means “good” to Westerners, “one” to Italians, “five”
to Japanese, and “up yours” in Greece. In Iran, it represents a penis.[8]
-
- Research
shows that when we like something we see, our pupils dilate. When we
don’t, they constrict. Pupil responses have been used in opinion polls
and market research to measure public attitudes to political candidates
and products. The more favorable the attitude, the more dilated the
pupils.[6]
- Abused children often manifest a
“freezing” response. In the presence of an abusive parent or adult,
their arms will lie dormant at their sides and they avoid eye contact,
as if they are trying to disappear. They are essentially “hiding in the
open,” which is a tool of survival.[8]
- During
surveillance of shoplifters, researchers note that thieves will try to
hide their physical presence by restricting their motions and by
limiting their head exposure by raising the shoulders and lowering the
head, as in a “turtle effect.” Most people walk around the store with
their arms quite active and their posture upright.[6]
-
- Aligning
your body more congenially with a conversation partner helps solve
tension in conversations and come to solutions more quickly.[7]
- People
born blind can perform the same body language expression as people who
can see, which suggests that body language is more innate than language
or even facial expressions.[8]
- Both males and females
find people with “available” body language the most attractive.
Available body language includes smiling, uncrossed arms, uncrossed
legs, and not looking down at shoes or phones.[7]
-
- Men
who stand up straight, square their shoulders, plant their feet
slightly more than shoulder width apart, and display their hands are
seen as more fertile.[7]
- Note a woman and her purse.
If a woman is feeling uncomfortable or not attracted to someone, she
will either clutch her bag tightly or place it in front of her to cover
her body. When she is attracted to a man, she will move it aside—she
literally does not want anything in her way.[7]
- Folding your arms during an interview makes you seem unfriendly and closed off from the interviewer.[8]
-
- Perhaps one of the most offensive gestures we possess is finger pointing. It has negative connotations around the globe.[8]
- One
researcher notes that the average person actually speaks words for a
total of about 10–11 minutes a day. The average sentence takes 2.5
seconds to say. However, we make and recognize about 25,000 facial
expressions daily.[8]
-
- The total impact of a message
is about 7% verbal (words only), 38% vocal (including tone of voice,
inflection, and other sound), and 55% nonverbal.[3]
- Just
as a dog will expose its throat to show submission or surrender to a
victor, humans use their palms to show that they are unarmed and,
therefore, not a threat.[8]
- The origin of human laughter is as a primate warning signal and is closely related to crying.[8]
- Women are typically better than men at reading body language
- When reading body language, 14–16 areas of a woman’s brain are active. Men show just 4–6 active areas.[7]
-
- When
asked to decode a silent movie, 87% of women in a study were able to
guess what was happening, but men could guess correctly just 42% of the
time. Homosexual men and men in highly emotional jobs (nursing,
teaching, and acting) did nearly as well as women.[7]
- Nodding the head means “yes” in most societies, but means “no” in some parts of Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Turkey.[4]
- An
ear grasp means “I’m sorry” in parts of India. Cupping the ear means “I
can’t hear you” in all societies. Pulling the ear means “you are in my
heart” for Navajo Indians.[3]
- In Asia, kissing is considered an intimate act and not permissible in public, even as a social greeting.[8]
-
- In Asia, it is believed that patting a child’s head will damage the child’s soul.[8]
- Spitting
in public is considered rude in most Western cultures. However, in many
Asian countries, spitting in public is ridding the body of waste and,
therefore, is considered healthy and acceptable.[8]
- Lip-pointing (as a substitute for finger pointing) is common among Latin Americans, Native Americans, and Filipinos.i[11]
- Some
cultures, such as the Italians, use more dramatic arm and hand gestures
when conversing. Other cultures, such as the Japanese are more reserved
and see gesticulating with broad movements as rude.[11]
-
- The
“hang loose” sign (thumb and little finger extended) means, “stay cool,
relax” in Hawaii, “six” in Japan, and “would you like a drink?” in
Mexico.[8]
- Eight of the most common lying gestures
include 1) the mouth cover, 2) the nose touch, 3) incongruous nodding,
4) the eye rub, 5) the ear grab, 6) the neck scratch, 7) the collar
pull, and 8) fingers in the mouth.[6]
- Experienced
nonverbal observers have noted how people who are lying often will not
move their feet in an interview or will interlock their feet to restrict
movement. People tend to restrict both arm and leg movement when lying.[6]
-
- Rodin’s
“The Thinker” shows a thoughtful evaluative attitude, but the body
posture and hand supporting the head also reveal a dejected person.i[11]
- Laughter is a form of universal communication
- The
older people become, the more serious they become. An adult laughs on
average 15 times per day. A preschooler laughs on average of 400 times.[3]
-
- Humans
are the only primates that have whites of the eye (the sclera).
Scientists believe the white of the eye evolved so people could see
where other people were looking because direction is linked to emotional
states.[11]
-
- Lowering the eyelids while
simultaneously looking up, and slightly parting the lips is a body
language cluster that has been used by women for centuries to show
sexual submissiveness. This is also the expression many women have on
their faces immediately before having an orgasm.[7]
-
- Contrary to popular belief, most liars maintain strong eye contact with their victim.[6]
- Someone
suffering from autism may not exhibit typical body language and may be
incongruous with what they are saying. Additionally, they may not have
the skills to decode others people’s body language.[
-
- ISOPRAXISM
Side by side, like oxen that go yoked . . . --Dante Alighieri, Purgatorio, Canto
XII
Imitation.
1. "A non-learned neurobehavior in which members of a
species act in a like manner" (Soukhanov 1993:135). 2. A deep,
reptilian principle of mimicry, i.e., of copying, emulating, or aping a
behavior, gesture, or fad. 3. An impulsive
tendency to, e.g., a. stand and clap as audience
members nearby stand and applaud, or b. wear the same style of
jewelry, clothing, or shoes.
Usage I: Isopraxism explains why we dress like our colleagues and
adopt the beliefs, customs, and mannerisms of the people we admire. Wearing the
same team jersey or franchise cap to
look alike suggests like thinking and feeling, as well. Appearing, behaving, and
acting the same way makes it easier to be accepted, because "same is
safe."
Usage II: The word isopraxis (Greek iso-,
"same"; Greek praxis, "behavior") was introduced by the neuroanatomist
Paul D. MacLean, who first used it in print in 1975 (see below, Word origin
I). Examples include a. the simultaneous head-nodding of lizards, b. the group
gobbling of turkeys, and c. the synchronous
preening of birds. In human beings, isopraxism "is manifested in the
hand-clapping of a theater audience and, on a larger scale, in historical mass
migrations, in mass rallies, violence, and hysteria, and in the sudden
widespread adoption of fashions and fads" (Soukhanov
1993:135).
Imitation. " 'Because "imitation" is such a "loaded"
word in the social and behavioral sciences, commonly implying "conscious"
learning or mimicking, I shall avoid it in the context of experimental work,
referring instead to isopraxis, or isopraxic behaviour, meaning
performance of the same kind of behaviour' " (MacLean, quoted in Soukhanov
1995:90).
A personal reflection. I've just learned that human infants
(neonates) are able to imitate index-finger-extension gestures. "These
imitation/initiation cycles developed into an overlapping communication
sequence, the laboratory model of the first 'dialogue'. This finding
therefore suggests that early imitative dialogues in a natural setting
help infants to master communicative turn-taking and to engage in long
'conversations' long before language appears." (Source: Nagy, E.,
Compagne, H., Orvos, H., Pal, A., Molnar, P., Janszky, I., Loveland, K.,
and G. Bardos (2005). "Index Finger Movement Imitation by Human
Neonates: Motivation, Learning, and Left-Hand Preference." Pediatric Research (Vol. 58), pp. 749-53. [http://www.nature.com/pr/journal/v58/n4/full/pr2005735a.html (accessed June 10, 2016)]
Media I. Media advertisements (e.g., of famous athletes
drinking sodas, or eating hamburgers) enhance the sales of consumer products--and
demonstrate the persuasive force of "monkey see, monkey do." 1. One of
the most dramatic isopraxic events in history was featured as a "Classic Moment"
by Life magazine (1990). The two-page photograph by Ken Regan of the
Moon Wedding (January 1983) shows parallel rows of 2,074 white-clad brides (all
wearing Simplicity pattern No. 8392 gowns), and 2,074 dark-suited men, standing
with serious (i.e., blank
face) expressions in Madison Square Garden, waiting to be joined in
the largest mass wedding on Earth. 2. "And as Princess Grace of Monaco
following her April 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier, this well-bred Philadelphia
Sagirl (1929-1982) was so adored that when she held a large Herm bag over her
belly to discretely conceal her first pregnancy, the purse became an enduring
status item, known as the Kelly bag" (Sporkin 2000:140).
Media II.
"Instinct and Emotion," a new CD from the San Francisco based project
Lefthandeddecision, features a 33 minute long selection, "Isopraxism," which,
according to reviews, "could very well stand as a release of its own."
Salesmanship. "You lead the prospect by starting closer to his posture
and expression, and then gradually becoming more relaxed" (Delmar 1984:44).
Synchrony. ". . . the speech, body motion and bioelectric activity in
a normal speaker appeared to display synchronous patterns of change. The person
listening also displays patterns of change of body motion and bioelectric
activity which seem to be harmonious with those of the speaker" (Condon and
Ogston 1966:234; see DANCE).
Word origin I. "Isopraxis is
the coinage of neuroanatomist Paul D. MacLean, M.D., the retired chief,
Laboratory of Brain Evolution and Behavior, National Institute of Mental Health,
now a senior scientist there. His word first appeared in print in 1975 in his
piece 'The Imitative-Creative Interplay of Our Three Mentalities,' in Astride
the Two Cultures. Arthur Koestler at 70 (H. Harris, ed.)" (Soukhanov
1995:90).
Word origin II. "As you read the word isopraxism, you are
watching a preexisting word, isopraxis, undergo initial transformation
into a variant spelling. The longevity of the new variant cannot yet be
predicted. David B. Givens, director of academic relations at the American
Anthropological Association, used the -m; this variant spelling first
appeared in the nontechnical media in a United Press International story dated
March 24, 1981. In an interview with me, Dr. Givens remarked that the -m
spelling, commonly seen in the literature of anthropology,
is 'more for the ordinary reader, as opposed to isopraxis, which is
better understood by science types. . . . With the -m spelling, ordinary
people might be inclined to use the word more'" (Soukhanov 1995:90).
E-Commentary: "David, in the
area of isopraxism, I have found that getting people to breathe at the same
rate, blink at the same rate, head nod, and do other gestures at the same time
is very effective in establishing effective communication. And that just happens
to be my definition of a good, productive interview." --Joe
Navarro, Special Agent, FBI (8/7/01 5:52:00 PM Pacific Daylight
Time)
RESEARCH REPORTS: 1. "Doing the same thing" is a
powerful bonding agent in courtship; e.g., in the Canada goose: ". . . the female
responding to him with the same actions that he makes" (Ogilvie 1978:100).
2. "The chameleon effect refers to nonconscious mimicry of the postures,
mannerisms, facial expressions, and other behaviors of one's interaction
partners, such that one's behavior passively and unintentionally changes to
match that of others in one's current social environment" (Chartrand and Bargh
1999:893). 3. Research has shown a. that our motor behavior
unintentionally matches that of strangers with whom we work on tasks, b.
that mimicking the postures and movements of others facilitates interaction and
increases liking, and c. that "dispositionally empathic" people exhibit
the chameleon effect more than do less empathic individuals (Chartrand and Bargh
1999).
Neuro-notes I. Our tendency to imitate clothing styles and
to pick up the nonverbal mannerisms of others is rooted in paleocircuits of the reptilian
brain. "The major counterpart of the reptilian forebrain in mammals
includes the corpus striatum (caudate plus putamen), globus pallidus, and
peripallidal structures [including the substantia innominata, basal nucleus of
Meynert, nucleus of the ansa peduncularis, and entopeduncular nucleus]" (MacLean
1975:75).
Neuro-notes II. Mirror neurons: In the early 1990s,
mirror neurons were discovered in the premotor cerebral cortex of
macaque monkeys. Vittorio Gallese, Giacomo Rizzolatti, and colleagues at
the University of Parma, Italy, identified neurons that activate when
monkeys perform certain hand movements (such as picking up fruit)--and
also fire when monkeys watch others perform the same hand movements. In The Imitative Mind
(2002), Andrew Meltzoff uses mirror neurons to explain how human
newborns from 42 minutes to 72 hours old (mean = 32 hours) can imitate
adult facial acts (tongue protrusion, lip protrusion, mouth opening, eye
blinking, cheek and brow movements, and components of emotional
expressions), head movements, and hand gestures. Human mirror neurons
have been located in Brodmann's area 44 (Broca's area) of the brain's
cerebral cortex.
Neuro-notes III. Mirror neurons: "I propose that young
infants' fundamental recognition of others as 'like me' provides a
connection to others that is used to bootstrap learning about
intentions, emotions, perspectives, and other minds." (Source: Andrew
Meltzoff, from his abstract for the 2012 conference on "Mirror Neurons:
New Frontiers 20 Years After Their Discovery")
Neuro-notes IV. Mirror neurons: According to Joseph
Jaffe of Columbia University, mirror neurons ". . . have now been found
to be distributed across the entire motor homunculus (that previously
was thought to be simply a motor-control region). However, MRI studies
show that these neurons are also 'sensory,' i.e., they respond to the
passive observation of specific goal-directed movements of mouth, hand
or foot when performed by another person."
Neuro-notes V. Mirror neurons: In the context of our
nonverbal communication, mirror neurons provide brain circuitry that
enables us--intuitively--to decode and understand the meaning of
unspoken signs, signals, and cues. When we see a hand gesture, for
instance, or hear an angry voice tone, mirror neurons set up a motor
template, a prototype or blueprint in our own brain, that allows us to
mimic the particular hand gesture or vocal tone. Additionally, through
links to the limbic system, there are mirror neurons to help us decode
emotional nuances and meanings of the hand gestures we see and the tones
of voice we hear. We are seemingly wired to interpret the nonverbal
actions of others as if we ourselves had enacted them.
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