Anxiousness is one of those emotional states we see in the face; but perhaps most of all we see it in the movements of the body. (Note: there is purposely no audio with the above video) When we become anxious we lose some control over our actions. Carrie’s hands are raised, partially coverng her face, as her fingers scratch nervously.Continue Reading

Heather smiles gently as she watches the video about a celebration in Africa. To be fascinated by something means that it captures your imagination and you want to give it your full attention. Heather leans forward (always a sign of interest) towards the TV screen. She stares intently at the screen, following the action with her eyes. Active thinking isContinue Reading

In the last blog we looked at more than one emotion on the face (Disbelief/Irritation). This week one overwhelming and strong emotion is showing through: discomfort. Benjamin is watching a somewhat controversial TV ad and although he sits quite still we can see several signs which point to his discomfort. He takes a deep breath and quickly shifts the directionContinue Reading

Carrie is more than puzzled by the question she has just been asked; she is confused. Her eyes give away her feelings of confusion in different ways. Firstly, there is a lack of focus as she looks into the middle distance trying to find an answer. Secondly, there are several changes in direction as she looks up and down, rackingContinue Reading

We can see that Laura is not interested in the statement she is reading. Her gaze is unfocused, her eyes look blank. She’s zoning out. But she is not just uninterested. She finds the idea on the page boring, which we see from her compressed lips and the downturned corners of her mouth. Boredom is closely related to tedium, theContinue Reading

Awkwardness is about feeling a little unsure, suddenly feeling self-conscious. We can see the signs in the way Evan moves his body and avoids eye contact. He is talking about something quite personal, which makes him feel rather uncomfortable. There is a defensiveness about his posture, resting his chin on his fist, partially covering his mouth, looking away and thenContinue Reading

Guy is listening to an upsetting item on the radio, which is making him feel uncomfortable. He wants it to end, he’s impatient for it to end. How do we recognise discomfort? When we feel emotionally discomforted it can be like a physical discomfort. John HabershonDr John Habershon has spent many hundreds of hours conducting in-depth interviews during his careerContinue Reading

Often in life things don’t go the way we want them to, whether it’s people who don’t cooperate or just objects, like printers that don’t work just when we really need them to print off an urgent document. When these obstacles seem unreasonable, or illogical, after several tries to make it work . . . so frustrating! So how canContinue Reading

How can we tell the difference between someone simply enjoying something, on the one hand, and getting excited by it, on the other? The answer lies in the movement of the body.   The way Lisa smiles as she talks about this exciting topic, tells us that she is experiencing pleasure. But the way she can’t keep still shows herContinue Reading

Take a look at Laura watching one of her favourite TV ads. How can we tell she’s enjoying it? She’s smiling, not just in a quick and fleeting way, but with a sustained and relaxed smile on her lips. When people are experiencing pleasure we see the eyes widen. Laura is looking at the screen with wide open eyes –Continue Reading