Human psychology based on behavior and gestures is an entire art that explains the non-verbal movements of the human body. When communicating, we learn much more about a person through his external reactions, and only 30% of information about the interlocutor we receive directly from a conversation with him.
This is due to the fact that when communicating a person is prone to unconscious analysis of the interlocutor. He may not even notice how he draws conclusions based on small details of the appearance and behavior of the interlocutor. This explains the formation of a positive or negative impression of communication.
Behavioral Psychology Research
A person’s appearance and habits can tell about his social status, actions, gestures - about his profession, position, character.
Behavioral psychology is based on the individual’s relationship to his environment. It includes an assessment of movement, a set of bodily responses to external stimuli, and changes. That is, behavior is a manifestation of the mental aspect of a person’s state through physiological phenomena. It is regulated by consciousness, which characterizes the individual’s worldview.
Psychological states of the individual
At the moment, there are several main types of psychological states of the individual. Until the mid-twentieth century, this factor was not assessed and was not clearly defined for the formation of a psychosomatic portrait of an individual. Although these indicators are often ready to become decisive in determining many of the leading factors in the formation of a person’s comfortable daily lifestyle and his readiness to engage in various types of activities.
Moral and psychological state
It is determined on the basis of a comparison of the interaction of the surrounding reality with mental experiences generated at the level of the individual’s psyche. In such a situation, an important factor that needs to be taken into account when forming a psychological portrait is the correspondence between internal experiences and the state of the environment.
A large role is given to including the individual’s psychotype and personal characteristics into the characteristics under consideration. Often, a major role in an adequate assessment of the moral and psychological state is the willingness to take into account the natural makeup of character. A sanguine person's assessment of what is happening will always differ from the choleric person's view of a similar situation.
Psychological states of a person
The analysis examines the structural organization of all mental components of a particular person. It is determined taking into account the positions of personal and orientational attitudes. Such an analysis helps to compare the personal state with the state of the environment capable of satisfying personal needs, subjective realities in relation to specific needs. Personal attitudes and beliefs play the main role in such a situation. It is analyzed with the use of which components a person reaches the optimal level of satisfaction of needs and whether the environment around him is capable of providing the opportunity to form the necessary indicators.
Psychological state of the child
Until late adolescence, it is quite difficult to objectively assess the psychological state of a child. An incompletely formed psyche is prone to sudden changes in mood and perception of the surrounding reality.
At the same time, analyzing the psychological state of a minor becomes an adequate way to assess the psychological state of his environment. The psychological state of the child suffers and this is clearly noticeable to the specialist in the event of a breakdown in contact with adult relatives and peers. Negative tendencies can lead to significant cognitive impairment. The readiness to perceive knowledge decreases, well-being worsens, and self-esteem falls. All these indicators can negatively affect adult life.
Social psychological state
The socio-psychological state can have a significant impact on the positive or negative perception of life in general. In this situation, experts consider all the relationships into which an individual enters to varying degrees, and how confident he feels in them. Is the environment capable of generating support for an individual’s actions or does it become a provocateur for the formation of violations.
A negative socio-psychological state can become the basis for the formation of psychosomatic disorders.
How to understand a person by his behavior?
Body speech research is publicly available. There is no need for special training - today it is possible to read online books on human psychology on behavior and gestures for free.
Let us analyze the trends according to which the behavior of the interlocutor is examined.
Appearance
A person who focuses on his own appearance, looking like “from the picture,” often seeks to assert himself and hide his own indecisiveness through style. It can also mean excessive accuracy and thoroughness.
A bright, unique, sophisticated appearance indicates a creative, artistic personality. But excessive sloppiness can say not so much about artistry as about a tendency to sloppiness.
Pastel, calm colors are chosen by balanced personalities. Colorful tones are typical for emotional people.
Behavior
A person’s behavior in the environment provides the possibility of predicting his decisions and actions. Often people who keep a distance at the source of communication reduce it in the process of rapprochement. In the absence of changes in relationships, one can judge the lack of sympathy between them, and therefore the impossibility of further unity.
To work through your own fears, phobias, and self-doubt, we recommend contacting a specialist, for example, Nikita Valerievich Baturin.
How to understand a person by his behavior? Psychology points to a number of manners:
- Frequent attempts to reduce distance (staring, touching). These gestures are typical of impudent, hostile people who prefer to make their own rules.
- Physical reduction of distance, preference for conflicting, personal topics in conversation reveals importunity in a person.
- Avoidance of visual contact, manifestations of emotions, touching, indecisive behavior - people who want to hide from the outside world are prone to such manners. Clothing that hides part of the face is often typical for them.
- Relaxed, free body positions and gait indicate lack of discipline on the face and a desire to evade generally accepted behavioral standards.
- Intermittent speech and blushing are characteristics of an unstable, indecisive person. Nervous attempts to assume a comfortable position are criteria for anxiety in a particular situation.
- Dramatic positions indicate a desire to attract attention. Broad gait and gestures speak of increased self-esteem and narcissism. This behavior is typical of creative individuals, people with a masterful foundation.
- Clear, purposeful movements indicate a calculating personality and the ability to hide emotions. These properties are characteristic of thrifty people. Entrepreneurs and politicians have them.
- Erratic movements characterize an irritable personality. Useless motor skills (rotating a pen, fiddling with various objects in the hands) is a characteristic typical of nervous people.
- Calm movements indicate a lack of propensity for conflicts and plasticity of character. In combination with emotionality, this behavior indicates carelessness. Gentle gestures communicate self-control.
The psychology of human behavior also includes posture. It is important to pay attention to the following factors:
- Slouch. This is a criterion of obedience, powerlessness. Raised shoulders communicate a feeling of inferiority.
- Elevated position of the head, possibly tilted back. This position shows arrogance. At the same time as her breasts are pushed forward, she speaks of ambition and pride.
- Muscle tension, immobility. This is a criterion for the lack of ability to freely communicate with people, the desire to separate from reality. This position, according to behavioral psychology, is characteristic of a person suffering from social phobia.
- Relaxation combined with restraint. These manners are typical of a person with self-esteem.
Speech of hands
This is a primary component of communication, a generally accepted model of communication, popular mainly among the stronger sex. The greeting sign often determines the relationship between interlocutors:
- an energetic handshake - activity, sociability, pleasure from the meeting;
- handshake with palm up - readiness to communicate, trust;
- handshake with the palm down - isolation; with the elbow bent at the same time, such a greeting speaks of cruelty and duplicity;
- a handshake with the hand pointing downwards - authority, a tendency to dominate;
- weak handshake - inaction, indecision;
- clumsiness when shaking hands - shyness.
Hand position in the psychology of human behavior:
- crossing in front - a defensive reaction, unpreparedness to extend the conversation;
- behind your back - a difficult circumstance;
- fists - assertiveness, desire for self-affirmation;
- frequent touching of the face - the desire to conceal the state of mind, to hide specific facts;
- in pockets - secrecy; with sleeves rolled up at the same time - a tendency to conflicts, readiness for sudden tasks;
- friction of the bridge of the nose - reflection, assessment;
- tapping on the table, clicking with a pen - boredom, thoughtfulness.
Speech of facial expressions
Behavior is a factor in psychology that also includes a person’s facial expression, facial expressions that express mood:
- Mouth. Dropped corners are a criterion of pessimism and indignation. At the same time, pursed lips in human psychology indicate firmness of character and unwillingness to make compromises. Relaxed lips reveal passivity and weak character.
- Sight. From above - determination, malice, from below - subordination, helpfulness. Long - a requirement of obedience, running - a tendency to lie, fear.
- Laughter. This is another point of human psychology and behavior. Carefree laughter is characteristic of a natural, open personality; suppressed speaks of hostility. Giggling reveals a desire to arouse interest in one’s own person, self-praise, and hypocrisy.
Intonation
Speech, the manner of speaking, is directly associated with the transmission of information and determines the sensory state of the individual. Often a person is judged not by the content, but by the manner of conversation. The emotionality of expressions, speed, and volume of speech are taken into account:
- Restraint, prudence, and an analytical mindset are characterized by uniform speech and moderate volume.
- Rapid pronunciation of phrases, variable volume - this is a criterion of impulsiveness.
- Increased calmness is typical for a person who wants to hide emotions.
- A lack of emotionality and low volume of speech are a manifestation of a loss of interest in the conversation.
Deceptive gestures
Today, deception has become an important component of human communication. There are also a number of works in the literature that touch on the topic of lying in human psychology based on behavior. You can read them both in the classic version and online.
There are methods that allow you to identify a person who wants to deceive or misinterpret a circumstance. Behaviors typical of a liar include:
- Frequent changes in body position, coughing, touching the nose or other parts of the body, distraction aimed at gaining time to come up with the “correct” answer.
- Hiding the eyes (also typical for a person who is insecure), looking past the interlocutor, blinking frequently.
- A tense, unnatural smile, tension in the facial muscles.
Recessive and dominant human traits
Since a person is not only a biological, but also a social being, his genetics differs from the genetics of other living organisms. Genetics, which studies the inheritance of human characteristics, identifies recessive and dominant traits in people.
Dominant human characteristics carry the possibility of inheriting diseases in 50% of cases. That is, if one parent is healthy and the other is sick, then the probability of having a healthy or sick child is 50/50. Dominant traits include:
- skin (dark, thick, piebald spotting and pigmented spots in the sacral area);
- vision (myopia, farsightedness, cataracts, strabismus);
- height (dwarfism);
- hands and feet (polydactyly, brachydactyly, left-handedness, thin, hard and flat nails, thick and flattened finger, elliptical patterns on the fingers, varicose veins, second toe longer than the big toe, increased mobility of the big toe);
- facial features (freckles, round face and chin, dimples on the cheeks and chin, thick unjoined eyebrows, long eyelashes);
- nose (round, straight and with a hump, round nostrils, high and narrow bridge of the nose);
- mouth (the ability to bend the tongue back, roll up, teeth at birth, protruding teeth and jaws, gap between incisors, predisposition to caries, full lips, Habsburg lip);
- ears (sharp tip of the ear, loose lobe);
- blood (groups A, B, AB, presence of Rh factor).
Recessive human traits carry the possibility of inheriting diseases in 25% of cases. Typically, with such inheritance, both parents are considered healthy, but have a potential pathological gene, which is passed on to their children according to the following scheme: 25% of the offspring will be healthy, 25% of the offspring will be sick, and 50% of the offspring will be, like their parents, latent carriers of the pathological gene. Recessive traits include:
- skin (thin skin, albinism, fair skin);
- vision (night blindness, color blindness);
- hands and feet (right-handedness, circular patterns on fingers, second toe shorter);
- hearing (congenital deafness);
- processes in the body (diabetes mellitus, hemophilia);
- facial features (square face and chin, thin connected eyebrows, short eyelashes);
- nose (pointed, snub-nosed, narrow nostrils, low, wide, straight and bent bridge of the nose);
- mouth (thin lips);
- ears (fused lobe);
- blood (blood type O, lack of Rh factor).
Of all known diseases, 1000 are transmitted by a dominant trait, and 800 by a recessive trait. These signs can explain the transmission of diseases from generation to generation, as well as the sudden manifestation of the disease after its long absence in the family.
Books on behavioral psychology
The following works will help you find solutions to problems that have arisen and evaluate the behavior of people around you.
- R. Cialdini, “Psychology of influence. Convince. Make an impact. Defend yourself." The book contains 6 basic principles of behavior. This book about human psychology based on behavior and gestures can be read online or in the classic version.
- T. Seelig, “Make yourself. Advice for those who want to leave their mark." Emerging tasks are incentives for further movement forward. So says the author of this book.
- S. Covey, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” A guide aimed at learning to manage your own life.
- D. Myers, “Games People Play. People who play games". Another guide to behavioral psychology research.
- M. Goulston, “Mental Traps at Work.” This book about human psychology based on behavior and gestures presents information that reveals the concept of mental traps and indicates ways to eliminate them within the framework of communication.
Understanding behavioral psychology is the key to understanding your interlocutor. In addition, knowledge of this direction helps to hide one's own emotions by controlling behavior. Studying the psychology of deception helps to identify duplicity, lies, and not to succumb to manipulation.
IMPORTANT! Informational article! Before use, you should consult a specialist.
Diagnosis of psychological conditions
At the moment, in specialized practice there are three main methods for the diagnostic determination of psychological states:
- Subjective-evaluative, based on the study of accompanying foundations characteristic of psychological states. Determined by the patient independently. What is taken into account is what the observed is able to describe. As a rule, specialized graphic scales are used. Including “Scale-graph of emotional state”, SAN, ACC, “Relief of psychological state”.
- The study of unconscious psychological states, carried out on the basis of data from specially developed questionnaires. The patient independently evaluates how each principle given in the questionnaire corresponds to his self-perception. For example, the “Reactive and Personal Anxiety Assessment Scale” developed by C.D. is used. Spielberg and Yu.D. Khanin.
- Study of the expressive (behavioral) component.
When conducting research, data from the Relaxation Activation Test (RAT) are taken into account. Parameters of autonomic functions are taken into account, such as heart rate, breathing rate, brain encephalogram, GSR, ECG and other studies.
Physiological studies make it possible to objectively describe immediate changes in the patient’s psycho-emotional state. Often this type of research is recognized by experts as the most reliable and revealing. The study analyzes the actions of several people placed in similar conditions.
Conducting reliable tests is recommended only after reaching adulthood. Indicators in childhood and adolescence do not differ in high indicators.
Work
What helped a person become a full-fledged person? Children are taught from a young age that it was labor that made a man out of a monkey. Our ancestors had to work to protect themselves from predators, and since man is a very unadapted predator with no fangs or claws, he had to use his intelligence and work hard to survive. What defines a person as a person? Passion for work. Any person understands that if she does not work, she will not survive. Quirks are not tolerated in our society. No state in the world encourages idleness. Even in Arab countries, where people practically do not work and live off oil, citizens work for their own benefit. It doesn’t matter what kind of work a person will do - mental or physical. Any work is useful and necessary. It was man's ability to combine physical strength and intellectual strength that helped our ancestors survive and become masters of nature.
Levels of psychological state
When analyzing the psychological state of an individual, various levels of psychological state are taken into account. At the moment, experts identify several parameters that form the basis of this characteristic:
- Socio-psychological, when determining which indicators of personality, activity, and interpersonal relationships are taken into account.
- Psychological, on which the formation of psychological functions and changes in mood directly depend.
- Psychophysiological, on which the autonomic reactions of the body, possible changes occurring in sensory and psychomotor function depend.
- Physiological, showing neurophysiological characteristics, changes in physiological functions, morphological and biochemical changes in the body.
When studying the influence of levels of psychological state, the basic characteristic is the state of the individual in a good mood, at the moment when he is completely satisfied with the fulfillment of his physiological and moral needs. When considering the situation in each specific case, it is necessary to take into account the parameters “variability-constancy” and “long-term-situationalism”. Such an analysis makes it possible to determine the levels and parameters of the psychological state by comparing stable personality traits and character and mental processes. The readiness of a short-term parameter to move into the stage of a stable indicator is assessed.
If a long-term disturbance in levels is detected at any stage, it may be recommended to consult a psychotherapist to correct the perception of the surrounding reality and identify the possible presence of psychological diseases.