Body Language
Not only does our face speak, but according to one researcher, our bodies are also expressive (Birdwhistell, 1967). Birdwhistell used the term kinesis to mean the study of body language. He argued that no body movement is accidental or meaningless and that something is communicated in even the slightest movement. For example, Beier (1974) studied fifty newlywed couples and found that conflict and insecurity were expressed by frequent self-touching, sitting with arms and legs crossed, and avoiding eye contact.