How to Read Body Language

Video Transcript

"DR. MICHELLE COHEN: There's another body behavior called "evaluation" or "evaluative body behavior," and we see this so many times, of course, in interviews. And that's a normal situation for a business situation, a job interview. But sometimes in social situations, people are sizing you up and evaluating you as well. So, you want to kind of know that. Of course, like I said, it's normal in a business or an interview situation, but if you're in a social thing you may not want to be judged or evaluated by someone else. So, this is how you look for it if you feel that someone might be doing it. Actor Mark is indicating to you what I call the evaluative body behavior by, of course, is showing David that he's taking notes on him; he has a clipboard in front of him, and this is really obvious, of course, in a job interview. One of the other classical signs of evaluation sometimes is when you steeple your hands together, you clasp them. Sometimes, the hands are press together and held over the mouth. They touch the lips. Another common evaluative movement is stroking, often the chin; you've seen this many times, but possibly other parts of the face as well. Stroking the side of the nose sometimes indicates, "Hmm, I'm checking you out and I'm evaluating you." Peering over the top of your glasses sometimes that means, "I'm really looking more carefully at you. I'm checking you out," and this is all common as I mention in a business situation. As you can see David's a little uncomfortable. He's a little on edge because he really does feel that Mark is evaluating him in this case. So, these are all clearly signs as Mark is showing of evaluation body behavior."