Where to study body language?

Almost anyone who’s caught a single episode of the show Lie to Me instantly becomes obsessed with the idea that we can figure out what someone else is thinking, when someone we love is lying to us, or even what the future holds. The idea that we can study body language and facial expression and somehow come up with a recipe for understanding, for knowing the truth, and even preventing pain is seductive.

Body language is a complex science. Researchers at various universities study nonverbal communication like body movement and facial expression. This research and the laboratories that research it are typically part of a university’s psychology department. If you’re interested in the legitimate science of body language or facial expressions, psychology studies are the most beneficial way to go.

There’s a misconception that nonverbal communication works just as verbal communication; that certain gestures, movements, or facial expressions have distinct meaning. Nonverbal communication is quite different than verbal. There is no dictionary for gestures or movements as there are with words. A word may have a single or even several meanings that are clearly defined. Body language is different, movements, gestures, and expressions can have many, many meanings.

This is due in part to the layers of nonverbal communication. Context, words, eye movement, facial expression, body movements, backstory, circumstances, and more help to understand body language or nonverbal communication. Each of these needs to be understood in order to gain a clear picture of the meaning of an expression or gesture. Even with an understanding of each of these, mistakes in the interpretation of body language can be made. It isn’t as exact or as easy to do as it is made to look in television and movies. Cultural expectations of behavior and the display of emotion also play a role. For example, in some cultures overt display of emotive body language may be frowned upon, while in others it may be considered rude not to emote in this way.

Learning to read body language in a way that is ethical and can be utilized professionally typically involves attending a psychology program, and then further study and research at the graduate and doctoral level on nonverbal communication. People without extensive training on it are very likely to be wrong in many cases, so it’s important to be skeptical of what you detect through body language.