Which body language shows you are learning?

Body language or nonverbal communication patterns have long been thought of as a window into the brain or the functioning of people and communication. Research on body language or nonverbal communication can be challenging for several reasons. Collecting data from people that record particular interactions, evaluating the interactions, and determining outcomes that demonstrate what the body language actually meant are long and laborious processes. The observations that scientists then make can be subject to bias, which can, in turn, cause them to miss certain details.

Some research indicates that body language is difficult to interpret accurately altogether, particularly without training. For researchers studying communication patterns, nonverbal communication presents unique challenges. In one study, scientists utilized video cameras to detect participants' body movements to gather specific measurements of movements. This was followed up by computer-based analysis of body movements utilized to cut down on the potential for missed patterns or observer biases.

In the same experience, people were placed into pairs, one as “student” and the other as “teacher,” and then given the task of either learning or teaching a concept to their partners. Researchers then utilized testing to determine if the “student” participants had learned what they set out to. By comparing this data to the information gathered by the camera and computer analysis, the study's authors were able to pinpoint some ways that body language may have helped the learning process, hindered it, and some things that may indicate when a person is learning.

Students with extreme upper body movements during the “lesson” appeared to learn less well than students without such movement. Teachers who move a lot, like with pacing during a lecture, are less effective. The study helped to highlight future directions for both researches in body language and how it impacts learning and communicates learning. Some commonly held beliefs on body language indicate that meeting someone’s gaze indicates interest, leaning forward may indicate paying attention or focusing, and proximity (like insisting on sitting front and center for class). These may be additional insights into the body language involved in learning.

Researchers caution that while they can video body language and get an idea of whether it’s associated with learning, they can’t determine cause and effect. Movements in the students' upper bodies in the study may have been caused by having an itch or sneezing or being sick, for example.