Touch

Husband and wife posing for pictures during Thanksgiving

He has his arm around her shoulder, and is holding so tightly that the tips of his fingers turn white, pulling her toward him

She has her arm casually around his back

She looks comfortable, but he doesn’t

They hold the pose for about a minute, it looks forced

Neither one of them want their picture taken

As he reaches out to grab her, and she pulls away slightly

When the picture is over, he keeps his hand gently on the small of her back, keeping her with him

She removes her arm, but lets his hand stay

They walk away and join other couples in the room

Gesture

A girl meeting her friend’s dad for the first time

They shake hands

He clasps his hands behind his back

She has her hands clasped in front

She acts a little too animated, she wrings her hands and rubs them together

When she talks she sometimes points at him

She gestures toward something with a straight palm, and he points

She seems like she is trying too hard to be kind, or she is nervous

She gesticulates often and uses her hands, not her whole arm

She uses mostly behavioral expression

He seems genuinely happy to meet her, and doesn’t move his hands much

Elements of Behavior

Two girls in the dining hall

They are leaning over a book together

One bends over the table and book, her body tense

The other girl is sitting up straight, but leans in once in a while

They look comfortable around each other

The girl sitting straighter is obviously helping the other one

Sometimes she turns her body and sits so she is directly facing the table

When she turns and leans toward the book, her shoulders are tense

They are both concentrating and working hard

Vocal Expression

A teacher is talking and playing with her small children

Her voice is higher than usual

She uses inflection a lot, to keep them interested

She makes her voice very calm and soft when she wants them to relax

She starts talking to her husband, and her tone changes

Her voice becomes more normal pitch

She sounds thoughtful as she speaks

When she gets excited, her voice raises

Listening

A man and woman walking side by side talking

As he talks he looks straight ahead

She turns her head to look at him while he talks

When she talks he looks at her, and their eyes meet for the first time

They sit down, and turn slightly toward each other

Both of them tilt their heads as they listen, like they are paying attention

Expression

n  The girl is mad, her mouth looks tight and her face pinched.

n  The guy is discouraged, his mouth droops, and he hangs his head, making it  hard to see his eyes.

When the girl talks, she lifts her eyebrows and keeps her mouth drawn tight.

n  The guy is bewildered, his mouth is twisted and he looks sideways, as she scolds him his face actually seems to fall, his entire face relaxes, and he looks away.

n   

n  They are interrupted, and the man is obviously irritated, he pinches his mouth, but attempts to smile. 

The girl's expression shows relief, she relaxes and smiles a real smile, using her eyes.