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