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The Influence of Body Language on Personal and Professional Relationships

Donna L Roberts, PhD (Psych Pstuff)
Psych Pstuff
Published in
9 min readJan 13, 2025

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Photo by Ernst-Günther Krause (NID) on Unsplash

Body language, understood broadly as the nonverbal cues we transmit through our posture, gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, and proxemics, profoundly shapes the way we perceive and connect with others in both personal and professional domains, frequently conveying subtleties that spoken words alone cannot encapsulate (Knapp, Hall & Horgan, 2021). Although individuals often assume that verbal communication is the primary avenue for expressing intentions, emotions, and attitudes, decades of research on nonverbal behavior underscores how silent signals can either bolster or undermine relational bonds (Burgoon, Manusov & Guerrero, 2021). Indeed, body language typically operates beneath conscious awareness, rendering it an integral — albeit often overlooked — component of human interaction, capable of promoting trust, signaling respect, or reflecting latent conflicts in ways that words might mask (Pease & Pease, 2006). In modern workplaces, for instance, leaders who demonstrate open, confident stances and clear eye contact frequently inspire confidence and loyalty, whereas those who fidget or avoid eye contact may inadvertently communicate uncertainty or evasiveness (Goman, 2008). Consequently, understanding the significance of body language, refining one’s capacity to interpret nonverbal signals, and cultivating intentional, congruent…

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Donna L Roberts, PhD (Psych Pstuff)
Donna L Roberts, PhD (Psych Pstuff)

Written by Donna L Roberts, PhD (Psych Pstuff)

Writer and university professor researching the human condition, generational studies, human and animal rights, and the intersection of art and psychology

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