Body Language

One fascinating aspect of the series Cinio Caru is seeing the way that the couple react to each other on a physical level. The body language can speak volumes, even when the individuals aren't saying a word! During the series, the psychologist Dr Mair Edwards will be sharing her insights and explaining the importance of non-verbal communication. Here, she analyses the physical reactions of two people who met for the first time at Le Gallois restaurant in Cardiff ...

Picture 1: The guy and the girl are obviously looking at each other and have good eye contact. They both have friendly smiles on their faces, and by putting her thumb towards the side of his mouth the guy is drawing attention to his face. Despite that, the bearing of both bodies is rather closed, with their feet drawn back, and the hands and arms of the girl setting a definite boundary across her body?

Picture 2: Although the girl is smiling, she's not holding full eye contact with the guy - she's looking slightly beyond him. Although the posture of each body is towards the other, the closed hands on the table indicates that both of them want to keep a definite boundary.

Picture 3: Once again, the girl is smiling but not achieving eye contact with the guy, and her left arm is drawn across her body. On the other hand, the guy is looking at the girl, and the fact that his left arm is to one side indicates that he is "open". The attitude of his wine glass (towards the girl) shows that he is "offering" his drink - and himself - to the girl.

Picture 4: Oh dear! A wrong move by the guy! By extending his hand and touching her he has shown that he believes that he has command of the situation, and of her. The girl's face clearly shows the message "No -I'm not comfortable with this!".

Picture 5: No surprise then that in this picture the girl has moved her hand out of the guy's clutch and has moved her body so that it is turned away from him. Her legs are crossed away from the guy, and her arms are firmly planted across her body. The look on her face speakes volumes - "Too forward too soon!".

Picture 6: Well! It's clear that the guy has retrieved the situation somehow because by now the girl has turned back to him, with a smile on her face, and she's leaning slightly towards him. By now the guy is smiling and is holding eye contact. His posture is towards her, and his arms are quite open.

Picture 7: Well! Well! Things are hotting up! The two are looking deeply into one another's eyes, with a small smile on their faces. Both are reaching forward towards their partner, and reflecting each other's body language. They're holding hands and are looking comfortable with this. The girl's head is leaning a touch to the right, and the guy's head a touch to the left - almost as if the pair are ready for a little kiss!