Body Language Classification and Communicative Context

Abstract

Body language is visual signals used in people's social intercourse which include movements, postures, and facial expressions that communicate emotions, attitudes and auxiliary information. Body language can be classified into symbolic body language and physiological body language according to its property; dynamic body language and static body language according to the state of the participator in social intercourse; auxiliary body language and independent body language according to its functions; and body language for specific occasions and body language for regular occasions according to the occasion where it is used. Understanding body language can not be achieved without the communicative context. Communicative context of body language includes posture group, linguistic context and social context.