The influence of the surrounding setting on how a behaviour should be understood.
Trembling hands at a graveside mean something quite different from trembling hands during a lie. The same visible sign carries opposite meanings once the setting is taken into account.
Always ask what the setting demands or explains before reading a cue as revealing inner state. The room, the occasion and the stakes all shape what a gesture is likely to mean.
Ignoring the setting is one of the commonest errors in reading body language. A cue torn from its circumstances will almost always be misjudged.
The normal, relaxed manner of a person when they are calm and unpressured.
ExploreInterpreting several cues together rather than resting a conclusion on a single gesture.
ExploreThe use and management of personal space, including how close people stand or sit.
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