The degree to which words, tone and body all carry the same message.
A person says they are delighted yet the voice is flat and the shoulders are slumped. The words and the body pull in opposite directions, and the mismatch is hard to miss.
When words and body agree, trust the message more. When they conflict, the body often tells the truer story, since posture and tone are harder to manage than the words themselves.
Mismatch can come from tiredness or distraction, not deceit, so explore before judging. A weary person may sound flat about good news without feeling any less pleased.
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 influence of the surrounding setting on how a behaviour should be understood.
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