Body signals that escalate or de-escalate as a disagreement intensifies.
As voices rise one party squares the shoulders and steps forward into the space. The body prepares for confrontation even as the words still claim to be reasonable.
Expansion and forward movement tend to escalate, while softening and stepping back tend to calm. Reading the direction of the bodies can tell you whether a dispute is heating up or cooling down.
Reading hostility where none exists can itself create conflict, so stay measured. Treating an animated speaker as a threat can provoke the very confrontation you feared.
Clusters of nervous behaviour that commonly appear under the pressure of being assessed.
ExploreSmall reactions that leak satisfaction or discomfort during bargaining.
ExploreGroups of cues that may accompany dishonesty, such as inconsistency and pacifying behaviour.
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