Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Social Cues?Body LanguageFacial ExpressionsVocalNonverbalDifficulty Reading Social CuesSocial Skills TestHow to Build Social Skills
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Social Cues?
Body Language
Facial Expressions
Vocal
Nonverbal
Difficulty Reading Social Cues
Social Skills Test
How to Build Social Skills
Social cues are how we communicate without using words. These cues involve facial expressions, how we move our bodies, tone of voice, physical proximity to others, and any other way we express ourselves outside of verbal communication.
Some conditions, such associal anxiety disorder,attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), andautism spectrum disorder(ASD), can change the way a person communicates and interprets social cues.
In this article, we will look at everyday social cues, how they are typically interpreted, and ways you can improve your understanding of them.
Verywell / Zoe Hansen
It’s estimated that 60%–65% of the way we communicate with others is through nonverbal behaviors.
Social cues are part of the overall way humans communicate. Social cues and words work together and depend on context.
A singular expression of a social cue shouldn’t be relied upon, but looking at the whole person while communicating can give many clues to their emotions, intent, reactions, and other valuable information.
Are Social Cues Universal?Overall, the way people perform most social cues is similar. Some of them are even believed to be evolutionary-based andhardwired, meaning that many of us perform the same social cues automatically.However, social cues are not universal. Some people express and interpret social cues differently.
Are Social Cues Universal?
Overall, the way people perform most social cues is similar. Some of them are even believed to be evolutionary-based andhardwired, meaning that many of us perform the same social cues automatically.However, social cues are not universal. Some people express and interpret social cues differently.
Overall, the way people perform most social cues is similar. Some of them are even believed to be evolutionary-based andhardwired, meaning that many of us perform the same social cues automatically.
However, social cues are not universal. Some people express and interpret social cues differently.
Physical (Body Language)
Posture
Posture is how aperson holds their body. It can express how someone feels or what message they are trying to convey.
For example, if a person has a closed posture, with arms or legs (or both) crossed, they likely feel uncomfortable, disinterested, frustrated, or have other unpleasant emotions or reactions.
If someone has an open posture (arms and legs uncrossed and relaxed), they may indicate a higher level of comfort or interest.
Remember that physical comfort is also a factor in posture. Someone may have their arms crossed or sit in an open stance because it feels better.
Angling The Body
Angling the body, especially the legs, towards a person can show you are engaged in what they say or do.
Similarly, leaning in towards the person can also show interest.
Gesturing
Some peoplegesticulate(“talk with their hands”) more than others, but the gestures people use usually have meaning behind them.
Sometimes, gestures are used to emphasize what a person is saying. For example, a person telling an exciting story may wave their hands around as they speak.
Gestures can also be culturally based. Some gestures used positively in one part of the world, such as the “OK” hand gesture in America, can be offensive or aggressive in other areas. Be careful of your gestures when traveling.
Is Sign Language Gesturing?Sign languageis a group of languages with grammatical rules just as spoken language has. There are dialect (a language native to a specific region or social group) differences within each sign language. Gesturing itself is not sign language.People who communicate with sign language also use gestures in a similar way as people using spoken language as an emphasis or communication outside of grammatically coded signs.
Is Sign Language Gesturing?
Sign languageis a group of languages with grammatical rules just as spoken language has. There are dialect (a language native to a specific region or social group) differences within each sign language. Gesturing itself is not sign language.People who communicate with sign language also use gestures in a similar way as people using spoken language as an emphasis or communication outside of grammatically coded signs.
Sign languageis a group of languages with grammatical rules just as spoken language has. There are dialect (a language native to a specific region or social group) differences within each sign language. Gesturing itself is not sign language.
People who communicate with sign language also use gestures in a similar way as people using spoken language as an emphasis or communication outside of grammatically coded signs.
Mirroring
You may have heard thatyawnsare contagious, or find yourself unable to resist smiling when you see someone else smiling.
These are examples of mirroring. It is common for people to mimic or copy head movements, body movements, and facial expressions from one another when they are communicating.
Mirroring can be a sign of attentiveness or engagement.
Touching
Touchingcan convey a wide variety of meanings, from intimacy to establishing dominance.
Haphephobia: The Fear of Being Touched
Fidgeting
Fidgetingcould be playing with hair, tapping a pen, or shifting around in a chair, which can give an impression of being disinterested, disengaged, or bored.
This cue needs to be taken in context.
Someone who doesn’t typically fidget but behaves this way may indicate inattentiveness, but for some people, including people with ADHD, fidgeting is a tool used to improve focus.
Facial expressions convey a variety of emotions, such as:
Subtle changes in facial expressions also can reveal a person’s emotions. The eyes and mouth are typically what a person scans most when someone is speaking to them.
The Eyes
The eyes can be a good indicator of how someone is feeling:
Dilated pupilsare considered a sign of arousal, though lighting can influence this.
Looking into another person’s eyes can show attentiveness and interest while looking away or down can indicate discomfort or disinterest.
Prolonged eye contact or staring can feel intimidating or threatening.
Keep in mind that making eye contact can be difficult for some people, even if they are interested and engaged.
The Mouth
The mouth communicates in many more ways than words:
A person may also bite their lip, lick their lips frequently, orgrind or clench their teethif they are nervous or stressed.
The way we say things can determine the meaning of the words we use.
Inflection or intonation (changing the tone or pitch of our voice) can be more expressive and clarify what we are saying. It can also affect persuasion and how people are perceived.
Speaking with little variety in your inflection may make it clear that you are bored and may lose the interest of the person listening.
Varying your pitch (the highness and lowness of your voice) can make listening more enjoyable.
Emphasis in the VoiceWhere the emphasis is placed on words also matters.“Youwent to the store?” implies surprise that that individual was the person who went there.“You went to thestore?” suggests that the location is the source of surprise, not the person.
Emphasis in the Voice
Where the emphasis is placed on words also matters.“Youwent to the store?” implies surprise that that individual was the person who went there.“You went to thestore?” suggests that the location is the source of surprise, not the person.
Where the emphasis is placed on words also matters.
“Youwent to the store?” implies surprise that that individual was the person who went there.
“You went to thestore?” suggests that the location is the source of surprise, not the person.
Volume also makes a difference. Mumbling may suggest nervousness. Yelling may suggest enthusiasm or anger.
Proxemics
Proxemicsrefers to how close a person is standing to another. It often indicates a level of comfort or intimacy between them.
Anthropologist Edward Hall, who coined the term, described four proxemic zones:
These zones are based on American culture. Proxemic norms vary significantly among cultures.
Clothing
Clothing can tell a lot about a person. A person wearing a military uniform likely is a soldier. A person in a white lab coat likely is in the medical or science field.
Some clothing is less obvious, but still gives us clues to the person wearing them and in what context.
“Formal” versus “casual” clothes are deemed appropriate in different settings.
Someone going on a job interview is likely to dress in a way that projects professionalism, while it’s unlikely someone will wear a power suit for a baseball game with friends.
Not everyone is adept at reading typical social cues. Some health conditions affect how a person performs and interprets familiar social cues.
People on the Autism Spectrum
Some people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD):
For example, research on eye gazing has shown that when people with autism are looking at images and movies, they are less likely than peers not on the autism spectrum to look where the characters are looking and more likely to look at what the characters are doing.
People With Social Anxiety
Social anxiety can affect how a person expresses and interprets social cues. People with social anxiety are more likely to find eye contact uncomfortable and avoid it than those without social anxiety.
A study found that though people with social anxiety recognize that smiling faces mean happiness, they judge happy faces as less approachable than those without social anxiety.
How Common Is Social Anxiety?
People With ADHD
Many with ADHD have difficulty interpreting subtle nuances in communication, such as subtext (“reading between the lines”).
People with ADHD usually know what is expected of them socially, but they have difficulty doing it as ADHD characteristics such as inattentiveness and impulsivity interfere.
What Is Nonverbal Learning Disorder?Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD) is also known as nonverbal learning disability. Although NVLD is not an official diagnosis in theDSM-5, the disability is associated with impairment in three broad areas: motor skills, visual-spatial organizational memory, and social abilities. Difficulties may include:Understanding facial expressions or body languageCoordinationSocial abilities. using social languageExecutive functioning, planning, organizing, emotional regulationPerforming new tasksThese relate to recognizing patterns or concepts and then applying them to new situations. Because social cues are a pattern, these kids can have difficulty interpreting them.Non-verbal learning disorder shares some characteristics with ADHD and ASD, but it is not the same as either condition.
What Is Nonverbal Learning Disorder?
Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD) is also known as nonverbal learning disability. Although NVLD is not an official diagnosis in theDSM-5, the disability is associated with impairment in three broad areas: motor skills, visual-spatial organizational memory, and social abilities. Difficulties may include:Understanding facial expressions or body languageCoordinationSocial abilities. using social languageExecutive functioning, planning, organizing, emotional regulationPerforming new tasksThese relate to recognizing patterns or concepts and then applying them to new situations. Because social cues are a pattern, these kids can have difficulty interpreting them.Non-verbal learning disorder shares some characteristics with ADHD and ASD, but it is not the same as either condition.
Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD) is also known as nonverbal learning disability. Although NVLD is not an official diagnosis in theDSM-5, the disability is associated with impairment in three broad areas: motor skills, visual-spatial organizational memory, and social abilities. Difficulties may include:
These relate to recognizing patterns or concepts and then applying them to new situations. Because social cues are a pattern, these kids can have difficulty interpreting them.
Non-verbal learning disorder shares some characteristics with ADHD and ASD, but it is not the same as either condition.
Online quizzes are available that claim to test your social skills but note that the validity and quality of these tests vary widely.
These tests are not a substitution for a professional exam. If you have concerns about your social skills, it’s best to contact a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist or psychologist.
How to Build Your Social Skills
How people communicate varies. Social skills and cues tend to be evaluated based on typical or common social behavior. However, not everyone uses or interprets social cues in the same way.
If you would like to build typical social skills, here are some steps you can take:
Summary
Social cues are a form of communication that is done without words or in addition to verbal communication.
Social cues can be performed with the hands, body, face, or even nonverbal vocal cues. While many social cues are consistent in society, how we express them or interpret them can vary depending on the person.
If you are concerned about your ability to interpret social cues, working with a mental health professional can help.
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