The body language you’re misinterpreting – and the signals actually worth paying attention to.

By Thomas Ling

Published: Tuesday, 16 May 2023 at 12:00 am


Instant Genius is a bite-sized masterclass in podcast form. And in this episode, we’re exploring the many myths of non-verbal communication.

Want to get better at interpreting body language? Well, most books on the topic are unlikely to help you. At least, that’s the argument of Geoff Beattie, professor of psychology at Edge Hill University.

He claims that most stereotypes of non-verbal communication, be it defensive arm-crossing or nervous hair twiddling, are vastly misunderstood. In this episode, Beattie unpacks these body language myths – and also explains science worth paying attention to.