Bodily Communication Dimensions of Expression and Content

Bodily communication perceived visually or through the tactile senses has a central place in human communication. It is probably basic both from an ontogenetic and a phylogenetic perspective, being connected with archaic levels in our brains such as the limbic system and the autonomous neural system. It is interesting from a biological, psychological and social point of view and given recent developments in ICT (Information and Communication Technology). It is also becoming more and more interesting from a technological point of view. However, interest in bodily communication is not new. There is preserved testimony of interest in the communicative function of bodily movements since antiquity, especially in connection with rhetoric and drama (cf. Øyslebø, 1989). However, the study of bodily communication has clearly become more important over the last 40 years, related to an increased interest in the communication conveyed through movies, television, videos, computer games and virtual reality. In fact, it is only with easily available facilities for recording and analyzing human movements that the study of bodily communication really becomes possible. It is becoming increasingly important in studies of political rhetoric, psychodynamically charged communication and communication in virtual reality environments. Pioneers in the modern study of bodily communication go back to the 1930's when Gregory Bateson filmed Communication on Bali (cf. Lipset, 1980) or the 1950's when Carl Herman Hjortsjö (e.g. Hjortsjö, 1969) started his investigations of the anatomical muscular background of facial muscles, later to be completed by Paul Ekman and associates (Ekman & Friesen, 1969). Another breakthrough was made by Gunnar Johansson (e.g. Johansson, 1973) who, by filming moving people dressed in black with white spots on their arms and legs, was able to make a first attempt at isolating what gestures are significant in communication. Other important steps using filmed data were taken by Michael Argyle (1975), Desmond Morris (1977), Adam Kendon (1981) and David McNeill (1979). In the 1990's, another barrier was crossed when it became possible to study gestures using computer simulations in a virtual reality environment (cf. Cassell et al, 2000). For an overview of the whole field and its development there are several introductions available. Among them are Knapp (1978 and later editions), Key (1982), øyslebø (1989) and Cassell et al (2000).