LONDON - Eye contact and body language have long been considered tell-tale signs of cheating, nervousness, sexual attraction and lying.
Now, a British psychologist says he has found a new body language in which humans use their feet to give out signals, The Telegraph reported.
'While people might know what their facial expression or hands might be imparting, they will often have no idea whether their feet are moving or the messages their feet are sending out,' said Professor Geoffrey Beattie, head of school and dean of psychological sciences at the University of Manchester.
Compiling research on behalf of shoemakers Jeffery West, Prof Beattie found that women often signal attraction with their feet. If a woman fancies someone and is laughing, her feet will move away from her body and she will have an open leg posture. If her feet are crossed or tucked away under her body, then she is not attracted to the other party.
Men, on the other hand, do not signal sexual attraction with their feet. For them, it is more head tilting.
Liars keep their feet unnaturally still, to try and distract people away from their fibbing.
If a man is nervous, he will show his feelings by increasing his foot movement. Women do the opposite and keep their feet still if they are nervous.
Alpha males and females have a low level of leg and foot movement because they like to dominate and control the conversation and the same goes for their body.
Extroverts do likewise but for different reasons, while shy people have frequent movements. Arrogant people also keep their bodies more in check and use less foot movement.
'The secret language of feet can reveal a great deal about our personality, what we think of the person we're talking to and even our emotional and psychological state. They are a fascinating channel of non-verbal communication,' said Prof Beattie, resident psychologist on popular TV show Big Brother.
'The reason our feet may be giving us away is that they are part of the body from which we have the least internal feedback.'
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
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