Geoffrey Beattie b. 1952
Professor of Psychology Geoff Beattie is one of the leading
international figures on nonverbal communication and has written (or
contributed to) many excellent books and studies. His academic publications
have appeared in a wide variety of international journals. Beattie argues that
gestures reflect aspects of our thinking but in a different way to verbal
language, and that spontaneous hand movements often communicate a good deal
more than they intend to. These unconscious movements can give us real insight
into people's underlying implicit attitudes, with gestures rationed to the most
important information. With research into phone and face-to-face conversations,
to the beach, Beattie has lots to say about mirroring, the use of gestures to
aid memory, attraction, and lots more. Building on the work of McNeill he has
made a vital contribution to the role of our hands in communication.
Read Rethinking Body Language: How Hand Movements Reveal
Hidden Thoughts (2016) Routledge.
Also by Geoffrey Beattie, I recommend:
Visible Thought: The New Psychology of Body Language (2004)
Watch Geoffrey Beattie on How to Spontaneous Gestures Connect to Thinking: