Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2435: Amy Adams, Henry Cavill & Russell Crowe on Graham NortonFour Different Sitting Positions - Different Body Language Meanings (Video, Photos)

All starring in the new film, "Man of Steel", Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Russell Crowe all recently appeared on The Graham Norton Show. In the video above and images below you will note there are four different sitting configurations.

Here the most recent rendition of Superman, Cavill sits with both feet planted on the floor with legs splayed - but not too widely. This is a masculine configuration - and yet not over compensating. If his legs were spread at a significantly wider angle, aka the "seated crotch display" - is a hyper-masculine/alpha display that often offends women and is off-putting in business settings and with dating.


Cavill is the least confident/emotionally comfortable of the four (what other nonverbals indicate this?)

Russell Crowe is sitting on one leg, with his right ankle completely beneath his left thigh. This configuration (or its mirror opposite) is predominately seen in women and gay men and is relatively uncommon to rare in straight men (Crowe is straight). If you were to ask anyone sitting in this manner why they are seated as such, they would say that they are comfortable - implying physically comfort. However people only display this body language when they are first emotionally comfortable. Indeed if a subject or situation arises which they don't like or causes even a minor decrease in emotional comfort - they will rapidly cease to sit this way.

Emotional comfort is a prerequisite to physical comfort. 

Amy Adams is shown in the seated body language configuration known as parallel legs (Pease). Men around the World universally find this particular leg orientation the most attractive as it increase the muscular tone and lends a more youthful appearance as well as subliminally signaling sexual readiness.



Graham Norton is sitting in a traditional "European Crossed-Leg Configuration". This is consistent with relatively high emotional comfort - which certainly makes sense since it is his show and his home turf.

Always be careful to avoid interpreting body language signals in isolation. Be vigilant to look for several nonverbals occurring simultaneously or nearly so - lest you will misdiagnose others' emotional states.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2352:  Mila Kunis' Tongue in Cheek  Graham Norton Part II

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2389:  Tom Cruise, Gerard Butler & Olga Kurylenko on The Graham Norton Show - Alpha Body Language Behavior - on The Phone and on the Couch

Leadership Body Language Secret # 103:  High Confidence vs. Low Confidence Stance - Who's Leading Who?

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 337:  Michele Bachmann's Low Confidence Stance

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 913:  Mitt Romney - Low Confidence, Low Trust and Demure

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2430:  Dolph Lundgren is an Alpha Male and  He Wants Everyone to Know It - Seated Crotch Display

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2330:  Body Language of Foot Placement on another Person's Chair

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