Can You Read Body Language?

Vanessa Van Edwards, a behavioral investigator and body language expert, is introduced as the guest to lead a body language reading quiz.

The audience at home and in the studio can play along with a quiz designed to test how well people can read body language.

The segment includes a review of previous body language lessons combined with new material to demonstrate body language interpretation.

The quiz helps viewers understand what people's reactions and body language really mean, including whether someone might be lying.

A specific posture that resembles a cheerleader's aggressive stance or fighting position.

This is a universal defensive behavior indicating someone is ready to fight or confront you.

Parents often see this posture when their teenager is being defensive or resistant to discipline.

If you see someone adopt this fighting stance, it signals they are in a defensive or aggressive mindset.

A facial expression that might be confused with regret but is actually sadness.

• Inner corners of the mouth pull downward • Eyebrows raise upward • Overall resembles a sad puppy or cartoon character expression

You can always recognize sadness when you see the downward mouth pull combined with raised eyebrows.

Think of how sadness is depicted in cartoons with downward mouth movements and raised brows.

• Crossing arms with someone • Crossing legs • Positioning personal items like a purse behind oneself

Double crossing (arms and legs) is a universal signal of blocking or protecting oneself from others.

At a party, if someone displays this closed posture, they are not the person you want to approach for conversation.

Recognize that the more barriers someone creates between themselves and others, the more they want to be left alone.

A hand position where the hands are positioned together in a steepled or peaked formation.

This universal gesture signals confidence, wisdom, and assurance in what you're saying.

• Commonly seen in business negotiations • Frequently used by politicians in presidential debates • Used to project confidence and wisdom to an audience

When you want to appear confident and wise in a discussion or negotiation, adopting the steeple gesture can reinforce that message.

Hands positioned with palms open, facing outward or upward in an open position.

This is the universal gesture indicating openness, readiness to listen, and willingness to engage in ideas.

• Closed hands signal someone wants to stop or is resistant • Open hands signal someone is open to negotiating • This can build rapport in discussions

If you want to show you're receptive to someone's ideas, use open hand gestures to signal your openness and approachability.

Comparing three different smiles to identify which one is authentic and genuine.

Real smiles produce crow's feet wrinkles around the eyes, which cannot be faked easily.

Botox prevents the natural muscle movement needed to create genuine crow's feet, making it harder to display a truly authentic smile.

Always look for crow's feet around the eyes to identify a real, genuine smile versus a forced or fake one.

Vanessa Van Edwards conducts these body language reading sessions with many different groups, making it varied and unpredictable.

Nobody knows what will come out during these group readings, as people naturally reveal their interpretations and reactions.

When someone tries to mislead or test the expert, Vanessa calls them out on their behavior.

Understanding body language helps you read people more accurately and recognize when they might not be being truthful.