There are a surprising number of similarities in some body language across cultures, even across cultures separated by vast distances and with no interaction at all. How is this possible? How can one nonverbal behavior mean the same thing in two places located on opposite sides of the planet? The answer, most researchers agree, is based on preprogrammed human characteristics.

In other words, some nonverbal behaviors are innate to human beings and universal across cultures. What are these universal non-verbal behaviors? In short, facial expressions. Research shows that smiling and facial expressions of anger, surprise, fear, happiness, sadness, disgust, and so on, are interpreted the same way in nearly every part of the world. There are some slight differences, such as in Japan where people often have trouble differentiating between expressions of surprise and fear, but these are few in number and minor in significance.

Similarities among facial expressions are so universal, in fact, that researchers studying isolated cultures in New Guinea and West Irian Jaya found people in these tribes recognized and interpreted facial expressions in the same way as others across the rest of the world. This is significant, because the tribes studied had lived for hundreds of years without any contact with the outside world. They were totally isolated and lived completely within the bounds of their own territory and culture, and yet they attached the same meanings to smiling and facial expressions of anger, sadness, and the like.

Despite these similarities, however, there are many more global differences in body language and nonverbal behaviors. The greatest differences and variations are seen in eye contact, touch, gestures, and territorial space, and the regions with the most local differences are Japan, some parts of Asia, and Arab countries. Before we move further along, I need to give you more precise definitions of each category of nonverbal behaviors.

Eye contact—Differences in eye contact include length of eye contact, intensity of eye contact, and even whether or not eye contact is made. Variations may be based on age, social status, hierarchical position, gender, and so on.

Touch—Differences in touch appear in terms of frequency and meaning. This means cultures engage in touching more or less often, and they attach vastly different meanings to different kinds of touch.

Gestures—Differences in gestures occur mostly in terms of insults and vulgarity. They typically involve hands, fingers, and/or the movements of these body parts.

Territorial space—Differences in territorial space occur in terms of personal space, such as how close people stand to each other, and working space, such as offices, living areas, and the like.

Now that we have definitions in place we can look at some of the most common cultural misunderstandings in each of these categories.

Eye contact—In Western cultures it is considered normal and acceptable for people of all kinds to make eye contact with each other in most situations, as long as that eye contact is not overly intense. So for instance, when a supervisor speaks with an employee it is appropriate and expected that the two people should make eye contact during the interaction. In Japan, some parts of Asia, and the Middle East, however, employees would be expected to avert their eyes frequently in deference to the supervisor's higher rank in the hierarchy.

Gender differences in eye contact are most pronounced in Arab countries, where interactions between men and women are subject to strict cultural rules. In the strictest countries, women are not allowed to make eye contact with any man who is not a relative, and even that eye contact is limited when in public vs. private environments.

Touch—Regions with the highest frequency of touching include Central America, South America, the Middle East, and southern areas of Europe. In these parts of the world people touch each other regularly during interactions, on the arm, the hand, the back, or even a pat on the knee. In Central America, for instance, when two people are sitting next to or facing each other it is common for them to reach out and touch each other's knees for emphasis during a conversation. This occurs frequently and the meaning is one of friendliness and expressiveness.

In Italy, on the other hand, frequent touching during interactions has a very different meaning. Italians tend to raise their hands and arms during conversation as a way to take the floor and control the interaction. If one person wants to take the floor from another person, he will grasp the arms of the other person and physically hold them down. This allows him to take control of the interaction and become the speaker commanding the most attention.

Gestures—When it comes to insulting and vulgar gestures, there are tremendous differences among cultures. What is acceptable and interpreted positively in one culture can easily be interpreted as a grievous insult in other cultures. I'll focus on three of the most common gestures that cross cultures in vastly different ways—thumbs up, the v-sign, and the ring gesture.

Giving a thumbs up in the United States, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, and any other place with a history of British influence means "okay," "good job," or is a signal used to hitch a ride from a passing vehicle. In other countries without that historic British influence, however, a thumbs up hand signal means "up yours," "get stuffed," or some other variation of an insult.

The v-sign (holding two fingers up in a "v" shape) is a sign of victory or acclaim when given with the palm facing outward, but in Great Britain the v-sign has a vastly different meaning when the palm is facing inward toward the person making the gesture. In this form it means "up yours," "piss off," or some similar vulgarity. It is a significant insult and one that is likely to generate a very strong reaction when used during an interaction.

The ring gesture (thumb and index finger forming a circle and the remaining fingers stretched outward) means "okay" in the United States and most other English-speaking countries. In France, however, it means "zero" or "worthless," while in Japan it means "money" and is often interpreted as a request for a bribe of some sort. In the Mediterranean region, Turkey, Greece, and Arab countries the ring gesture is a tremendous insult, implying that someone is a detestable person, or a homosexual, or it may even be interpreted as a threat. The same holds true for Latin American countries as well.

Territorial space—If you travel to Italy or Latin America you will find people stand very close to each other, practically touching in many situations. This is difficult and uncomfortable, though, for people from the United States, Great Britain, and many Asian countries. In Japan especially, territorial space is considered very personal and not to be violated; you will not see people shaking hands, hugging, or otherwise standing in close proximity to each other. There are exceptions to this, though, such as two women or two men walking together and holding hands; to the Japanese this is a sign of friendship.

Territorial space also comes into play during greetings and farewell interactions. For instance, in Scandinavia, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and most Arab countries, greetings and farewells are usually expressed by kissing on the cheek once, twice, or even three times. In the United States and Great Britain, however, such greetings are awkward and usually avoided as much as possible; a handshake is the preferred greeting or farewell gesture.

Culture and history are powerful influences on body language and nonverbal behaviors, sometimes in ways that might surprise you. Here are some examples:

Blowing your nose—In European and Western countries, the modern practice of blowing your nose in a tissue or handkerchief is rooted in preventing the virulent spread of tuberculosis. This terribly contagious disease spreads through nose secretions and saliva so governments faced with epidemics of tuberculosis launched huge campaigns encouraging people to use tissues and handkerchiefs. The practice went a long way toward helping reduce the spread of the disease.

In Asian countries, especially Japan, just the opposite is true. Their cultural practice is to openly spit or snort mucus and secretions rather than blow them into a tissue. People from these cultures, in fact, are horrified at the thought of blowing your nose into a handkerchief and then putting it into your pocket.

The stiff upper lip—This facial expression is famous and typical of people from Great Britain who use it to avoid displaying emotions. King Henry VIII popularized this facial gesture as an expression of superiority and control in the sixteenth century, and it is still in use today. The effect of the stiff upper lip is perceived as cold, unemotional, and unfriendly by many other cultures, especially those where expressing emotions is expected and considered highly desirable.

The v-sign—I mentioned earlier the different meaning of this gesture, particularly in Great Britain, and the reason for this is rooted in British and European history. Centuries ago when archery was a primary tool in warfare, captured archers often had their two shooting fingers removed as a sign of degradation. It was, for most men, considered a fate much worse than simply being killed.

Because of this, the v-sign was used as a taunt by archers. They would flash the v-sign as a way of saying, "Hey, look, I still have my shooting fingers," and insult the enemy. It became a very powerful insulting gesture in Great Britain that continues unabated today.

American media—Many diverse cultures are now developing body language and nonverbal behaviors that are very American, thanks to the spread of movies and TV from the United States. As our media has spread to the far corners of the world, our common gestures and nonverbal behaviors have spread as well. In many places, younger generations have been exposed to so much American media that they readily pick up and understand American body language, while the older generations still perceive these things in their own traditional ways.

Even if you don't travel to different countries you are still very likely to encounter situations that require respect and accommodations for the body language of other cultures. In the United States, for example, the mix of cultures is unlike that of nearly any other place in the world. You can walk down the street in some parts of the country and see people from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, South America, and such, all within a short distance. You cannot hope to interact in a positive way with diverse groups of people without being familiar with and understanding their body language and nonverbal behaviors.

Colleges and universities often attract students from around the world. If students are not familiar with each others' nonverbal behaviors, this can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations between students as well as between students and professors. A student from Germany or Great Britain is not accustomed to communicating with hand and arm gestures, so when sitting in a class taught by a professor who uses such gestures, these students may feel intimidated.

Another common misunderstanding occurs when interacting with someone from Japan. In that culture, it is considered polite to nod the head and smile when listening to another person as a sign of respect and close attention. In other cultures, however, those same movements are used to indicate agreement with what a person is saying. You can imagine, then, the problems that may arise when a Westerner interacts with someone from Japan. As the Japanese person nods to show respect, the Westerner perceives agreement.

Any time you travel to another country or will be in contact with people from another culture, you would be wise to familiarize yourself with the body language and nonverbal behaviors typical of that culture. It will help you tremendously when it comes to successful interactions and communication and show your respect for other customs. When you go to another country you are far more likely to be well received if you make the effort ahead of time to learn a bit about what is appropriate and what is not appropriate in that country.