Body language
Subject in Social Sciences
Body language has come up in 5 episodes across 2 podcasts in TMT, including The Mel Robbins Podcast, The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett. 4 people have made recorded remarks about it.
What people said
Vanessa Van EdwardsBehavioral researcher, bestselling author, and founder of Science of People
Van Edwards argues people believe gestures over words because it is hard to lie with gestures.
“it is very hard to lie with gestures. We are very used to lying with our words”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Body Language Expert: 6 Psychological Tricks to Turn Awkwardness into Confidence (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 40:53
Van Edwards says research found the steeple was rated the most charismatic hand gesture among leaders.
“They found there was one single gesture that people rated as the most charismatic. And it is, I call it the power pose for the hands”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Body Language Expert: 6 Psychological Tricks to Turn Awkwardness into Confidence (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 37:31
Van Edwards explains that hunched shoulders are an evolutionary neck-protecting cue that signals danger to the brain and triggers awkwardness symptoms.
“If you do the opposite, you're telling your brain, we are not safe, which then makes you have more cortisol, which shuts down your thinking”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Body Language Expert: 6 Psychological Tricks to Turn Awkwardness into Confidence (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 31:20
Van Edwards claims hunched phone-checking posture repeatedly puts people into defeat body language before important events.
“That is what everyone does when they check their phone. So accidentally, multiple times a day, you are putting yourself into defeat and shame body language”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: Body Language Expert: 6 Psychological Tricks to Turn Awkwardness into Confidence (Sep 26, 2026) · Listen from 32:12
Leanne ten BrinkePsychologist, director of the Truth and Trust Lab at the University of British Columbia, and author of Poisonous People
Ten Brinke said there is no research supporting the common belief that sketchy eye contact signals lying.
“They will say sketchy eye contact. And there's no research to suggest that that is true”
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett: Human Lie Detector: The #1 Sign They’re Lying To You, Catch Liars Instantly! | Dr Leanne ten Brinke (Sep 7, 2026) · Listen from 20:44
Oz PearlmanAmerican mentalist, Emmy Award-winning performer, and author of Read Your Mind
Pearlman says people feel danger when approached head-on, so he approaches at an angle.
“If you approach someone head on, we are hardwired to feel danger when someone comes directly at you. I would approach tables at an angle”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Master Any Conversation, Communicate With Confidence, and Deal With Difficult People (Jul 6, 2026) · Listen from 37:01
Shadé ZahraiBehavioral researcher, confidence expert and author of Big Trust, with a PhD in organizational behavior from Monash University
Zahrai cites recent research suggesting the distance between chin and chest, rather than overall posture, drives feelings of confidence.
“It is the connection between chin and chest. The distance between your chin and chest is what determines how you feel”
The Mel Robbins Podcast: How to Eliminate Self-Doubt Forever & Build Unshakeable Confidence (May 11, 2026) · Listen from 59:03
Coverage over time
Podcasts
- The Mel Robbins Podcast · 3 episodes
- The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · 2 episodes
Episodes
Body Language Expert: 6 Psychological Tricks to Turn Awkwardness into ConfidenceThe Mel Robbins Podcast · Sep 26, 2026 · 1 h 23 min
Mel Robbins and behavioral researcher Vanessa Van Edwards discuss body language, energy management, likability, conversation starters, networking positioning, and the ABCD productivity exercise.
Vanessa Van Edwards: The Conversation Habit That Makes Smart People UnlikableThe Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · Sep 10, 2026 · 2 h 27 min
Behavioral researcher Vanessa Van Edwards tells Steven Bartlett about her three-level conversation framework, over-talking, self-narratives, five story archetypes and the cues behind charisma.
Human Lie Detector: The #1 Sign They’re Lying To You, Catch Liars Instantly! | Dr Leanne ten BrinkeThe Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · Sep 7, 2026 · 1 h 44 min
Psychologist Leanne ten Brinke tells Steven Bartlett how to detect lies, explains the Dark Tetrad of personality traits, and offers rules for dealing with toxic people.
- How to Master Any Conversation, Communicate With Confidence, and Deal With Difficult People
The Mel Robbins Podcast · Jul 6, 2026 · 1 h 9 min
Mel Robbins talks with mentalist Oz Pearlman about reading people, memorable first impressions, remembering names, overcoming rejection, spotting lies, and handling difficult people.
- How to Eliminate Self-Doubt Forever & Build Unshakeable Confidence
The Mel Robbins Podcast · May 11, 2026 · 1 h 19 min
Mel Robbins talks with behavioral researcher Dr. Shadé Zahrai about her four-part framework—acceptance, agency, autonomy, adaptability—for overcoming self-doubt and building confidence.