Walking and Movement Styles of Different Psychological Types
When do we start analyzing a person’s personality and creating a psychological profile? Profilers’ eyes often focus on how someone enters a room or walks: their gait, movements, and gestures. But is it really possible to determine a person’s psychological type based on these signs? Let’s take a closer look at the distinctive features of nonverbal behavior for each psychological type.
Histrionic Type
Their walk is smooth, almost as if they’re on a runway. Movements come from the hips, with fluidity and deliberate flair. Their gait often carries a sense of challenge—or rather, an invitation—along with flirtatiousness and coquetry.
There is a sense of mannerism, theatricality, and pretentiousness. Histrionics love beautiful, “winning” poses meant to signal “high status” or “elite upbringing.” They strike such poses in all situations, regardless of the context or objective significance of what’s happening.
Epileptoid Type
If you watch epileptoids in shopping malls, you’ll notice that each of their steps seems to drive a stake into the ground. Their movements are rough, rigid, slow, and restrained.
Their constant internal self-control is reflected in their gait and movements.
Paranoid Type
They have a springy walk—light, yet precise. There is motor activity, focus, and self-confidence.
Paranoids are distinguished by two types of gestures: directive and rhythmic. “Pointing fingers,” “outstretched hands”—these are typical gestures for this type. They confidently point not only into the “bright future,” but also at a book page, a slogan on a banner, or a blueprint.
Emotive Type
Their movements are soft, smooth, and light, with carefulness. When walking among people, they are courteous and considerate, never disturbing others.
Their gestures are restrained (in terms of range and amplitude), but expressive, accurately and succinctly conveying the sincere emotions typical of emotives.
They often use smooth, flexible gestures, sometimes reminiscent of histrionic or feminine movements (regardless of the person’s actual gender).
Emotives choose comfortable, relaxed poses that don’t inconvenience those around them. People often say: “graceful and natural, like an animal.” Indeed, whenever you look at an emotive, it seems they’ve chosen the optimal pose—comfortable for themselves and everyone else, elegant without affectation, attractive without tension, beautiful without pretentiousness.
Schizoid Type
They have whip-like arms, poor awareness of their own body size, and low coordination. They may knock things over or break things because they don’t feel their body well.
Their gestures are very distinctive and hard to confuse with any other type. Schizoids’ movements are angular, abrupt, awkward, and poorly coordinated.
Their poses are uncomfortable and nonfunctional. It seems as if their posture is maintained not thanks to, but in spite of, the natural structure of the musculoskeletal system.
Hyperthymic Type
Their walk is fast, energetic, and so active that you try to keep up with them. Their gestures are fidgety.
You can easily recognize a hyperthymic person by their facial expressions and gestures. They often look around in search of someone to talk to. Without embarrassment, and with a cheerful smile, they look into the faces of passersby and strangers.
Hyperthymics use welcoming and illustrative gestures. All their movements are quick—they walk fast, eat fast, and talk fast.
Anxious-Suspicious Type
Their walk is cautious and slow. They look around and react to every possible stimulus. They often walk in groups (it’s safer that way) and take small steps, like mice.
Their poses, facial expressions, and gestures are very restrained, often almost absent. Their movements are so unremarkable that they’re hard to notice, let alone remember.
Depressive-Sad Type
Their walk lacks energy, often shuffling, with eyes downcast, moving slowly and slouching.
They have low vitality, with slow and sluggish gestures. Their posture is limp—it feels as if their spine can’t support them. Their movements are measured but lack strength.