How Personality Shapes the Way We Read Body Language: A Study

What the Body Language Survey Reveals About Personality

Body language is one of the most powerful forms of communication people use every day – often without realizing it. A raised eyebrow, crossed arms, or a subtle shift in posture can say more than a carefully worded sentence. But not everyone reads, uses, or controls these nonverbal signals in the same way. Personality plays a significant role in how people relate to the unspoken messages their bodies send and receive, and understanding those differences can shed light on everything from workplace dynamics to romantic attraction.

To explore this topic, we created our "Body Language" survey, which asked 15 questions about how people read, use, and feel about nonverbal communication. Over 16,000 respondents from all personality types participated, sharing about their confidence in reading body language, their ability to control it, how they use it in digital communication, and much more. The results revealed both striking points of agreement – nearly every type believes body language is more honest than speech – and sharp divides driven by specific personality traits. This report breaks down those findings question by question, highlighting the patterns that emerged and what they suggest about the connection between personality and nonverbal communication.

Overarching Patterns in Body Language and Personality

The single strongest pattern across the entire survey was the influence of the Extraverted trait. On nearly every question – from self-rated reading ability to conscious use, perceived control, and even views on attraction – Extraverted types scored higher than their Introverted counterparts. This held true within every Role and across almost every matched pair of types. Extraverts' natural orientation toward external engagement appears to extend directly into the nonverbal domain, where they both pay closer attention to others' signals and use their own more deliberately.

The Feeling trait emerged as the second most influential factor, but its effect was more nuanced. Feeling types reported higher confidence in reading body language, greater trust in nonverbal cues, and more frequent use of emojis to replicate the warmth of face-to-face communication. Yet they also reported less control over their own body language and more instances of being betrayed by it. This combination paints a picture of types who are deeply attuned to nonverbal signals but also more vulnerable to broadcasting emotions they might prefer to keep hidden.

Thinking types, by contrast, reported higher perceived control over their body language even though they used it less consciously. This apparent contradiction may reflect a fundamental difference in approach: Thinking types are less likely to rely on nonverbal communication as a tool, but when they do engage with it, they tend to feel more confident in their ability to manage it. The Judging and Intuitive traits also played supporting roles – particularly when it came to deliberate self-improvement. Types combining both traits were the most likely to have actively worked on controlling their nonverbal presence.

One of the most revealing findings was the nearly universal agreement that body language is more telling than speech. Even types who expressed the least confidence in reading nonverbal cues – such as INTP personalities (Logicians) and ISTP personalities (Virtuosos) – still agreed at rates above 77%. This suggests a shared, cross-type understanding that nonverbal communication carries real weight, even among those who may not feel well-equipped to interpret it. In a survey where many questions produced double-digit gaps between types, this level of consensus was rare and striking.

Body Language Confidence and Skill by Personality Type

Feeling and Extraverted types tend to rate themselves as more skilled at reading body language – and more trusting of nonverbal cues in general. But the survey also revealed a point of surprisingly strong agreement across all personality types: the belief that body language usually reveals more than words. This section explores how respondents assess their own ability to read nonverbal signals, how much control they feel over their own body language, and whether they think gestures and expressions carry more truth than speech.

Self-Rated Ability to Read Body Language

When asked how good they are at reading other people's body language, some types are far more confident than others. People with the ESTP personality type (Entrepreneurs) led the pack, with 85% rating themselves as "very good" or "good." ENTJ personalities (Commanders), ESFJ personalities (Consuls), and ENFJ personalities (Protagonists) also scored above 80%. At the other end, INTPs and ISTPs were far less confident, with only 46% and 41% rating themselves positively.

The clearest pattern in the data was the influence of the Extraverted trait. Within every Role, Extraverted types rated themselves higher than their Introverted counterparts. Among Explorers, for instance, the gap between ESTPs and ISTPs stretched past 44 percentage points. The Feeling trait also played a notable role – Diplomat personalities, who share the Intuitive and Feeling traits, were consistently among the strongest self-raters, perhaps because a natural attunement to emotional cues also fosters confidence in reading nonverbal ones.

Perceived Control over Body Language

Reading body language is one thing, but feeling like you have control over your own is another. ENTJs stood apart here, with 76% agreeing that they have a lot of control over their nonverbal signals. ESTPs and ESTJ personalities (Executives) also reported high confidence, at around 68%. At the bottom, people with the INFP personality type (Mediators) and the ISFP personality type (Adventurers) agreed at only about 38–39%, suggesting that most of them don't feel they have much command over their own body language.

The Thinking trait was the most consistent predictor of perceived control. Every Thinking type outscored its Feeling counterpart on this question. ENTP personalities (Debaters), for instance, agreed at 64%, compared to just 53% among ENFP personalities (Campaigners). The combination of Introversion and the Prospecting trait predicted the lowest sense of control – INFPs, ISFPs, ISTPs, and INTPs all fell below 50%. For these types, body language may feel less like a deliberate tool and more like an involuntary broadcast.

Trust in Body Language over Speech

When asked whether a person's body language is usually more telling than their speech, the response was one of the most unified in the entire survey. ENFPs and ENFJs topped the charts, both above 92%. Even the types least likely to agree – ISTJ personalities (Logisticians) and ISTPs, both at 77% – still showed strong endorsement. Across all 16 types, no group fell below three-quarters agreement, a level of consensus that stands out in a survey where most other questions divided personality types sharply along trait lines.

Despite the broad agreement, some familiar patterns emerged. Feeling types consistently scored higher than Thinking types, and Diplomat personalities topped the rankings as a group. But perhaps the most interesting tension here is between belief and self-assessed ability. Types like INTPs and ISTPs – who were among the least confident in their body language reading skills – still overwhelmingly agreed that nonverbal cues reveal more than words. In other words, even those who doubt their own ability to decode body language still believe it carries more truth than what people actually say.

What about you?

Free

Only 10 minutes to get a “freakishly accurate” description of who you are and why you do things the way you do.

Take the Test

How Personalities Use and Are Betrayed by Body Language

How deliberately people use body language – and how often it gives them away – varies sharply by personality type. Extraverted and Feeling types are the most intentional about their nonverbal communication, yet they are also the most likely to report being caught out by an involuntary expression or gesture. And when it comes to reading others, one body part was the near-universal choice for "most revealing" across all types: the eyes.

Conscious Use of Body Language

When asked how often they consciously use body language to help communicate, ENFJs led the way – about 74% said "often" or "very often." At the other end, ISTPs came in at just 33%, meaning most of them rarely give their gestures or expressions much deliberate thought. The gap was largely driven by the Energy trait scale – every Extraverted type scored above 60%, while most Introverted types fell well below that mark.

Beyond Extraversion, the Feeling trait made a clear difference. INFJ personalities (Advocates), for example, reported conscious use at about 60%, compared to roughly 44% for INTJ personalities (Architects). This pattern held across nearly every matched pair of types. Introverted Analyst personality types scored especially low – INTJs at about 44% and INTPs at roughly 39% – though their Extraverted counterparts like ENTJs (72%) fared much better, reinforcing that Introversion is the stronger driver of low conscious body language use.

Body Language Betrayals

When asked whether body language has ever betrayed them in a way that cost them something, INFPs were the most likely to say yes, at 74%. ESFP personalities (Entertainers) followed closely at 72%, and ENFPs at 71%. At the opposite end, ENTJs were the least likely to report such an experience, at 55%. Even so, the fact that more than half of every single personality type has been caught out by their own body language shows just how universal the experience really is.

The Feeling trait was the most consistent predictor of betrayal. Feeling types outscored Thinking types in nearly every case, likely because strong emotional responsiveness makes reactions harder to mask. This connects to an earlier finding in the survey: types who reported the least control over their body language – especially INFPs and ISFPs – were also among the most frequently betrayed by it. Sentinel personality types like ISFJ personalities (Defenders) landed in the middle at 63%, neither immune to slip-ups nor especially prone to them. The implication is clear: the more strongly someone feels their emotions, the harder it can be to keep those feelings hidden.

The Most Telling Body Part

When respondents were asked which body part is most telling, the eyes were the dominant choice by a wide margin. Every personality type selected them as the most revealing, with agreement ranging from 46% among ENTPs to 59% among INFJs. Arms and hands came in a distant second at roughly 17% on average, while posture, the mouth, and legs trailed far behind – with legs in particular chosen by fewer than 3% of respondents across the board.

Despite the strong consensus, some subtle differences appeared along trait lines. Feeling types, particularly Diplomats like INFJs and ENFPs, chose the eyes at slightly higher rates – perhaps because they are naturally attuned to the emotional cues that eye contact conveys. Thinking types leaned a bit more toward arms and hands. INTPs chose them at 20%, compared to about 14% among INFJs. This small but consistent gap may reflect a tendency to focus on deliberate physical gestures rather than the subtler emotional signals carried in someone's gaze.

How Personality Types View Body Language and Attraction

Body language doesn't just help people communicate – it also shapes who they find attractive. Across the survey, Extraverted types placed the most importance on nonverbal cues in attraction, while Introverted Thinking types were more likely to downplay their significance. And when asked whether men or women use body language more deliberately, respondents showed a clear lean – though not all personality types agreed on just how wide the gender gap really is.

Body Language's Role in Physical Attraction

When asked how important body language is to physical attraction, ENTJs placed the most weight on it, with 80% rating it as "important" or "very important." ENFJs and ESFJs followed closely, both around 77–79%. At the other end of the spectrum, ISTPs rated body language as important at just 44%, and INTPs at 47% – meaning that more than half of both types see it as only moderately important or less when it comes to physical attraction. The gap between the highest and lowest types stretched past 35 percentage points, making this one of the more divisive questions in the survey.

The Extraverted trait was the strongest predictor here. Every Extraverted type scored above 68%, while most Introverted types fell below that mark. But it wasn't the only factor at play. The Judging trait also appeared to boost the importance people placed on nonverbal attraction cues – ENTJs, ENFJs, and ESTJs all ranked near the top, suggesting that types who prefer structure and decisiveness may also pay closer attention to the physical signals a potential partner gives off. Meanwhile, types combining the Introverted and Thinking traits consistently rated body language as less central to attraction, perhaps because they tend to weigh other factors – like intellectual connection – more heavily.

Perceptions of Gendered Body Language Use

When asked whether men or women consciously use body language more, the answer across all personality types leaned heavily in one direction: women. ESTPs chose "women" at the highest rate, 64%, followed closely by ISTJs, ESTJs, and ISFJs, all above 61%. Observant types in general selected this option more often than Intuitive types. At the other end, INTPs were the most likely to say both genders use body language equally, with 44% choosing "the same" – only narrowly behind the 49% who chose "women." Across all 16 types, very few respondents – never more than 12% – selected "men."

The most notable split on this question ran along the Intuitive–Observant divide. Observant types, who tend to focus on tangible, present-moment details, may be more likely to notice and remember visible examples of deliberate body language – and to associate those examples with women. Intuitive types, on the other hand, were more inclined to view the genders as roughly equal, possibly because they tend to think more abstractly about behavior rather than drawing conclusions from surface-level observations. Still, even among the most egalitarian-minded types, "women" remained the top response, suggesting a widely held cultural perception that women are more deliberate about the nonverbal signals they send.

Improving Body Language and Digital Expression with Emojis

The drive to improve body language and the tendency to express it digitally through emojis stem from different personality roots. Intuitive and Judging types were the most likely to have deliberately worked on their nonverbal skills, while Feeling and Extraverted types dominated emoji use. Together, these findings highlight two distinct approaches to nonverbal communication – one focused on refining in-person presence, the other on making sure digital messages carry the emotional warmth that text alone often lacks.

Intentional Body Language Improvement

When asked whether they have intentionally worked to better control their body language, ENTJs led all types at 81%, followed closely by ENTPs and ENFJs, both at 76%. At the bottom of the list sat ISTPs at just 44% – the only type where a clear majority said they hadn't deliberately worked on their nonverbal signals. ISFPs followed at 53%. Overall, the gap between the most and least deliberate types stretched over 37 percentage points, making this one of the wider splits in the survey.

Two trait patterns appeared with perfect consistency across the data. Every Intuitive type outscored its Observant counterpart, and every Judging type outscored its Prospecting counterpart – without a single exception. This makes types combining both traits, like ENTJs, INFJs, and ENFJs, especially likely to invest in controlling their nonverbal presence. The pattern makes sense: Intuitive types tend to think in reflective, abstract ways that naturally extend to concepts like self-presentation and social perception, while Judging types often channel those observations into structured self-improvement. The two Introverted Explorer types – ISTPs and ISFPs – anchored the bottom of the rankings, and Explorers in general tended to rank in the lower half, suggesting that these personality types may prefer to let their body language remain organic rather than engineered.

Emoji Use in Digital Conversations

When asked whether they often use emojis to convey their body language in digital conversations, the Feeling trait took center stage. ESFJs were the most enthusiastic emoji users, with 82% saying they often use emojis to convey body language digitally. ENFJs followed at 80%, and ENFPs at 78%. INTPs, by contrast, sat at just 46%, and INTJs at 49% – meaning that roughly half of these Thinking and Introverted types don't regularly reach for emojis to express their nonverbal side online.

The Feeling trait was the dominant driver. In every matched pair of types, the Feeling variant used emojis more frequently – often by a wide margin. The gap between ENFPs and ENTPs, for instance, was nearly 19 percentage points. This makes sense when you consider that Feeling types tend to prioritize emotional warmth and connection. In face-to-face conversation, a smile or a nod does this naturally. In a text message, that emotional layer is stripped away – and emojis may serve as the closest digital substitute. Thinking types, on the other hand, may trust that their words alone convey their meaning well enough, or they may simply see emojis as unnecessary embellishment.

Emoji Use for Physical Actions vs. Tone

When asked whether they use emojis to reflect a physical action like a smile or shrug, or to communicate tone and emphasis, most personality types said they use them for both. ESFJs and ENFJs led the "both" category at around 59%, while Feeling types in general selected this option at the highest rates. But a significant share of respondents don't use emojis at all. About 28% of INTPs and 25% of INTJs chose "don't use," compared to fewer than 8% of ENFJs and ESFJs.

An interesting split appeared among emoji users along the Thinking–Feeling divide. Thinking types who do use emojis were more likely to favor tone and emphasis alone – INTJs chose this option at 36%, and INTPs at 34%. Feeling types, by contrast, leaned heavily toward "both," suggesting they see emojis as a richer form of digital expression that covers not just clarity but also physical warmth. In other words, Thinking types may treat emojis mainly as tools for preventing misunderstanding – adding a wink to soften a sarcastic remark, for example – while Feeling types treat them as a genuine extension of their expressive, people-oriented communication style.

What Counts as Body Language Beyond Facial Expressions?

Body language extends well beyond facial expressions and hand gestures. Clothing choices, phone habits, the tendency to mirror a conversation partner, and unconscious "tells" all contribute to the nonverbal signals people send. This section explores how personality types view these broader dimensions – and the data reveals that Feeling and Intuitive types consistently see nonverbal communication as more expansive, while Thinking and Observant types tend to define it more narrowly.

Ornaments as a Form of Body Language

When asked whether clothes, jewelry, hairstyle, and other "ornaments" could be considered part of body language, ENFJs were the most likely to agree, at 67%. ENTJs and ESTJs followed closely at about the same rate. At the other end, ISTPs agreed at just 41%, and ISTJs at 46% – making them the only personality types where a majority didn't see their appearance choices as a form of nonverbal communication.

The Extraverted trait was the strongest predictor here. In every matched pair, the Extraverted type scored higher – sometimes dramatically so, as in the 21-point gap between ESTJs and ISTJs. The Judging trait also made a modest but consistent difference, with every Judging type scoring slightly above its Prospecting counterpart. This suggests that types who are both outwardly engaged and drawn to deliberate self-presentation are the most inclined to view fashion and grooming as meaningful nonverbal signals. For more reserved personality types – particularly ISTPs and ISTJs – ornaments may feel like personal choices rather than messages meant for anyone else to read.

Body Language During Phone Calls

When asked whether their body language increases or decreases during phone calls, respondents gave one of the most evenly split answers in the survey. "Decreases" was the most common response for many types – ISFJs picked it at the highest rate, 42% – while "no change" edged ahead for others, particularly ISTPs at 42%. A smaller but notable group said their body language actually increases on the phone, with ESFPs leading at 29%. No single option clearly dominated for any personality type, making this a rare three-way split.

Unlike most questions in this survey, phone-related body language didn't produce sharp personality-driven divides. The Feeling trait nudged respondents slightly toward "increases," while Thinking types leaned a touch more toward "decreases" or "no change." But these were differences of only a few percentage points rather than the double-digit gaps that appeared elsewhere. The result suggests that how body language shifts during phone conversations may depend more on individual habit and context than on personality preferences – making this one of the few topics where type simply didn't matter much.

Mirroring Others' Body Language

When asked whether they usually try to mirror the body language of the person they're talking to, personality types divided sharply. ENFPs were the most likely to say yes, at 53%, followed by INFJs and ENFJs at around 50%. At the bottom, ISTPs agreed at just 32%, and ISTJs at 33% – a gap of more than 20 points from the highest to the lowest types.

The Feeling trait was the most consistent driver of this divide. In nearly every matched pair, the Feeling variant scored higher – the gap between INFJs and INTJs, for example, stretched to 16 points. The Intuitive trait played a supporting role as well, lifting Intuitive types above their Observant counterparts in most matched pairs, though there were minor exceptions such as ESTJs edging slightly past ENTJs. For Diplomat personality types, who combine both Intuitive and Feeling traits, mirroring likely feels like a natural way to build rapport and signal empathy. Analyst types, on the other hand, may be less inclined to adjust their physical behavior to match someone else's, preferring to communicate on their own terms.

Self-Awareness of Personal Tells

When asked whether they have any "tells" that people have pointed out to them – habits like fidgeting when nervous or looking away when uncomfortable – most Feeling personality types said yes, though not every Feeling type crossed the 50% threshold (ISFJs, for instance, came in just under at 49%). INFPs led at 57%, with ENFJs close behind at the same rate. By contrast, INTJs were the least likely to report having recognized tells, at just 38%.

This pattern connects to a broader theme across the survey. Feeling types consistently reported less control over their body language, more instances of being betrayed by it, and now a greater awareness of their own involuntary habits. Whether Feeling personality types genuinely have more tells or are simply more receptive to this kind of feedback from others is hard to say. But the data paints a consistent picture: the more emotionally attuned a type is, the more its body language tends to speak on its own – noticed by others even when it's unintended. INTJs' low score, meanwhile, could reflect either greater physical composure or fewer people in their lives willing to point out their habits.

Why Body Language Says More Than Words for Every Type

This survey paints a detailed picture of how personality shapes people's relationship with body language – from the confidence they feel reading it to the control they believe they have over it. The Extraverted and Feeling traits consistently predicted greater engagement with nonverbal communication, whether that meant reading others' cues, using body language deliberately, or reaching for emojis to fill the expressive gap in digital conversations. Thinking and Introverted types, on the other hand, tended to take a more restrained approach, engaging with body language less actively but often feeling more in command of it when they did.

Perhaps the most striking finding was the tension between belief and ability. More than three-quarters of respondents in every single type agreed that body language reveals more than words. Yet many of those same people rated their own reading skills as only fair or poor. This gap between conviction and confidence suggests that most people recognize the importance of nonverbal communication even when they feel uncertain about their own ability to decode it – a humbling and remarkably human insight.

Ultimately, the data reinforces a simple truth: body language is a language everyone speaks, but not everyone speaks it in the same way. Some types use it as a deliberate instrument of connection, while others let it operate in the background. Some feel exposed by it, while others feel empowered. Understanding these differences doesn't just satisfy curiosity – it can help people communicate more effectively, build stronger relationships, and become a little more forgiving of the signals that slip out before anyone has a chance to choose their words.