Adaptors
Adaptors are a form of nonverbal communication—a class of gestures and
movements that help people deal with discomfort, such as stress, anxiety and any
other unsettling thoughts. They literally help us adapt to the situation we're in or
to how we're feeling.
They're distinct from the gestures we make during conversation to intentionally
communicate something nonverbally or that complement our speech. These
gestures are done unconsciously and are unrelated to what we're saying. They
serve to use up some of our excess energy and provide comfort.
These gestures are often of self-touching and also miscellaneous fidgeting. They
can occur anywhere on the body, but are most often focused on the head and
face.
While the term adaptor is often used to cover all the possible variations, they are
sometimes divided into three groups that we'll consider:
Self-adaptors
Alter adaptors
Object adaptors
There's some definite overlap among the categories, so these aren't firm
distinctions.
Self-Adaptor
Self-adaptors are the self-comforting gestures we make, for the most part, in
private.
For example, scratching on the head or face satisfies an itch, but there's more. In
private, we tend to linger more over a scratch, maybe finishing by rubbing the
fingers over a wider area. This extracts the most comfort from the situation.
If we felt this same itch in public, our response would be more muted. We'd get
the relief we need and then stop.
Self-adaptors aren't limited to a physical trigger. They're commonly triggered by
anxiety, albeit usually at a very low level. Some other examples:
Stroking the back of the head.
Touching or rubbing the face.
Touching or rubbing the arms or torso.
Stretching the legs.
There's no pressing physical reason for any of these movements. We're feeling
some king of mental stress. We generally don't realize we need any comfort. The
action happens unconsciously.
Alter Adaptor
Alter adaptors are made in response to another person. They're the same sort of
gesture as the self-adaptors. The difference is the need for comfort is being
triggered by someone else. Some examples:
Someone enters our personal space so we cross our arms or put our hands
on our arms. These are defensive and comforting positions.
While our boss criticizes our work, we wring or open and close our hands,
take a half step back or to the side, or stretch a leg. These movements use a
little of our nervous energy and offer a physical distraction.
Thinking that someone is looking at us, we scratch our face or pat our hair.
Object Adaptor
Object adaptors are the movements that involve something other than our own
body—glasses, clothes or other accessories. These gestures can be triggered
privately—by our own thoughts—or by someone else. Some examples are:
Putting glasses on and taking them off.
Pulling on our pants or shirt.
Running the fingers along a tie or a strap.
Adjusting a hat.
Playing with a pen or a ring
Adaptors in Non-Verbal Communication
What stands out about adaptors is their complete lack of meaningful content.
When done privately, it's obvious these gestures aren't communicating anything
to anyone else. They're purely to make ourselves feel better.
When done in front of others, they still don't communicate anything important.
They serve to drain off nervous energy, give physical comfort, or provide a mental
distraction from unsettling thoughts.
Do Adaptors Communicate Anything?
Onlookers tend to view adaptors negatively. They give the impression of neurosis,
anxiety, and other addled thoughts.
This is how adaptors are usually presented to us in movies and television. If a
storyteller wants to characterize someone as nervous, jumpy, or otherwise
mentally unsettled, they'll be a blur of activity. Running the hands through the
hair, pushing on glasses, pulling the ear, light coughing into the hand, smoothing
their clothes and so on.
This doesn't mean that we should assume a person's thinking is unclear because
we notice these gestures, especially in moderation. After all, they're quite
common. At the least, though, they tell us that someone isn't totally at ease.
Likewise, if we're prone to frequent use of adaptors, it's good to be aware of the
possible effect these gestures could have on others. Bringing these usually
unconscious actions to the forefront of our attention and making an effort to
tamp them could improve how others perceive us.
