Kinesics refers to non-verbal communication through body movements and gestures. It was first studied by anthropologist Ray Birdwhistell in 1952. Kinesics includes gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact, and personal appearance, all of which can convey social meanings beyond what is said with words. Birdwhistell estimated that only 30-35% of social meaning in interactions is carried through words, with the rest being non-verbal. Common gestures include handshakes, emblems, and illustrators, while postures, facial expressions, eye contact, and personal appearance can also indicate states like thinking, approval, confidence, and interest.