According to the online Oxford dictionary, "manspreading" describes “the practice whereby a man adopts a sitting position with his legs wide apart, in such a way as to encroach on an adjacent seat'.
Sitting more expansively may also signal dominance and sexual attractiveness for males. Tanya Vacharkulksemsuk, a UC Berkeley post-doctorate researcher recently published studies that found spreading out legs and arms is more sexually attractive when males do it.
Specifically, expansiveness signals access to resources and dominance.” The results of the study suggest that people are more attracted to an expansive posture because it conveys both social dominance and openness.
Manspreading is the process in which a man sits on a public conveyance such as a bus or train with his legs spread wide apart in order to take as much space as possible and discourage other passengers from sitting close to him.
What it Means: Manspreading is typically a territorial cue done by men signalling dominance. Manspreading shows off the “goods” and is done when someone is feeling relaxed and confident. It's rarely done by women because it's considered unfeminine.
Sitting. Sitting with slightly open legs is a relaxed position, showing the person is comfortable. One or both legs may be flopped down sideways as far as they can go.
It's probably just a nervous habit that may reduce stress or anxiety, says Raymond Miltenberger, Ph. D., director of the applied behavior analysis master's program at the University of South Florida. "Or maybe you're simply bored," he says. It may be a benign tic, but it's a highly visible one.
Sitting with your legs wide open shows arrogance, sexual inclination and combativeness.
A good indication that a man is attracted to you is if he displays open body language while talking to you. Open body language attraction includes a relaxed upper body and torso, uncrossed arms, and feet apart. This is a sign that he is attentive to you and is receptive to what you are saying.
Look out for body language cues that signal that he is uncomfortable or disinterested in your interactions. He may try to move away from you, cross his arms in front of him, or turn away from you while you are talking. He may also try to avoid physical contact, like a hug or you touching his arm, he is not interested.
Yes, crossing legs is something mostly girls do, but there's nothing wrong with men doing it too. Crossing legs isn't reserved for girls. Girls can sit in the same position as a man and no one says anything, but if a man sits “like a girl” people notice and care.
Depending on the context, sitting cross-legged can mean a person is either relaxed or defensive. Body language experts note that if you see someone sitting this way in a meeting, it may indicate they have emotionally withdrawn from the conversation.
Fidgeting is usually a harmless response to stress or boredom, but it can also signal a health problem. Some repetitive movements may be a medical symptom. For example, moving your legs constantly to relieve pain may indicate restless leg syndrome.
Leg shaking can happen for many reasons, ranging from restless legs syndrome (RLS) to serious conditions such as dementia. It can be a subtle annoyance or an intense experience that causes muscle tension and difficulty walking. It is not possible to diagnose the cause of shaky legs based on symptoms alone.
It could even be a defensive act and may also indicate restlessness, stress, anxiety and shyness. A person may adopt this posture if he/she is in a position of strong denial or when they are unusually stressed.
Splaying legs and arms is actually a territorial display of dominance. In other words, when we make our body take up more physical space we are actually trying to claim it as our own and assert power. Men do this because men often feel the need to claim power in a room or assert dominance.
When reading body language, the reaction she gives to your touch can be an indicator of how she feels about you. If a woman is into you, she may blush, giggle, or flash a quick smile at the slightest touch, like a brush of her arm. If she's not interested, she may pull away or not even notice your touch.
Fidgeting may be a sign that a man is bored. It can also signal that he is nervous—restlessness is a common symptom of anxiety and chronic stress.
One of the signs a guy is nervous around you is when he is being restless. He will fidget around you and won't stay still. It could be because he is attracted to you or because he is hiding something from you. Men can get fidgety when they are guilty of doing something.
People tend to naturally lean toward people they like in conversation, according to Battle. If the guy you like tends to lean his face in closer to yours while he's talking to you or listening to you talk, that's a good sign that he might be into you.