Inventory of Physical Activity
Categories
Dress
Posture
Movement
Hand
Position
Gestures
Facial
Expression
Directness
Distracting
Neutral
Awkward
Skillful
Careless sloppy,
overdone,
inappropriate
Weight on one
foot; hip out,
straddle, military
in appearance;
swaying
Motionless;
pacing foot
scraping and
rocking; No
definite
movement
Behind back or in
front usually
clasped; in
pockets at sides,
tense
Incomplete limp;
all the same
type; too many;
fiddling with,
rings, bracelets,
ect.
Drab lacking in
color
Not Stylish, too
young or old
Not good, but
does little to
convey the idea
Just doesn’t
appear
comfortable
Attractive, neat in
a semi
conservative style
Alert yet poised
Occasional
distracting and
shifting of weight
Mechanical
changes of
position; often
planned or out of
sequence
Adapted to ideas:
aids in focus of
thought of the
audience upon
ideas
Always at rest
on lectern or
behind back
Hands call
attention to
themselves;
jerky actions
At sides or shifting
easily, not tense.
Used to reinforce
ideas
None, or
perhaps a weak
little stab, nods;
almost fishlike in
activity
Not in the
appropriate
pattern; not
timed, large
enough to be
seen, but no
clear meaning or
point
Canned smile;
faked try at
emotion; often
looking at wall or
floor.
Spontaneous in
number and in
variety; habitual
and relevant to
topic
Mechanical
shifting as if on
cue, often at the
ends of
sentences
Actually sees the
audience as
people and reacts
to them. Uses
feedback to adjust
to the audience
None at all or
inappropriate;
eye blink, lip
smack ect.
Which have no
relevancy
Eyes at notes; at
the floor ceiling,
walls, nervous
shift over faces
all to quickly
Scarcely any
change, no help
at all
No real contact
with audience
members
Animated and
direct;
communicative.
Shows face to
audience
In General: Whatever works to aid in the communication of an idea, whatever
adds to the meaning or to the relationship between the speaker and the
audience is good. Whatever calls attention to itself or the speaker without the
audience as an integral part or separates the speaker and the audience should
be avoided.