The two groups of body language postures are known as which pairing?

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The idea is that body language postures fall into two clear dimensions: the direction of the body's stance (moving toward someone versus away) and the openness of the posture (being open and inviting versus closed and guarded). When someone leans forward or moves closer, it signals engagement and interest. Leaning back suggests distance or withdrawal. Separately, an open posture—with uncrossed arms and a relaxed, facing position—reads as approachable and receptive, while a closed posture—with crossed arms, defensive angles, or tucked limbs—reads as guarded or unreceptive. Taken together, these two groups describe how people position themselves to signal approach or avoidance and openness or defensiveness, which is why this pairing best fits the concept. Left/right and up/down aren’t standard dichotomies for social posture; open/neutral and closed/rigid describe states rather than the two primary directional and openness dimensions; and active/passive with relaxed/tensed reflect energy or tension rather than the two core posture pairings.