How emotions sculpt bodily expression: a systematic review of emotional induction, measures, and findings

Emotional expressions conveyed through body postures and movements play a central role in social communication and adaptive behaviour, yet they have received considerably less attention than facial expressions. This systematic review examines how emotional bodily expressions are induced, measured, and analyzed. Forty-nine studies on healthy adults were included, covering (1) measurement technologies and body-related outcomes, (2) sample characteristics, (3) methods used to elicit, portray, and assess emotions, (4) single- versus multi- channel approaches, (5) the main findings, and (6) methodological limitations. Results reveal substantial methodological heterogeneity: bodily expressions have been assessed using a wide range of devices, each with specific constraints. Methods used to elicit or portray emotion ranged from standardised stimuli to interactive paradigms, reflecting the challenge of balancing experimental control with ecological validity. Findings are further limited by small, homogeneous samples, gender imbalance, inconsistent emotion assessment, and an overall high risk of bias. Despite these limitations, the literature demonstrates that bodily expressions convey meaningful information about emotional states, particularly in high-arousal and socially relevant contexts. This review highlights the need for improved methodological standardisation, experimental paradigms better suited to their contexts, and appropriate statistical approaches to more effectively capture the dynamic nature of emotional bodily expressions.