Thursday, January 30, 2014

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2705: Congressman Michael Grimm Apology - Sincere or Not? Body Language Tells (VIDEO, PHOTOS)




On Tuesday night after President Obama's State of the Union Address, Congressman Michael Grimm (R-NY) threatened to throw reporter Michael Scotto off a Balcony in the U.S. Capitol Building after Scotto asked Grimm a question regarding an alleged campaign finance infraction. Grimm believed the camera was off.

Grimm said, "Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again, I'll throw you off this fucking balcony."

When Scotto suggested it was a valid question, Grimm answered, "No, no, you're not man enough, you're not man enough. I'll break you in half. Like a boy."

In the video above, Congressman Grimm apologizes. His apology is insincere. Whenever a central forehead contraction occurs along with a mouth smile (full, partial or suppressed) it is a nonverbal incongruity.

It is common and normal for the central forehead to be contracted during emotional or physical pain - whether such pain is felt directly or secondarily via empathy. However in these scenarios, the mouth should NEVER be configured even in a subtle amount of a smile. This can be thought of as a form of "Duping Delight" (Ekman). Also be wary for the presence of microexpressions of a joy/happiness smile.




When an apology is being spoken this facial expression is archetypal for the psyche's attempt at appearing sincere. This nonverbal cluster (including his prolonged eyelid closure aka extended blink) screams with insincerity.










See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2578: Obamacare Website Apology - Sincere vs. Insincere?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2590: Rob Ford's Apology - was he Sincere? and other Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2441:  Paula Deen's Apology - What Does Her Body Language Say?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2512:  Matthew Cordle's YouTube Confession  and the Death of Vincent Canzani  "I Killed a Man" - What His Body Language Tells Us ...  It's NOT what you think

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2459:  Was Eliot Spitzer Sincere?  Apology, Sincerity and Body Language




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