Friday, September 12, 2014

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2948: Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp's father - Same Body Language Simultaneously (PHOTOS)



















Although Oscar Pistorius was found "not guilty" of premeditated murder of Reeva Steenkamp, today Judge Thokozile Masipa delivered a guilty verdict of "culpable homicide" - for what in many countries this is the legal equivalent of manslaughter.

In the image above, Pistorius is rubbing both of his closed eyes with his thumb and fingers as his guilty verdict is read. Below we see Reeva Steenkamp's father, Barry in a very similar configuration - with fingers and thumbs gripping the bridge of the nose while his eyes are closed.

These two nearly identical nonverbals (and indeed a second or two earlier Mr. Steenkamp was very likely covering his eyes just as is Mr. Pistorius) are simultaneous or nearly so. This body language is highly indicative of emotional processing - it's one signal that the emotional mind has not yet caught up to what the logical mind already knows. Be careful that you don't confuse this for rubbing only one eye - lest you mistake it for a completely different meaning.























See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2947: Governor Rick Perry - Beta Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2785: Oscar Pistorius - Another Day of Testimony - Low Confidence Body Language Display

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2750: Oscar Pistorius, Reeva Steenkamp and Lies

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2780: Oscar Pistorius, Reeva SteenKamp and Prosecutor Gerrie Nel

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2814: Ukraine, Pro-Russian Separatists, Bilateral Eyelid Closure and Emotional Processing

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2905: Paul George's Injury - a Common Body Language Signal of Emotional Processing 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2933: Will Hayden ("Sons of Guns") Arrested - Body Language of His Mug Shot 

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