Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2945: Roger Goodell's Interview regarding Ray Rice - Denies NFL saw Video before Monday - Body Language Tells (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

During his interview regarding Ray Rice's assault on his then fiancée (now wife), Janay Palmer (Rice), NFL commissioner Roger Goodell displayed several significant nonverbal signals indicating insincerity and others, more specifically that he is lying regarding whether someone in the NFL - either he or a subordinate - had seen the (second) newly released tape, where Rice is seen hitting and knocking Ms. Palmer unconscious inside the elevator. What follows is a partial body language analysis.

 During this entire video with Norah O'Donnell, Goodell's forehead was constantly contracted. We of course all contract our foreheads and it is important to recognize there are different varieties of this forehead contraction. Yet it is a strong indicator of insincerity when a person's forehead is constantly contracted. This behavior is akin to a child who places an exclamation mark (or two or three) at the end of every sentence. It is an example of over-compensatory behavior when the spoken word lacks conviction, truth and sincerity.

At 1:17 Goodell displays a subtle "Duping Delight. This is a very minimal and rapid suppressed smile indicating a form of joy/pleasure being experienced (and leaked) in the pulling off of a lie.

This is best seen in the dynamic context of a video. Please watch it several times. This is no way a context for smile.

Goodell's blink rate was very high throughout this interview - and although we don't know his baseline blink frequency his is significantly above normal - which is a very reliable sign of elevated anxiety.

One time in though is particularly of note - at 1:23 Norah O'Donnell asks, "So did anyone in the NFL see the second video tape before Monday?"

"No." answers Goodell.

Ms. O'Donnell then clarifies, "No one in the NFL?"

Goodell answers, "No one in the NFL [stutters] to my knowledge and I've been asked that same question and the answer to that is no."

When he says "... NFL and during the stutter, his eyelids blink very rapidly a flutter. This nonverbal is highly consistent with deception.

When evaluating for truth vs. deception as well as sincerity vs. insincerity - one should always ask if the verbal content, vocal qualities (paralanguage) and nonverbal are all congruent. It they are - then truth and sincerity are present - when any one of these becomes divergent insincerity and/or deception is present. All three of these qualities diverge during this interview. What other body language signals do you see? How many examples of deceptive statement analyses do you hear in this exchange? There are several beauties.

Taken in toto, Mr. Goodell has clear signals that he is not coming clean here. While he may not have seen this second video until Monday - he had prior knowledge of someone who had viewed it at an earlier date.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2944: Derek Jeter Answers Reporter's Cell Phone - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2904: Roger Goodell's Defending the NFL's Punishment for Ray Rice - Bad Crisis Management & Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Quiz-Analysis No. 2902: How Sincere was Ray Rice's Apology?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2438:  Sincere Surprise Body Language  Three Year Old Receives Brain Stem Implant and  Hears for the First Time

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2508: Anne Frank, Sincere Smiles and Emotional Comfort

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2855: Hillary Clinton, 2016 Presidential Race and Duping Delight - Body Language Tells

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