Today Hillary Clinton formally introduced Senator Tim Kaine as her pick for VP. Kaine has also held the offices of the Governor of Virginia as well as the Mayor of Richmond.
This was his first speech as a Vice Presidential candidate and although many felt he performed well, he did show several significant nonverbal signals of anxiety - two of which are discussed here.
Tim Kaine displayed a relatively rapid shifting back and forth from foot to foot, swiveling his weight and turning his body as he did so. While this can certainly be associated with an inexperienced speaker, here it is a signal of what many would call "nervous energy" - a byproduct of his temporary hyper-adrenaline state. Most probably in the upcoming weeks, this relatively high frequency shifting and turning will slow down considerably.
Another signal of anxiety is Kaine's frequent placing of his left hand in his front pant pocket. More specifically, this behavior signals a momentary "Beta-flux" (more beta, less alpha) - projecting a temporary lower emotional comfort and a short-lived shift to lower levels of confidence.
While occasionally placing one or both hands in the back pants pockets (overly the buttocks, with the elbows pointed out and vectored slightly backward - see example below) is a good example of an alpha-beta hybrid and should be employed from time to time (as long as it's not practiced too frequently or for relatively longer duration) - placing either or both hands in the front pants pockets should never be practiced. This is particularly true during a speech while seeking (or holding) a position of leadership.
This website serves as an objective reference source for the science and art of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.
See also:
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3631: Donald Trump's Acceptance Speech at the GOP Convention
Negotiation Body Language Secret No. 831: Santorum's Hands and the Alpha-Beta Hybrid
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3628: Donald & Melania Trump's interview with Matt Lauer Prior to Her Speech at Republican Convention
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3626: Mike Pence's Wikipedia Profile Picture says "WTF"
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3611: Salma Hayek, Danny Trejo and a Tattoo
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3551: Donald Trump, Body Language and an Alpha-Beta Hybrid
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3534: Taylor Swift's (Vogue's) Rapid-fire 73 Q & A Session
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2605: President Obama and Health Insurance Cancellation Fix - and an Alpha-Beta Hybrid Body Language Illustrator
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