Like most of the Governors of the N.E. United States, in the wake of Hurricane-turned Frankenstorm-Superstorm Sandy - New Jersey's Chris Christie has his hands very full. In this CNN interview with Piers Morgan, the Governor's body language displayed some interesting tells when Piers' questioned him regarding what he thought about some people being surprised by his strong praising of President Obama and the nonpartisan and collegial vibes this gave off.
While there were several other body language signals in this video, Governor Christie displayed a microexpression of contempt at the 0:22 and again at the 0:42 mark and a much longer duration, but low-level/subtle expression of contempt during a good portion of the first 1:02 of this video. These nonverbal signals tells us not that Christie has contempt in this video for Barack Obama - but rather that he has contempt for anyone who would call into question his sincerity regarding his earlier praising of the President.
"Charlie Bit My Finger!" The video was and still is a YouTube sensation. Charlie Davies-Carr and his older brother Harry are now five and half years along - and a bit wealthier. Time magazine has ranked this as the number one greatest YouTube viral video of all time - with nearly half a billion hits.
The now famous English Duo also provides us with a great body language demonstration. Notice how Harry's central forehead contracts (CFC) strongly when Charlie is Chomping on his brother's finger. When a person is in significant physical or emotional pain - either being directly experienced - or secondarily via empathy - the central forehead contracts (Very noteworthy too is how the nonverbal of Harry's mouth is also congruent with his pain - beware when you don't see a mouth consistent with this particular forehead - see below). Besides the use of Botox (OnabotulinumtoxinA), an injury or very specific nerve or brain lesions - this is an absolute. So if a person's words claim great empathy or physical or emotional pain - and their central forehead remains smooth - a big red flag should go up.
If you're a Detroit Tiger fan, this video may not be quite as funny - yet it does provide a very instructive nonverbal lesson. Reporters Bethany Crouch and Paul Robins were outside Candlestick Park filming a story on the (then upcoming) World Series (which the Giants swept), when a bird poops on Robins' head, glasses and shoulders. At the 0:23 mark, Ms. Crouch displays a classic facial expression of surprise. The most important two key components visible here are the rapid and vertically elongated, oval and open mouth - as well as the widely opened eyelids. You may have to pause this video several times to freeze it at the optimum moment - for true and sincere surprise is the most evanescent of all body language-facial expressions. Here it lasts less than a second. If what look to you like surpriselasts longer than two seconds - there is either a feigned component present (very common), the entire display is false - or there is significant psychological shock - e.g. witnessing a car accident or traumatic event.
Note also the pulling backwards (retraction) of Bethany's torso - which is also a very natural and sincere response in surprise.
Another fascinating quality of the emotion of surprise is that it's almost always rapidly replaced by a second emotion such as fear, anger, sadness ... and here joy-laughter. If there is an absence of another emotion very shortly a "surprise" - this is yet another nonverbal signal of insincerity.
Skip ahead to the 5:19 mark. A noteworthy nonverbal here is Ms. Cutter's tendency to blush dramatically on her neck and below this - in her sternum and upper peri-sternal area (ABC's banner obscures part of this). Of course, she's not the only one who manifests this phenomenon of non-facial blushing. Moreover, many think that facial blushing is a body language which is unique to embarrassment - but other emotional states which may bring on blushing (facial or extra-facial) include anxiety, anger as well as an outward manifestation of romance and being truly love-struck or other romantic scenarios and are the result of a temporarily increase in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Ms. Cutter routinely demonstrates this tendency to blush in her neck and upper peri-sternal area. No doubt most or all of this arises from the anxiety of being on television and in the national spotlight. While blushing in this area is somewhat atypical, it is certainly not rare. Careful attention to this body language signal will tell you the true temperature of someone's emotional state and give you a strategic advantage.
Sununu: " .... and frankly when you take a look at Colin Powell, you have to wonder whether that's an endorsement based on issues or whether he's got a slightly different reason for preferring President Obama."
Morgan: "What reason would that be?"
Sununu: "Well I think that when you have somebody of your own race that you're proud of being President of the United States, I applaud Colin for standing with him."
Sununu's Body Language is noteworthy. At the 0:45 mark, just as Piers asks the question, Sununu displays a tongue protrusion. This is indicative of anxiety and here also is suggestive of disgust. Shortly thereafter, at 0:47 mark, the former George H.W. BushWhite House Chief of Staff displays a great example of lip compression - a nonverbal which is highly specific for the emotion of anger. His eyelids open very wide for a split-second here as well, indicating an intense anger level - that of rage. Sununu also shows subtle signals of contempt at this same time (left side of mouth, nose & mid-face).
During the first forty-four seconds of this clip, Sununu blinked an average of once every 2.2 seconds. When the subject of Powell's endorsement was raised (the final forty-two seconds) his rate of blinking increases to once every 1.4 seconds. Both blink frequencies are elevated significantly over normal, and particularly with the further increase demonstrates a strong and well known nonverbal tell of anxiety.
Probably the most interesting signal occurs at 0:31 - 0:32 when Colin Powell bites his right lower lip just before he endorses President Obama. Interpreting lip biting is very contextual and its meaning depends on the other signals present in the "nonverbal sentence" - thus an example of a "Nonverbal Homonym". At the 0:32 he also displays a bilateral eyelid flutter (very rapid opening and closing). This nonverbal cluster is a outward display of anxiety. The former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is a very accomplished and highly experienced professional - yet he is still human. And for some reason this endorsement or proclaiming it on T.V. makes him nervous. We cannot know the precise reason for his anxiety, but we can be absolutely sure he experienced it here.
Colin Powell's mouth is noticeably asymmetrical when he speaks - this is his baseline. Such asymmetry makes some nonverbal interpretation more difficult. However at several times he displays subtle microexpressions of contempt. Examples of these are seen at the 2:42 and 2:47 speaking with reference to his recent conversations with Mitt Romney and again at 5:11 when speaking about the need for a country with the U.S.'s size and wealth to have universal health care. All these mouth-lower face, unilateral, contempt displays are on Powell's left.
Colin Powell also displays multiple "Self-Righteous Head Wiggles" (SRHW) and similar analogs in this interview - well exemplified at 3:28 - 3:29 (when speaking about his view of Mitt Romney's foreign policy) and again at 4:55 - 4:56 (when he said, ".... you have to fix some things in that plan ...." in reference to Obamacare).
Maria Bartiromo is displaying a body language variation of the "facial platter" in the above image. Like all nonverbals, it must be interpreted in context, however here Ms. Bartiromo is projecting flirtatious nonverbal emotions - although she, her photographer or agent may not necessarily be aware of it. While the classic "facial platter" is used almost exclusively by women and gay men, this lose-fist variation - although not common, may also be displayed by straight men too.
During the third U.S. Presidential Debate earlier this week, Mitt Romney displayed a great example of a "Microexpression of Disgust" when in speaking of how he would interact with Vladimir Putin and Russia - in retort to President Obama he said, ".... and I'm certainly not going to say to him, '...I'll give you more flexibility after the election ...' ...." (A disgust microexpression is seen very briefly at the 2:56 mark coincident with Romney's words "...I'll give..."). Obama actually said something similar to this to Dmitry Medvedev - the then President of Russia - not Putin. Microexpressions are initiated in the subconscious and thus involuntary. They are extremely brief facial displays which betray our true emotions - lasting no more than 1/15 of a second. Microexpressions are ubiquitous and are not influenced by culture, age, religion, socioeconomics and ethnicity or even if a person is born blind.
Romney's nostrils flared as his mid-face (mustache area and around the lower nose) tightened. His eyebrows were lowered (but not drawn together which is seen in anger) as his upper lip raises. Notice also that for a split second his forehead muscles relaxed and his forehead becomes relaxed - also characteristic of disgust. Romney's eyelids also partially (mostly) momentarily close coinciding with a quick increase in "crow's feet". All this occurred in less than a fifteenth of second. Disgust here, but in other scenarios - joy, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, contempt ..... Extremely often words will say one thing and body language will say another.
Very few people (about 1 in 300 or so) can sense microexpressions and for the most part, intuit their meanings without training (termed "naturals" by Paul Ekman) - however nearly everyone can be trained to spot them and accurately interpret their meanings. The ability to recognize these and other nonverbals is an extremely valuable skill anytime there are high-stakes face-to-face interactions. Most people are missing these and other body language signals all around them.
Human beings are only born with two fears - the fear of falling and of loud noises. In the above video a peripheral portion of recent car bombing in Beirut, Lebanon is shown - and the reaction of the bystanders.
The most obvious and central person captured here is shown very rapidly covering the back and sides of his head with his hands & arms. His arms are held close to the side of the neck while the neck is foreshortened (think of a turtle pulling its head in its shell). The chin is flexed forward - protecting the neck - particularly the trachea. Shoulders are hunched forward with additional flexing of the entire spine, knees, hips and ankles. In addition there is a very rapid bilateral and tight eyelid closure. In many ways the startle reflex is essentially a rapid and very short lived fetal position designed to protect. This startle reflex is inborn in humans and variations of it exist in most mammals. It is not body language - but it is mistaken by some to be a nonverbal signal (also commonly confused by some with aspects of surprise). Obviously, many less dramatic and non-life threatening examples exist in day-to-day life. Intriguingly, it is also a reflex to look toward the loud noise shortly afterwards.
The "Thumbs Up" gesture is an example of what is known in body language vernacular as an "Emblem". An emblem is a nonverbal display, most commonly made with the fingers, hands and /or arms (but they can be displayed with the parts of the face, shoulders, even legs/feet, etc.) which have very specific meanings within a city, region, country or even an industry/profession. Care must be taken not to misinterpret an emblem - for they can indicate completely thoughts & emotions in different cultures, etc. Some emblems have meanings which are universal or nearly so.
The "Thumbs Up" emblem - indicates "optimism", "good luck", "good performance" or "okay" in North America - while in parts of Europe it can simply mean "one". When given with an upward thrust it means "up yours!" in Australia and when given with a forward thrust it has a similar meaning in Greece. In Japan it can mean "five" or "Man" (Pease).
The vast majority of the time, the thumbs up is a very conscious display - particularly when shown in a typical position for that region/country and emotion. However if we look at the face we often may see conflicting nonverbal signals. In the image above, in addition to the obvious thumb display (consciously), Mitt Romney is also showing a classic facial nonverbal of disgust (unconsciously) after his third Presidential debate with Barack Obama. When two or more body language signals are seen simultaneously and there is conflict in their meanings - the one(s) which arise out of the subconscious are indicative of the true emotional tone.
"It's what you do when you don't have the ball" - Larry Bird
Last night in the third presidential debate, President Obama's and Mitt Romney's hand positions when they weren't talking gave us a glimpse into the emotional minds of each candidate. Throughout virtually the entire debate, when he wasn't speaking Mitt Romney's hands were together with his fingers intertwined. This body indicates a closed off and defensive mindset. Moreover, most people who lack nonverbal training will interpret this hand/arm configuration as impatience, patronizing and excessively hierarchical.
Tension in the hands tends to engender, as well as mirror, tension in the face - particularly the mid-face and the mouth. The opposite is true too. In addition relaxing one's hands tends to relax one's face (this is incredibly demonstrated via hand massage). Mitt Romney showed significant facial tension in the third debate. The audience and the undecided voters sense this emotional tension. It is just as powerful as his Romney's words.
Often people, presidential candidates included, have some difficulty with relaxing their hands in these and other similar situations. In such scenarios it is wise to loosely hold a pen. And as long as there is also not the additional habit of fiddling with the pen, it will tend to relax both hands (make sure it's a variety withOUT a "click"/button) and therefore relax the face and in turn the emotions.
President Obama used this pen-holding-hand-calming technique to his advantage last night. When he wasn't speaking he held a pen gently with both hands - and this was also reflected in his relatively relaxed facial displays.
If you're unsure if a person is displaying subtle and negative facial nonverbals - look for tension in their hands. This is a great place to look for nonverbal clues.
Index finger (forefinger) pointing is universally offensive and should strongly avoided. When watching politicians we tend sometimes to allow them wider behavior norms than for most other people and situations. However this is a slippery slope and can be taken too far - and often leads to excess and often backfires. The second 2012 Presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney was one of these times.
In a political debate setting, while the forefinger point will perhaps help to solidify one's base - this over-alpha body language will act to alienate the undecided voter. Indeed when you point, even those who like you and your cause(s) will be left with uncomfortable feelings. Attorneys who display this nonverbal in the courtroom may feel more authoritative and dominant, but this will often push the jury and/or judge to opposite opinions. The image above is from the second U.S. Presidential debate last week. If this behavior were replicated in a board room or a coffee shop - it would engender an escalation to stronger negative emotions and may very well lead to physical altercation. We want to see and listen to those who are running for such high offices. We want them illustrate their differences in opinions and show us their personalities, demonstrate how they handle themselves and how they think on their feet. But we don't want them to lose their temper or have any insecurities. It's often a fine line.
In the setting of a presidential debate there is always the issue of looking too beta, too demure and thus a weaker leader - as President Obama did during the first debate. So when the other candidate points at you - you tend to want to point back - lest you're seen as a shrinking candidate and not worthy of leadership. And while he did a good job making up for this and looking more Presidential and authoritative during the second debate, Obama displayed the index finger point much more often - something which is unusual for Barack. One place in particular where he committed this faux pas was when he pointed at the audience - and declaring how he will find who is responsible for the deaths of four Americans at the U.S. Embassy in Libya last month. We all do this on occasion - point our finger at one person or group when we are really directing our emotions at people who are not present. They act as temporary surrogates for our anger. This is a mild form of displaced aggression. During the second debate, this was one time when the President did get angry and given the unprovoked attack and deaths of innocents, most welcome this anger. However the President should have pointed downwards rather that at the audience - and he should have also used more force with arm/hand movements (illustrators) and jabbed towards the floor several times. The map is not the territory and the terrorists are not the audience.
When Romney and Obama (or any other two candidates) point at each other during a debate - this fits into a different nonverbal context compared with when either points at the audience. The rules are more lax. But when you watching be careful not to incorporate this behavior into your body language repertoire. We expect and welcome some level sparing between these two. When we watch a football game though, we don't want to get tackled.
Everyone loves Tom Hanks. In this CNN Video recapping a portion of his interview on Good Morning America shown on 19 October 2012 there are some great nonverbal displays. These facial expressions are so evanescent (particularly the best examples) that you may need several attempts to pause at the best split second marks.
At 0:01, CNN anchor Christi Paul gives us a great fear expression. Paul's emotional display is probably due to her painful memories of having committed (or witnessing) similar faux pas - and thus she has a good deal of empathy for Hanks and GMA interviewer, Elizabeth Vargas. Note Christi Paul's neck. The contraction of the thin superficial neck muscle (platysma) gives her neck a "tented-up" appearance. Sometimes this neck-tenting is the primary nonverbal display of this emotion. It is often missed and is a very reliable body language fear-tell (even at the poker table).
Paul's eyes also briefly open in a "white and wide" manner - which is also very consistent with the emotional of fear (it also occurs with surprise and severe anger - aka rage).
Christi's eyebrows (both) also elevate and the upper portion of her forehead muscle contracts. Her lower forehead doesn't contract and her eyebrows don't pull together (normally seen in fear) due to OnabotulinumtoxinA injection (aka Botox) - (which she clearly doesn't really need). Botox usage detracts from full human expression and therefore the display of emotions as well as the feedback and counter-feedback we need to fully communicate.
Lastly, Paul's mouth takes on the classic fear expression with tightly and laterally pulled lips, open mouth, teeth closed and nearly always (as is exampled here) the lower teeth more exposed than her upper ones. Notice also the characteristic gasp-hiss sound as air is inhaled (deep inhalation is also a signal of fear) though her closed mouth.
Now look at Tom Hanks and Elizabeth Vargas at the 0:28 mark. After Hanks swears, they both rapidly lean forward and cover their mouths. The rapidity with which this occurs is strongly suggestive of a sincere mistake - and it almost seems as if they are trying to put the word(s) back into their (Hanks') mouth. They are both quite surprised because - Hanks slipped into character so completely (method acting, Stanislavsky method) - and as he said he's never committed this mistake on live T.V. This is also one signal of embarrassment (in addition to his blushing at 0:34) - and interestingly is seen more often in individuals with higher empathy quotients. Both of their eye lids open widely as is seen with both fear and surprise (both of which are present here) as well as rage/extreme anger (which is not present in either) - which is very brief in both, but more short lived in Hanks. Surprise is the most evanescent of all emotions and is nearly always rapidly replaced by a second (or third) emotion - here by fear and embarrassment. Note how Hanks goes on to display facial MAPs (Manipulators, Adaptors, Pacifiers) of rubbing his mustache and chin for several seconds as well as a mouth cover - body language signals which betrays his significant anxiety, embarrassment and self-anger (see below).
During the 0:49 - 0:50 segment, we see Tom Hanks compress his lips as they stretch horizontally into a thin line. This is a highly reliable signal of anger (Hanks is angry at himself here). Just as this video blends into a view of his apology-tweet, we see the corners of his mouth turn downward in a "bitter smile". This incredibly interesting nonverbal phenomenon is a common and fantastic example of just how we (even the two-time Academy Award winners among us) are not nearly so aware of our own facial expressions and body language displays as we think we are when we are experiencing strong emotions - particularly negative ones. For when this "bitter smile" is being made, Tom Hanks and all the rest of us believe we are making a slight (albeit tight) social smile. Tom is better than most perhaps - but his mouth still takes on the configuration of a frown.
In Kennebunk, Maine things haven't been normal for a few weeks now. Alexix Wright and Mark Strong, Sr. are alleged to have been running a prostitution business out of Wright's Zumba studio. In the above video, Laura Dolce, the reporter who broke the story is interviewed. At multiple times Ms. Dolce displays a highly characteristic body language movement known as the Self-Righteous Head Wiggle. This particular nonverbal display accompanying a contemptuous emotional tone would be displayed by many who helped to uncover such a scandal in their home town of only 10,000 people.
The self-righteous head wiggle (SRHW) is extremely reliable indicator of an extremely confident, self-assured attitude and smugness. In this video, Ms. Dolce displays the SRHW during 0:57 - 1:01 (pronounced), 1:54, 1:58 - 2:01, 2:55 and 3:18. Like the vast majority of body language, the SRHW is initiated and performed subconsciously. It is characterized by a relatively rapid and brief side-to-side (lateral) wiggle of the head - nearly always coupled by a backward motion (pull-back) of the head/neck (more commonly) and occasionally by a forward bending of the head/neck (somewhat less often). Sometimes the movement involves the shoulders, torso and even the jaw (mandible). The forward bending variety is more common when there is a much-smaller audience (e.g. one-on-one, not in T.V. interviews), when there is a clear superior-subordinate relationship (parent to child, or boss to employee, etc.) and/or coupled with an increased anger component (during an obvious and open reprimand).
The SRHW is a form of a contempt display and is often superimposed simultaneously (or nearly so) with the more classic body language/facial expressions of contempt - as well as those of disgust and anger. It is also extremely common to be tightly temporally correlated with increased vocal pitch, volume and speed.
The self-righteous head wiggle is seen more commonly in a hierarchical setting and more often among the traditionally educated and when relatively powerful are critical of those who are weaker.
In a board room, in negotiations, sales, the courtroom, law enforcement, inter-personally etc. - and many other scenarios where rapport is (and should be a goal) - being aware of this nonverbal, and eliminating it from your body language vocabulary is highly recommended. The vast majority of the time people are completely unaware their nonverbal displays - fortunately however there are techniques to bring the SRHW and other body language to conscious awareness.
Are the smiles seen here of President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney sincere or feigned? The three primary components of a sincere smile are eyelids which are partially closed (in a very particular manner), a relaxed forehead and a mouth which only displays the upper teeth.
For a smile to be a true smile of joy (a Duchenne smile), the eyelids can be partially, nearly closed or even completely shut. This is an absolute must. If they are opened in a normal way, unchanged from a resting state - the smile is insincere, regardless of how the remainder of the face may appear. The eyes can close in several different manners however, so there must also be a concave up furrow in each of the lower lids. Both candidates display this partially (Romney) to complete/near complete (Obama) eyelid closure with lower lid displaying a concave-up furrow (easier visualized in this image on Romney)
It is also essential for the forehead to be completely relaxed. Some varieties of social smiles (forced and insincere) will have a contraction of the the forehead muscles. These are often are accompanied by a false-surprised and open mouth (with teeth showing). Such forehead furrowing always indicates a false smile - and this type of mouth opening indicates a feigned surprise. Both Mitt and Barack are shown here with smooth and relaxed foreheads.
The final major component of a fully expressed, Duchenne smile is an open mouth with only the top teeth showing. The corners of the mouth are pulled primary upwards with a dramatic bunching up (strong contraction) of the cheek muscles (Zygomatic Major muscles). While the possibility of oblique camera angles - or a tall person standing next to someone of short stature certainly exists (thus showing the bottom teeth) - only the upper ones should be displayed in a fully expressed, straight-on, sincere smile. It is also possible for a smile to be partially suppressed with a closed mouth and therefore no teeth exposed - however in such situations the forehead will still be relaxed and the eyes will still be characteristically partially closed. Another exception of course exists if one has had dental problems or injury and has lost all their upper teeth - this does not preclude a true, joyous and sincere smile.
Both men have true and sincere smiles in this image .... but who will be still smiling on November 6th?
