Friday, May 31, 2013

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2415:
Yanira Maldonado released from Mexican Jail
What's Up with her Eyes?
Atypical Body Language of White & Wide Eyes




Yanira Maldonado was recently released from a Mexican Jail yesterday. She had been falsely charged with possession of twelve pounds of Marijuana. She displays some unusual facial nonverbals here and in multiple other videos. One in particular is that her upper eyelids open very widely at multiple times.

Several emotions should spring to mind when you see this "White and Wide" appearance of the eyes. One is fear, another is severe anger (rage) and a third is surprise. None of these emotions are present here however. Another possible cause is medical - lid retraction can be a sign of hyperthyroid disease.

People also open their eyes extra wide when they are emphasizing certain points during conversation - but this rarely happens without a coexisting forehead muscular contraction (particularly so often). Such a forehead contraction only occurred twice during this video clip - once at 0:50 when she says, "...children..." and another time at 0:54 when she says "...you guys..." Even during these two occasions her forehead is considerably hypo-reactive.

The reason for Ms. Maldonado's prolonged, repeated and extreme eyelid opening is secondary to botox treatments to her forehead. While not a common side effect of botox, it is certainly not rare. When the forehead cannot move as it typically does, the eyelids will over dramatically over-compensate and open in this extreme fashion. This can give a very unusual appearance that most often people will describe as fear - but also angry or even "creepy".  Two additional examples are shown below.

What other unusual body language - facial expression do you see in this video which is another "False Fear" signal?
























Michele Bachmann with a "False Fear" appearance secondary to Botox.



















Callista Gingrich with a "False Fear" face secondary to botox.













See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2338:  Why Does Keit Pentus-Rosimannus feel Fear? Body Language of Estonia's Minister of Environment

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2344:  Jillian Michaels Body Language - Neck of Fear & Mouth of Fear

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2402:  Partial & Subtle Expressions of Fear - Young Girls Saved From Drowning by Man & his Dog

Body Language Secret # 702:  Mouth of Fear,  trying to Smile and Forehead of Pain

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1106:  Subtle Fear Display of al-Assad

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1696:  George Zimmerman's Testimony - Fear, Incredulity, Regret & Contempt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2297:  Rooney Mara on Conan O'Brien - Common Body Language Tell  Fear Apology Query Expression-Cluster 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2274:  The Eyes & Mouth of Fear - Body Language of Ahmed Dogan during  Attempted Assassination


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