Sunday, June 1, 2014

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2836: Phil Mickelson, Insider Trading Allegations and Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Phil Mickelson finished The Memorial Tournament earlier today with a final score of 287 (-1) and tied for 49th. It was announced yesterday he is under investigation (along with activist-investor Carl Icahn and Las Vegas gambler Billy Walters) by the F.B.I. for possible insider trading.

Note: Since the original writing of this post, the video has since been deleted from its internet source.

From a body language perspective, although brief and little more than his face visible in the above video, we can make a definitive conclusion that Phil Michelson is innocent of insider trader allegations. More specifically his nonverbal, paralanguage and verbal statements are very congruent and consistent with a high sincerity quotient. Moreover he shows no signs of lying here. However other emotions are present. Can you detect what Phil is feeling?


Phil's eyelids are opened wider than normal (for anyone) and considerably wider than his baseline throughout much of this video clip.

This should narrow down the list of possible emotions - which ones does it bring to your mind?

If we look elsewhere on his face (to further narrow the body language diagnosis) in the package of a microexpression we see Phil's lips thin-out and grow very narrow. The contour of Lefty's lips take on a horizontal configuration. His "mustache area" is also temporarily tightened along with mild flaring of his nostrils. These changes all occur very briefly during the 0:06 mark of this video. This nonverbal cluster is highly consistent with anger. Phil is angry.

While multiple scenarios for the source of the 3 time Masters champion's anger are possible - when coupled together with the fact that he has no deception tells - as well as high sincerity - we can say with a very high confidence level Phil Mickelson is innocent.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2707: Amanda Knox's Guilty Verdict - Italian Jurors' Body Language 

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2835: Jay Carney Resigns - President Obama Shows Us a Body Language Tell

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2033:  Lie Detection, Sergey Lavrov and Syria

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2674: Did Chris Christie Orchestrate Bridge Closure or Cover Up His Subordinates Actions? Body Language Tells Us ... 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2821: Sara Bareilles, A Broken Wing, Emotional Comfort, and High Heels - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis 2832: Is Edward Snowden Telling the Truth? - Body Language Tells 

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