Monday, April 17, 2017

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3911: Simone Biles gets Pranked on "Ellen" - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)





Simone Biles was recently a guest on Ellen - and leave it to Ellen, she pulled a prank on Simone. Ms. Biles' partner on Dancing with the Stars, Sasha Farber, popped out of a false table - giving Simone a scare.


What we see in the above image (captured during 3:56) is largely not body language though - it's an example of what is known as a startle reflex. As the name suggests - it's a reflex (involuntary and not processed in the cerebral cortex). When we become startled (which occurs very rapid after the stimulus), we look toward that which is startling us - in order to see it, blink forcefully, and we pull our limbs in toward the center of the body, as well as contracting the jaw - and flexing the neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knee, ankles and toes - all to varying degrees, depending on the source and severity of the stimulus.


However - one second prior (3:55) we see Ellen display some classic body language - as she scratches her left neck and pulls her collar.


Both the pull and the scratch are very common - and textbook nonverbal tells frequently manifested in the midst of an anxiety surge.


Just after the prank - and indeed before Simone has even begun to recover - Ellen displays two "Tongue Juts" in rapid succession (more specifically these were "Loose Tongue Juts"). The image above is from 3:57.


The second Loose Tongue Jut is seen during 3:58. These nonverbal displays are extremely commonly exhibited by the perpetrators of pranks - at the payout moment - being indicative of the emotions of: "I've Been Bad" and/or "I've Been Caught" (Navarro). Thus, in this context, these are in part, a form of self-deprecating behavior.

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See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3910: Donald Trump, Mar-a-Lago, Easter Weekend - Disparate Conscious vs. Unconscious Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3908: Kim Jong-un's Mask of Insincerity

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3905: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, and Deep Joy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3903: Rex Tillerson Disagrees with Donald Trump

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3897: Roger Stone, Donald Trump, Body Language and Emotional Intelligence

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3885: Vogue's 73 Questions with Selena Gomez

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3850: Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump and Michael Flynn

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3812: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone & La La Land - Backstage Interview Golden Globes 2017

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3693: Grace VanderWaal Wins America's Got Talent Season 11

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