Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3893: Devin Nunes' Statement to Press Outside White House after His Controversial Meeting with Donald Trump - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTO)

This photo was captured immediately after Representative Devin Nunes' now very controversial meeting with President Trump at the White House on 22 March 2017. Afterward, in his statement to the press, Nunes, who is chairman of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also revealed the existence of previously undisclosed FISA investigations. Many have noted that disclosing FISA's activities in such a manner is a violation of the law and antithetical to some of the basic principles for which FISA exists.

Thus within this context, Devin Nunes' facial expression in this moment is understandable. This nonverbal display is a classic example of an "Inward Lip Roll". As the name suggests, this facial configuration involves the lips are rolling inward, usually completely (momentarily with no view of the lips) and are gently to moderately "bit" by the upper and lower teeth. Sometimes abbreviated as ILR, the inward lip roll is a signal of the subconscious effort to suppress the growth of strong emotions - not only outwardly - visible for all to see, but also "inside" one's own psyche. The ILR can be thought of as a natural down-regulating mechanism.

Most of the time, the ILR is associated with the attempt at controlling what are thought of as traditionally "negative" emotions - such as anger, fear, frustration, disgust, sadness/tears, etc. Yet it's also seen during attempts to prevent "positive emotions", such as joy-laughter - the display of which (in the wrong settings) would have negative ramifications.

In our everyday interactions with others, we rarely have the benefit of such background information as we have here with Rep. Nunes. This is precisely why recognizing nonverbal signals as they occur in real-time is so very crucial - for people truly speak much more with their faces and bodies than they do with their words.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3892: Sean Spicer to April Ryan, "Stop Shaking Your Head"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3890: Ted Koppel on why he thinks Sean Hannity is bad for America 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3888: Paul Ryan's Response to the House's Failure to Overturn Obamacare and Pass the American Health Care Act (AHCA) of 2017 - "This is a disappointing day for us" 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3868: Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, The West Bank and Anxiety 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3856: "Belle" Clip - Beauty and the Beast  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3815: Donald Trump's first Press Conference as President-Elect

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3799: Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia - Full Lips and Lip Pursing

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3634: Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the Democratic National Convention, Emails and Body Language



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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2498: McKenzie Morgan, 17 Year-Old Solo Pilot Walks Away From Crash Partial Mouth and Neck of Fear Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTO)

McKenzie Morgan, a 17 year-old pilot on a solo flight, crashed her Cessna 172 earlier this week and lived to tell about it. In fact she only had minor whiplash, cuts to some fingers and a sprained knee. Fortunately she was rescued by two hunters who were scouting the area on horseback.

In the video above when the reporter asks, "So what's next?", Ms. Morgan answers, "You know I going to finish, I'm going up tomorrow ... in an airplane ... again ... so I mean it's quick, quick turnaround. But um, going up, just to getting, getting back in it before I get too scared and don't want to anymore..." Just before she begins her answer (at the 2:24 mark), McKenzie displays a very brief asymmetrical mouth of fear - significantly more prominent on her left.


In addition, immediately below the left side of her jaw (mandible) a very brief microexpression can also be seen in a tightening of Ms. Morgan's neck muscles (platysma) at this same instant. It is very short in duration (as are all microexpressions) and difficult to see - best observed on the video.

This young woman's courage to get back in a plane and earn her pilot's license is very admirable indeed. “I love it ... can’t let one really bad occurrence tear you down.” Although she does display the above described nonverbal signals consistent with low levels of fear, her body language of this emotion is not extreme - and thus congruent with her verbal statement and plans (Note no eye findings of fear were present during this moment - if we had seen this important component of higher levels of fear, she would not be getting back in the pilot's seat).

It is an interesting coincidence that Morgan crashed near the cabin of Amelia Earhart near Meeteetse, Wyoming.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2486:  Katie Holmes on David Letterman and the "Social Etiquette Fear Face"

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

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2103:  Great Example of a Microexpression of Fear

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1927:  Italy's Fans watching Euro 2012 Final - Expressions of Fear

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2443:  Kristen Wiig's Disgust & Fear Face -  Graham Norton, Chris O'Dowd and Fly Eating


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2441: Paula Deen's Apology - What Does Her Body Language Say?

Julia Roberts is famously known for saying, "... I want my kids to know when I’m pissed, when I’m happy, and when I’m confounded. Your face tells a story… and it shouldn’t be a story about your drive to the doctor’s office." She was referring to the dramatic increased use of Botox and plastic surgery.

Paula Deen's recent apologies regarding her use of racial slurs in the past is a poignant reminder of Robert's statement. As in all communication, an apology is composed of verbal, paralanguage (tone, word choice, volume, speed, cadence, etc.) and nonverbal components. If an apology is sincere there should always be complete congruence between all three of these levels.

Because Ms. Deen has had Botox treatments to her forehead, we cannot see the Central Forehead Contraction (CFC) in the typical and expected manner. Instead her whole forehead is significantly hypo-reactive. Her relative lack of this empathy expression (CFC also known as the "grief muscle") is detected by most all of us subconsciously and leaves us feeling like "something isn't quite right". It's one reason that some who have seen this apology do not feel she is sincere.

Take special note here that in such cases of apologies, this CFC must also have a congruent mouth expression - e.g. sadness, and never even a trace of a smile. Also of particular importance is that many times the central forehead is contracted when there is insincerity present - Can you tell one from the other?

Are there any other nonverbal signals which indicate insincerity?

What body language-facial expressions are present here which signify sincerity?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2424:  Giada De Laurentiis on Conan O'Brien  Beautiful Teeth but Insincere Smiles and  Some Body Language Signals of Waning Love

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 367: Insincere Smile - Van Rompuy needs some Acting Classes

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 353:  Brad Pitt's Smiling Eyes - Sincere and Insincere Smiles 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2124:  This Body Language-Facial Display  Should always make you think "Insincere" 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2157:  Al Smith Charity Dinner  Barack Obama's & Mitt Romney's Smiles  Sincere or False? 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2305:  Carnival Cruise Line CEO, Gerry Cahill's Apology Sincere or Insincere?  What his Body Language Says ... 

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 665:  al Assad's Strong Sign of Insincerity

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