Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3157: A Body Language Characteristic of Ed Miliband which makes Him Less-Likable (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

On 7 May 2015, the people of the United Kingdom will have their general election. The video above includes the current Prime Minister, David Cameron, participating in a recent debate with five others vying for Number 10.  What follows is a brief discussion of but one nonverbal sign which the leader of the Labour Party - Ed Miliband, displays far more frequently than the average person (or average politician).

There are many different varieties of an otherwise healthy and symmetrical mouth momentarily taking on asymmetrical configurations. The many nuances differentiating these, as well as the multitude of other body language signals with which they are clustered - can result in a good number of different meanings.

Most politicians have a significantly greater tendency to speak out of one side of their mouth when compared with most people. Those who have this lop-sided pattern will also tend to have an overall lower likability in polling and are also viewed to be less trustworthy.

Some people who speak asymmetrically do so only occasionally - while others display this body language chronically.  The more often a person's mouth moves in such a fashion - the more they also tend to be judged as insincere and of lower confidence.






See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3156: Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2940: David Cameron at NATO Summit - His Thin Lip Grows Thinner

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2409:  David Cameron & François Hollande -  Variations on the Hand Chop & Palm Orientation

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2061:  David Cameron Defends London Olympics against  Mitt Romney's Remarks -  Alpha Dominance and Illustrators -  Matching Hands and Feet as Sincerity Amplifiers

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2063:  Mitt Romney and Ed Miliband -  Under Used and Backfiring Uses of Hands

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3053: Giada De Laurentiis, Insincere Smiles and Divorce

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2474:  Mayor Bob Filner's False Smile -  Insincerity, Body Language and San Diego


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2063: Mitt Romney and Ed Miliband - Under Used and Backfiring Uses of Hands

Mitt Romney has the very bad nonverbal habit of not using his hands enough or as well as many politicians with much less experience. This adds to his relative inability to develop rapport with the masses and detracts from what pollsters quantify as "likability". From a body language standpoint this is no surprise. It also makes a person "feel" less trustworthy. In fact, if a person suddenly stops using his hands/arms as illustrators during a part of a speech, conversation, deposition, testimony, jury selection, etc. - particularly when they were displayed before and after - this is highly consistent with elevated anxiety (since Mitt appears to have forgotten his host's name - note how he addresses him as "Mr. Leader" at the 0:01 mark), and depending on the other nonverbals, a possible indicator of deception. 

Mitt Romney chronically underuses his hands/arms. Many speech coaches from years past, with no scientific data would routinely give such advice based only on anecdote and personal bias. Certainly hand/arm illustrators can be over-used or inappropriately used too. Enter Ed Miliband ....

The leader of the United Kingdom's Labour Party, Ed Miliband, throughout much of the first portion of this video does his best Angela Merkel imitation and positions his hands in a prominent low and classic conventional steeple (see: Analysis #901: The Over-Used Steeple - Backfire in Berlin). While this MAP (manipulator, Adaptor, Pacifier) body language does project authority and power, it must be used judiciously. Most people over-use it (a' la the German Chancellor) and thus it backfires and sends signals of arrogance and condescension. It is best used as a scalpel and choreograph exactly when to display this nonverbal - at key moments in a speech, negotiation, conversation, etc.

See also:

Analysis # Mitt Romney's Response to Supreme Court's Decision on "Obamacare"

Analysis # 913: Low Confidence, Low Trust and Demure

Analysis # 1553: Ann & Mitt Romney's Body Language at NRA Meeting

Analysis # 2062: Mitt Romney in London Speaking out the Side of His Mouth - Anxiety-Insincerity or Worse

Analysis # 2052: Dialing Up Empathy and Sincerity - Mitt Romney & Barack Obama's Response to Aurora, Colorado "Batman Shooting"

Analysis # 2046: Romney, Sincerity, Truth and Bain Capital

Analysis # 1555: Ann Romney Hits it Back Over the Net to Hilary Rosen

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