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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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3810: Mark Wahlberg, Justine Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Mark Wahlberg is an accomplished actor. And most people would expect that he would have a substantially superior command over his nonverbal signals whether he is acting or "just being Mark" - yet they would be sorely wrong. When an actor is "in their own skin" they are at best minimally better than average at fooling others.

It's important to point out that the chances of a person accomplishing a deception is proportional to the consequences of getting caught (e.g., If the "punishment" is simply a moment of mild embarrassment, then it's easily pulled off. However if the "punishment" is losing one's employment or romantic partner [or worse], then the ability for most people to convincingly tell a lie is greatly diminished).

At multiple times in the first half of this interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Mr. Wahlberg displays a partially, suppressed (and not quite sincere) smile. The example at 0:51, just after Ellen says, "Who was it?", is a great moment to examine. Notice he looks away. Maintaining eye contact during any attempt to suppress an emotional display is a recipe for failure - thus looking away is a suppression tool we all often use to avoid unwanted emotion crescendos (laughter, sadness, anger, deception, etc.).

Another similar mechanism (enhancing Wahlberg's ability to hide a full-on emotional display) is his forehead muscle which is contracted along its entire width for the duration of this video.

Of course, even if you're a film star, being a guest on The Ellen Show will still increase your anxiety level. Thus a long-duration or excessively frequent contraction of the forehead muscles may indicate a high-adrenaline state and a hyper-awareness of one's surroundings (which is almost certainly what we're seeing on Mark Wahlberg).

However during a "normal conversation" (e.g., between two friends or co-workers regarding a non-disputed topic and when neither is in distress), a person's forehead should not be contracted for such a long duration or for a large percentage of any conversation (this video is 5 min 10 seconds long). Therefore, if Wahlberg (or anyone else) were off-camera and engaged in an apparent "normal", relaxed conversation - but their forehead muscles remained contracted - then their sincerity must be immediately called into question.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3809: Horse Lays His Head On Coffin As He Mourns The Loss Of His Human Best Friend - Cross-Species Body Language & Emotional Intelligence

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3807: Sarah Paulson's Fear of Flying

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3805: Mariah Carey's New Year's Eve Lip Sync Fail On Live TV

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3798: Elle Fanning, Channing Tatum and Dialing Up the Alpha

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3771: Tom Hanks Reenacts Iconic Forrest Gump Scene

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3691: Natalie Portman's Emotional Tell

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3622: Theresa May's First Speech as Prime Minister

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3584: Brock Turner's Mugshot, Duping Delight and Body Language



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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3743: Ronda Rousey's Anxiety - Anticipating Her Next Fight - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

During her recent appearance on The Ellen Show, Ronda Rousey revealed she's close to retiring (from fighting) - saying, "... I'm wrapping it up. This is definitely one of my last fights so ..."

Ms. Rousey also has a very poor poker face and as with her previous interviews, this one is chock-full of nonverbal displays. Her fans (as well as those of Amanda Nunes, who's her next opponent) might find one moment particularly telling.

Beginning at 1:03 Ellen says, "So, so, it's December thirtieth, right - that's the fight?"

Ronda Rousey responds, "Yeah."

Ellen: "That's the fight?"

Her prolonged eyelid closure (an extended blink) just after she answers, "Yeah" (1:05), is an example of classic blocking behavior. It's as if she's speaking the words, "I don't want to think about it".

A second later (1:06), Rousey's mouth momentarily morphs into an "Inward Lip Roll" (ILR). An inward lip roll is evidence the psyche is trying to control strong feelings from growing inside - as well as attempting to make any emotions less visible on the outside. In other words, an inward lip roll is one nonverbal tool we use while trying to prevent other (and more extreme) nonverbal signals - thus it's a very real form of subconscious biofeedback.

Conclusion: Ronda Rousey has significant anxiety with regards to her next fight with Amanda Nunes. 


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3742: Evan McMullin, Donald Trump and Winning Utah

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3740: Donald Trump Thanks Anthony Weiner

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3738: Gary Johnson Loses His Temper

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3716: Fatherhood, Body Language, Emotional Intelligence and Ashton Kutcher's Pants

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3541: Chris Christie's Wife - Mary Pat's, Reaction to Donald Trump's "Woman Card" Comment

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3565: Adolf Hitler, Jesse Owens, Archie Williams and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3707: The Presidential Debates Part III - Donald Trump v. Hillary Clinton and Sniffing 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2313: Elisa Lam Video in Elevator at Cecil Hotel - What Her Body Language Tells Us  


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3687: Katy Perry Surprises Fan-Survivor of Orlando Nightclub Shooting on Ellen - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Few people can arrange such meetings between a celebrities and 'commoners' as can Ellen DeGeneres. And for many people, the video included above is very emotionally evoking (and thus a barometer of the viewers' empathy).

While recovering from wounds he received during the Orlando nightclub (Pulse) shooting, Tony Marrero found Katy Perry's music to be a source of strength and inspiration. In addition to all the other emotions and the corresponding body language signs which are natural in such a surprise scenario, this interaction on Ellen's show also showcases a rarely discussed yet common nonverbal behavior.

Ellen (beginning at 0:18): "It is, it is a beautiful song - and ah, have you met Katy yet or no?"

Mr. Marrero: "No."

Ellen: "You wanna meet Katie? [pause] Katy!"

During 0:23 - 0:25, just after Ellen says, "You wanna meet Katie?", Tony Marrero alternates the gaze of his eyes - while looking fairly straight ahead, but with additional quick, superimposed, lateral movements (Saccades) - jerking back and forth several times. When his eyes shift left he appears to be focused on Ellen - but when he shifts right, he's focused at a middle distance (which is more common).

This relatively subtle and short-lived, rapid flickering motion of the eyes back and forth is an epiphenomenon of emotional processing. This is signaling that although the 'logical brain' may realize what's occurring, the 'emotional brain' has yet to fully grasp what's transpiring.

Although in this example we see the rest of Mr. Marrero's face is for this brief moment, relatively emotionally neutral - it's also quite common to have a 'Dropped Jaw' (aka 'Slack Jaw') configuration of the mouth (with no teeth showing) as well as eyelids opened wider than baseline. When sincere (as is seen in this example), these "Emotional Processing Saccades" rapidly give way to other powerful facial expressions.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3686: Donald Trump regarding his National Security Briefings 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3684: Barack Obama's and Vladimir Putin's "Stare-Down" at the G20

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3680: Donald Trump and Enrique Peña Nieto Shaking Hands

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3564: Kanye West, Ellen and Beta Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3473: Adele's Tongue, Ellen DeGeneres and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3483: Kate Winslet's Reaction to Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar for Best Actor

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3461: Cam Newton Walks Out of Super Bowl 50 Post Game Press Conference - Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3504: Raúl Castro Lifts Barack Obama's Arm at Press Conference


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3564: Kanye West, Ellen and Beta Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Kanye West was recently on The Ellen Show. He's a person who many consider an alpha male personality - yet from body language perspective the artist/producer exhibits some classic beta body language. What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis.

Ellen DeGeneres: "Now are you done, or will you have more children? Do you want more children?"

Kanye West: "Maybe."

Ellen: "Does Kim want more children?"

Kanye: "Perhaps."

Ellen: "That's not [smile, head torque to her left, laughing] .... that's not what she said."

1:14

Fingers intertwined - a variety of Blocking Behavior transmitting Defensiveness and Low Emotional Comfort (think of this as a High Fig Leaf).

During 1:16 as Ellen says, "Now are you done, or will you ..."

A small edit has taken place by Ellen's studio, however this moment 2 seconds later, shows West with his hands configured in a Seated Fig Leaf (aka Seated Genital Guarding).

This cluster (above) signals further defensiveness and even lower emotional comfort.

1:20

This image shows a different angle - but a cluster very similar to that of 1:16 as West says, "Perhaps" - as he begins to widen and narrow his knees-legs (like a child that has to use the bathroom) - indicating higher anxiety.

1:25

West's acquires a "Knock Kneed" position (while maintaining a seated fig leaf) in a highly beta body language reaction as Ellen says, "That's not ..... that's not what she said."

This is an absolute give away, that Kanye West is beta to Kim Kardashian's alpha status - and in this moment he's got an even lower confidence and lower emotional comfort status than a few seconds earlier - and that at least for now, there will be no more children.  We see this example in the context of a talk show and popular culture -  and it's entertaining to some, but this same nonverbal (and many others) goes unseen or glossed-over all day long in the business world.

Kanye is Beta - but he's pretending to be Alpha.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3563: Ariana Grande, Lip Stick, Microexpressions

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3553: Donald Trump, Deception, Facial Touching and Empathy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3546: Carly Fiorina's and Ted Cruz's Awkward Raised Hand Holding

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3542: Lara Croft, Keeley Hawes and Sexual Energy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3450: Kanye West reacts to Paparazzi's questions regarding Wiz Khalifa

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3096: Kanye West's Body Language at the 2015 Grammys

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2300: Kim Kardashian & Kanye West in Rio at Christ the Redeemer Statue and the Body Language of Palms Up vs. Palms Down  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2487: Chelsea Clinton's Beta Body Language - The Elevated Fig Leaf

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3473: Adele's Tongue, Ellen DeGeneres and Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTO)

Adele was a guest on The Ellen Show earlier this week. Among other things, she discussed the microphone falling into the piano during the Grammys Monday night. Afterwards she admitted "... It wasn't too bad. I treat myself to burger - and a beer ...".

Just after her food confession (during the 1:59 mark of the above video and isolated below), Adele displays a "Tongue Jut". This behavior indicates I've been caught/I've been bad and here it has a significant self-deprecating component as well.

Tongue jutting within a negative emotional context will tend to occur on the opposite side of the mouth vs. those tongue juts with more positive emotions. This particular left-right preference phenomenon is idiosyncratic to the individual and must be normed.

Most of the time a tongue jut (aka lizard tongue) occurs over such a brief duration that it's classified as a microexpression.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication No. 3472: Donald Trump's Retort to Pope Francis

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3469: Leonardo DiCaprio and Dame Maggie Smith on BAFTA Awards Kiss Cam - The British Academy Film Awards 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3459: Miscues on the Introductions to New Hampshire Republican Debate

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3453: Marco Rubio's Hyper-Alpha, Backfiring Body Language 

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret No. 1482: George Clooney's Lizard Tongue (Tongue Jut) 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3138: Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes, "God She's Beautiful" and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3061: Jimmy Fallon Blew a Chance to Date Nicole Kidman

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3380: Adele at the BBC, When Adele was disguised as Jenny

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3471: Ronda Rousey regarding her Loss to Holly Holm on Ellen DeGeneres Show - Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

During her highly emotional interview with Ellen DeGeneres on Tuesday, Ronda Rousey admitted to suicidal thoughts immediately after losing her UFC fight to Holly Holm. As you might expect, there is a tremendous number of excellent body language teaching moments in this video - one emotion of which is highlighted below.

A Microexpression of Regret. Note Rousey's right mouth corner as it pulls laterally at 2:45. As with all microexpression, this is very brief and must be viewed in the context of the video to more fully appreciate its evanescent and subtle qualities.

Many nonverbal novices will mistake Rousey's mouth expression here (during 5:52) as one of a suppressed smile...












yet it's a signal of regret - both longer in duration and greater in amplitude vs. the microexpression isolated above.

A few seconds later, during 6:03, Rousey again displays a classic regret mouth configuration as she looks down to her right with near-complete prolonged eyelid closure








(consistent with strong grief/empathy/sad/shame/regret emotions).

This angle of this photo affords us a different perspective of Ms. Holm's mouth than the above images.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3470: Taylor Swift's Speech at 2016 Grammys

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3377: Holly Holm's post-fight interview after defeating Ronda Rousey

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2586: Harrison Ford in "Ender's Game" - Microexpression and Macroexpression of Regret - Harrison's Brand and the Stanislavski Method

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3440: Sarah Palin Endorses Donald Trump - What Trump Really Thinks About Palin 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2086: Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, Love and Sincerity

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3392: Donald Trump to Republican Jewish Coalition

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3292: Empathy, Yawning and Dogs

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2691: Barbara Bush, "I Love Bill Clinton"


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