Body Language Analysis No. 4050: Lady Di - Alpha vs Alpha-Beta Hybrids - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

One of Lady Diana passion's was the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. In both of these images, taken within minutes of each other she was working toward that goal.

At first glance, you may think Diana's body language appears relatively unchanged. Look closer.

In each moment, Lady Di is in an "Arms Akimbo" configuration - but in the image above, her thumbs are forward - conveying a supportive and curious emotional tone. It's also mildly assertive. However it's not an alpha nonverbal signal, yet it's not a fully beta one either - but a hybrid. The Thumbs-Forward Arms Akimbo is one of one of many "Alpha-Beta Hybrids".

Now, look at the photo below. Diana is again seen in Arms Akimbo, but this time her fingers are positioned forward. This variation is significantly more alpha and less relaxed. It's more assertive. It signifies a readiness for action and greater authority relative to others in the vicinity.

Whenever making a body language diagnosis, a profound fundamental principle is to not rely on a single signal. Keeping this in mind, contrast Diana's face in each picture. In the first image she's smiling - and she is either speaking and/or transitioning to (or from) laughter. This is congruent with her Thumbs-Forward Arms Akimbo.

Now compare this with Diana's face in the second image. She's not smiling. Her mouth and her mid-face are tense. Di's nostrils are mildly flared. Her eyelids are also displaying tension as she focuses sharply on an object or person in the mid-distance. This facial expression also matches her Fingers-Forward Arms Akimbo.

Although examples cannot be visualized here, such nonverbal pattern clustering is also typically seen in the lower extremities. When a person is standing in the Fingers-Forward Arms Akimbo, their feet tend to be position further apart - and thus conveying more alpha emotions - versus with the feet closer together when standing in the more beta, Thumbs-Forward Arms Akimbo.

"Anywhere I see suffering, that is where I want to be, doing what I can."

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See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4049: The Arrest of University Hospital Nurse Alex Wubbels

Body Language Analysis No. 4047: Joel Osteen, Houston, and Hurricane Harvey

Body Language Analysis No. 4045: Rex Tillerson Regarding Donald Trump, "The President Speaks for Himself"

Body Language Analysis No. 4043: Donald Trump Pardons Joe Arpaio - Contempt of Court and Red Flags

Body Language Analysis No. 4017: Elisabeth Moss, Anthony Rizzo, and a Signal of Sincerity

Body Language Analysis No. 4002: Justin Trudeau Meets His Namesake

Body Language Analysis No. 4001: Jodie Whittaker, Dr. Who, and Flirting from a TARDIS

Body Language Analysis No. 3971: Elon Musk, Amber Heard, Affection, and Ownership

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3901: Jared Kushner in Iraq

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2837: Of Spelling Bees, Alpha Posture, Decision Making and Visualizing - Body Language Tells (PHOTOS)

Jennifer Tenant of Hollywood, Maryland was in the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee last week along with many other students. There were two winners this year - Sriram Hathwar and Ansun Sujoe (the last time this occurred was 1962). In this image of Ms. Tenant from the second round there are several classic body language tells.

One obvious signal is her "Fingers Forward Arms Akimbo" (aka Thumbs Backward Arms Akimbo). This is a common alpha signal and can also indicate a confident readiness. Her elbows vectored even more forward than typical here is a nonverbal modifier which dials-up her alpha display even further. Ms. Tenant feels very confident in her ability to spell the word correctly. What does Fingers Backward Arms Akimbo indicate?

Note also her slight mouth asymmetry with her lips pushed subtly to her left (with accompanying chin dimpling). This nonverbal sign is an example of a "Lateral Lip Purse" indicating open (non-clandestine) decision making (Don't confuse this with a Forward Lip Purse).

In addition, this spelling bee participant is "Looking Up to her Right". This is a very common (~95% of right hand dominant individuals) field of gaze momentarily looked to when visually constructing something in the mind's eye. This could something in the future, events of past not witnessed - or as she is here she - constructing a word.

See also:

Confidence Secret # 14:  High and Low Confidence Drivers: Arms Akimbo and Assertive Attitudes

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2396:  Ariel Castro Caught on Dash-Cam in a Traffic Stop in 2008 -  Body Language of Self-Disgust, Anxiety &  Emotional Dissonance

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2449:  Jessica Korda Fires Her Caddie &  Recruits her Boyfriend  Body Language at Women's U.S. Open

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2540: Rep. Darrell Issa 'Snaps' at Reporter - Was His Anger Real or Fake? Body Language and the Forward Lip Purse

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2545: Michelle Rodriguez at Comic-Con 2013, Mirroring and Dialing Up Her Alpha 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2494:  Prince William Interview on Fatherhood and Baby George Body Language Tells 

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

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2396: Ariel Castro Caught on Dash-Cam in a Traffic Stop in 2008 - Body Language of Self-Disgust, Anxiety & Emotional Dissonance (Video) (Photos)

Above is an excerpt of a video from a police officer's dash-cam taken when Ariel Castro was pulled over in June of 2008. Below are some interesting nonverbal tells.

Here Ariel Castro shuffles sideways towards the police officer. He doesn't want to face the officer. Castro wants to get out of there, but he can't. His feet (and his psyche) are in emotional dissonance.

This is particularly suspicious.

In this image, Castro's hands are in fingers forward (thumbs backwards) arms akimbo configuration. This is most often an alpha nonverbal, however when the head & neck are flexed forward, it is either a body language signal of fatigue (e.g. Used by athletes at end of sporting events) or as it is in this example - indicative of self-disgust.

Castro is very much scolding himself here.

Here Ariel Castro's arms are in a variation of the "Fig Leaf" formation - indicating a beta, demure, low confidence emotional tone. And while in other contexts it shows respect (e.g. funerals, ceremonies, religious events, etc.) here the grabbing of his wrist indicates a particularly heightened fear to his anxiety (as opposed to the more typical loose hand-in-hand display).

An unusual place to groom oneself, while at a gas pump, in public, at a gas pump and waiting on a police officer with a possible arrest (with three women and a little girl locked up in his house), this out-of-context self-preening is strongly consistent with heightened anxiety.

Mr. Castro shows us additional anxiety with more grooming/self-preening with a pulling up of his pants and a front & back shirt adjust in this image.










What other body language tells do you see in this interview?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2259:  Game Show Killer Rodney Alcala Gets Two More Sentences - His Body Language Warning Signs

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2374:  Tom Cruise on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Body Language of Emotional Dissonance

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1808: Time Magazine's  Breast Feeding, Dr. William Sears, and Attachment Parenting Controversy - Shows Emotional Dissonance at Best

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2271:  Golden Globe Awards - Best Original Song Adele & Taylor Swift - both Nominated, One Winner - One Body Language of Sincerity & Another of Contempt then a Suppressed Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2394:  Three Brothers from Cleveland  Onil, Pedro and Ariel Castro -  Kidnapping, Innocence, Guilt & Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2393:  Cleveland Kidnapper Ariel Castro's daughter Angie Gregg -  Body Language of Sincere Emotional Pain & Empathy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2390:  Charles Ramsey Interview & Cleveland Kidnappings -  Sarcastic Disbelief, Disgust and Exclamation

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2231:  A Common Facial Expression of Mass Killers - Using Body Language as a Threat Assessment Tool
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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2311: Reporter Robyn Curnow's re: Oscar Pistorius Her Body Language shows her Bias

CNN Reporter Robyn Curnow shows her bias against the police/South African Government and in favor of Oscar Pistorius in a number of different ways with her body language (as well as verbally and via paralanguage) in the above video. One dramatic example of her emotional leaning is seen with her repeated use of the "Fingers Forward Arms Akimbo". Although it is unilateral (her right arm) and we cannot even visualize her hand in this example - its effect is surely transmitted as Ms. Curnow editorializes at least as much as she reports when she adopts this strong alpha hand-arm configuration. This particular body language is rare for a news reporter. The dominant & highly assertive nonverbal is further amplified when it is displayed bilaterally (but not seen in this example). 

Don't confuse this with the "Thumbs Forward Arms Akimbo" - for its meaning is very different.

How many of these nonverbal signals of Pistorius preference can you spot?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2310: Oscar Pistorius' Body Language in Court - Part II  Central Forehead Contraction, Frown & Pupil Dilation ...

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2307: Oscar Pistorius in Court, Body Language and the  Bilateral Eye Cover

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 89:  Karima El Marhrough & Opposite Facing Arms Akimbo 

Confidence Secret # 14:  High and Low Confidence Drivers: Arms Akimbo and Assertive Attitudes 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2174:  President Obama, Hurricane Sandy,  Body Language and Thumbs Backwards Arms Akimbo 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 33:  Zelda Williams & Thumbs Forward Arms Akimbo

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 831:  Santorum's Hands and the Alpha-Beta Hybrid

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