Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3829: Mary Tyler Moore - Flirtatious, Sexy, Alpha Female Smile - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTO)

Mary Tyler Moore was known for her warm, wholesome, sincere smiles. However, in this 1971 image of Ms. Moore, the beloved actor was captured in a very deliberate deviation from that stereotype.

This is an example of a very specific sub-type of a "Social Smile". By definition, social smiles are not sincere - yet they are not necessarily always unwanted.

Note Mary's mouth is asymmetrical - with the right side elevated.

Mary's left eyebrow is also elevated slightly - a difference which is amplified by the partial covering of her right eyebrow with her hair.

Although we cannot see her arms fully, her right arm is held in akimbo - away from her torso (and by the angle of her right arm, this is probably a fingers-forward akimbo [more alpha]). Her hands are most likely semi-clasping on her right hip/lower torso. This is a relative alpha, action-oriented and assertive upper extremity configuration.

Summary: Taken in toto (and particularly given Mary's facial expression) - this body language cluster projects a strong, flirtatious, sexy, "I'm-in-charge", alpha female set of nonverbal signals.

Thank you Mary Tyler Moore. You are missed.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3828: Donald Trump's Body Language Display Rarely Used By Any Past President

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3826: Kellyanne Conway to Chuck Todd, Press Secretary Sean Spicer Gave 'Alternative Facts'

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3824: Donald Trump's Inaugural Speech - Three Ways of Pointing

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3806: The Bachelor Nick Viall Awkwardly Reunites with Ex-Girlfriends Andi Dorfman and Kaitlyn Bristowe on Jimmy Kimmel

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3801: Marion Cotillard, Lip Syncing and Honest Anxiety

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3778: Steve Harvey Recounts His Miss Universe Mistake

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3768: Cuban Leader Fidel Castro Dies

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3732: Donald Trump cuts short interview after Question Regarding Racism - Predicting Trump's Behavior

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3673: Anthony Weiner, Huma Abedin separate after Sexting Scandal

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3595: LeBron James, Disbelief and Emotional Processing

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3535: Prince, Sexual Signals and Body Language (PHOTO)

When one eye is covered - usually by hair or by part of a hat, it evokes the playfulness of a child's peek a boo game. As we grow out of childhood, in the context of romantic relationships, this playfulness overlaps with and morphs into a sex appeal. While it is certainly more common with women and those who are androgynous, it's also a body language signal seen in straight men with longer hair or with the brim of a hat.

When flirting, one should take care not to stare with the uncovered eye. Only short glances, with brief eye contact - made only for a second or two - then broken by looking down (not sideways) - and then reestablished for another evanescent moment - will send signals of sexual interest. A simultaneous sincere smile (Duchenne smile) - particularly a partially suppressed one, will potentiate the message of sexual attraction.

Displaying only part of the face also adds to an ambiance of mystery - which helps with advertising, attention and establishing romance.

Thank you Prince - you'll be missed. My condolences to your friends and family.

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Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3534: Taylor Swift's Rapid-fire 73 Q & A Session

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2840: Shailene Woodley, Jon Steward Show and a Body Language of Sexual Interest Display

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3299: Kim Davis, Contempt-of-Court, Same-Sex Marriages and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2462:  San Diego Mayor Bob Filner -  Sexual Harassment, Body Language and Foreheads

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3518: Donald Trump's Feminine and Beta Body Language 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3516: Hillary Clinton, Finger Pointing, Fossil Fuels, Bernie Sanders and Lying 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3511: Ted Cruz Statement Regarding Allegations of Extramarital Affairs - Body Language and Statement Analysis

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3507: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck and Amy Adams Do The Batman Voice - The Graham Norton Show 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3381: Ariana Grande, Flirtatious Body Language and the American Music Awards (PHOTOS)

Tonight Ariana Grande won the 2015 American Music Awards Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. In winning, she bested Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor.

This image captures Ms. Grande's body language display during her performance of her new song, "Focus" - and it's a very classic flirtatious nonverbal clusters.

Note Ariana is looking back over a raised shoulder (particularly a bare shoulder) with her head tilted slightly downward along with raised eyebrows. Such tilting of the head causes the eyelids to open to a greater degree and therefore it gives them a larger appearance - and bigger eyes are a universal quality of beauty.

Touching her thigh with her fingers is typically not a component of this cluster, however here it acts as a strong amplifier of Ariana's already provocative posing. 

In summary, Ariana Grande's  body language configuration in this moment is extremely flirtatious and strongly engenders protective instincts in most every man who sees it. And if you've been the recipient of this variety of nonverbal behavior - rest assured, the green light has been turned on.


See also:

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3240: Ariana Grande - Tongues, New Boyfriend, Donuts ... & Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3135: Ariana Grande Does a Spot-On Celine Dion Impression on Jimmy Fallon - Body Language Signals of ...

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3338: Brie Larson, Jimmy Fallon and a common Body Language Signal of Sexual Display and/or Sexual Attraction

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2422: Amy Adams on Jimmy Kimmel - Body Language, Flirting and Dating

Flirting and Romance Secret No. 21: The Romantic Height Ratio 

 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3338: Brie Larson, Jimmy Fallon and a common Body Language Signal of Sexual Display and/or Sexual Attraction (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Brie Larson was a guest on the Tonight Show last week. The actress/singer recounted for Jimmy Fallon a time when, as an eighteen-year old, she went to a college party at Brown University. During her description of this misadventure, she displays one very telling body language signal three times.

When a woman adjusts her hair with her elbow up and out - with her upper arm approximately in the same plane as her "shoulder axis" - there is a high degree of reliability that she is putting herself on sexual display. Here Brie Larson is showing us an armpit display during 0:01 - 0:04.

As is the case with many nonverbals - the true emotion (sexual) is (partially) camouflaged with a very obvious and practical action (e.g., here, a false hair adjust). And while this is absolutely an alpha display - be careful not to confuse this with the "Hair Adjust Behind Ear" (HABE) nonverbal.

It may very well be in a voyeuristic sense - e.g., if televised, on YouTube or social media, etc. - she is putting herself on display for the public-at-large rather than necessarily for the person who is interviewing/speaking directly with her.

When there is a more direct sexual attraction - such as in a semi-private setting (e.g. at a restaurant) or in private, the elbow is typically held up for longer duration. Crucially, this sexually provocative nonverbal configuration exposes the arm pit as well as putting the breasts on deliberate display. When the sexual attraction is at a higher level - sometimes this armpit display may be seen bilaterally (with both arms).

While this very flirtatious body language tell is significantly more commonly with women - it's certainly not rare at all to see it exhibited by straight men.

As with all nonverbal communication - it's of paramount importance never to interpret signals in isolation - but together with other simultaneous (or nearly so) signs clustered with it. What are some scenarios where the armpit is exposed in which a completely different emotion is being broadcasted? (And just as importantly - what are the other nonverbal modifiers one would expect to see in such circumstances?)

A second armpit display: 0:35 - 0:39

Again during 0:56 - 1:00













See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3337: Barack Obama regarding Vladimir Putin on 60 Minutes

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3268: Advice to the Ten Republicans for Thursday Night's Presidential Debate 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3258: Hillary Clinton speaks out on "inaccuracies" of private email controversy 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2177:  "I'm Tired of Bronco Bamma and Mitt Romney" -  We're all Abigael Evans  Dialing up her Alpha 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2781: Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Rolling Stone and Flirting - Body Language of Attraction (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Julia Louis Dreyfus appears on the 24 April 2014 edition of "Rolling Stone". Among other things, she is shown with a portion of the U.S. Constitution penned in a temporary tattoo on her back.

The very accomplished and hilarious comedian and actor made a bit of a splash because she appears nude - but also because a copy of John Hancock's signature is on the small of her back. Of course, Hancock did not sign the Constitution - rather he signed the Declaration of Independence.

The nonverbal cluster that Rolling Stone chose for their cover is a particularly provocative pose which projects an abundance of sexual energy. Few men can resist this highly flirtatious body language configuration - which sends strong signals. The classic cluster - which is mostly, yet not fully expressed here includes: looking backwards over a raised shoulder with the head tilted down - so that the eyes gaze upward with a partial sincere (Duchenne) eye smile (not shown here) and a partially suppressed mouth smile (mild mixed with false surprise here).

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2780: Oscar Pistorius, Reeva SteenKamp and Prosecutor Gerrie Nel - Body Language

Romance & Dating Body Language Secret # 33:  Maria Menounos - Classically Flirtatious

Romance, Flirting & Dating  Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1752:  Wearing Red and Sexual Attraction  What are You Marketing?

Romance, Flirting & Dating Body Language Secret # 1893:  Nonverbal Communication of the Facial Platter

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2422:  Amy Adams on Jimmy Kimmel -  Body Language, Flirting and Dating

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2508: Surfer Kelia Moniz and a Classic Flirtatious Body Language Display

In this image, professional surfer Kelia "Sister" Moniz displays a classic flirtatious body language cluster. Here she looks backwards over a raised bare shoulder with her head tilted slightly down and a sincere smile. She is walking and this may or may not be a posed shot.

To increase the "flirting" power of this nonverbal cluster her head should be tilted downward a more - this acts to opens the eyelids to a greater degree and therefore gives them a "larger" appearance. Larger eyes are a universal quality of beauty - and this configuration also engenders a protective instinct in most men and thus also attract them like bears to honey. A sincere smile has partially closed eyelids (mildly so here) while a social smile's eyes are opened more widely - so ironically to some, a good quality social smile with these larger eyes - in the context of this nonverbal cluster - are quite magnetic to males.

Additionally a very slowly and subtly projecting tongue for a slightly prolonged time (e.g. three to five seconds provided the man is looking) or a gently bitten lateral portion of her lower lip - would also "dial up" the provocative power of this nonverbal cluster.

Although Ms. Moniz displays this cluster only partially, it is powerfully attractive and all but the most clueless males will be drawn-in once this body language look is flashed.

See also:

Dating & Romance Body Language Secret # 2020:  Natalie Portman and The Art of Looking Flirtatious

Flirting and Romance Secret # 12: Being a Sexual Being

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2294:  Girl's Comments & Gesture Gets her Increased Punishment -  Multiple Body Language Tells in Florida Courtroom

Romance & Dating Body Language Secret # 33:  Maria Menounos is Classically Flirtatious

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2090:  Hope Solo on Piers Morgan  Flirting 101

Flirting and Romance Secret # 21: The Romantic Height Ratio

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2203:  A Body Language Metric of Intimacy and Affection -  How Do YOU cuddle?

Dating & Romance Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1010:  Rashida Jones ... What Makes the Twinkle in Her Eye?

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2445: Sasha Alexander on Conan O'Brien - Sexually Provocative Displays (Video, Photos)

Sasha Alexander recently appeared on Conan. Just as O'Brien asked her about how she acts in sexually provocative scenes, she unconsciously displayed some very specific examples of such emotions before her later fictional-acting demonstration. This should come as no surprise, for even though she is a talented actress - this is NOT method acting. Like the rest of us, regardless of our professions - Sasha is first human.

At 0:07 she displays an evanescent "tongue in cheek" nonverbal along with a suppressed but sincere smile. Here a bulge can be seen created by her tongue against her right cheek

The body language of a tongue in cheek has several meanings depending on the other nonverbals with which it is clustered. Here it is sexually provocative. Some of the other meanings include sadness or grief, "I gotcha" or "I just one", an alpha dominant signal or even the telling of a lie.

Intriguingly the action of tongue in cheek helps to facilitate the suppression of other facial tells - such as duping delight (which often still is displayed a moment later) and it even may help to reduce the onset of tears in the setting of grief & sadness.

Moreover tongue in cheek displays tend to used one side when it is associated with an alpha signal (e.g. sexuality or I gotcha) and the opposite side when seen with a beta signal (lying, the suppression of crying).

A few seconds later during 0:13 - 0:15 the beautiful actress is feeling sincere sexual energy. This is completely understandable in the context of her confident sexuality and ability to act in this same way is brought to attention. Here she defaults momentarily to one example of a natural and normal baseline sexual display. When a woman's elbows move out significantly laterally, exposing the armpit(s) it is a strong sexual signal of readiness and/or attraction. This is often done in a brief preening display of a false hair adjustment. It's not that the hair is not being adjusted - but it is an epiphenomenon of the primary activity of armpit exposure. This movement puts the breasts on display and releases pheromones and/or pheromone-like substances which facilitate attraction. There is also the added and highly significant appeal of a sincere (Duchenne) smile of joy-happiness.

In short, in these moments Sasha is feeling alpha sexual.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2434:  Brad Pitt's Tongue-in-Cheek regarding  Reasons for Choosing to Work on "World War Z"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2352:  Mila Kunis' Tongue in Cheek  Graham Norton Part II

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2085:  Dina Eastwood - Tongue-in-Cheek Variant

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2233:  Body Language, President Obama, 20 Children and the Tongue-in-Cheek

Romance and Dating Secret # 231:  A Classic Female Sexual Display

Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1805:  The Most Beautiful Woman in the World  What Makes Her Even More Alluring?  Aishwarya Rai 

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 # 2357: Why is this Image so Sexy? Body Language of "Hide & Seek"

In this posed picture a beautiful woman is looking at "us" through the mane of a horse sculpture. Most people will find this to be a particularly sexy image. And while she is certainly attractive to begin with, several nonverbals increase her appeal. In particular, this partial view of her face somewhat emulates the peek-a-boo games we all played as children. This same behavior is ubiquitously carried over into teenage years and adulthood and is a routine component in the process of flirtation and romance. A slight shift in positioning by either party will "cover" her eyes - only to be "uncovered" once more with another small adjustment. A similar effect is also achieved with the brim of a hat, via hair hanging down in front of one or both eyes, etc.

During such flirtations, care should be taken not to look too long, where it becomes a stare. As long as eye contact is made and held for a second or two, then is broken and re-established for another brief moment the message usually gets through. During the second eye contact it is also very helpful to display a smile - either sincere one or a good "social smile". 

Additional mysteriousness and thus allure is added in this photo because a good share of this beauty's face is covered by sculpture or by shadow. It is natural to want to know what we cannot see. This spurs our curiosity and her attractiveness. 

Photo credit: Sassan Knight


See also:

Romance, Flirting & Dating Body Language Secret # 1893:  Nonverbal Communication of the Facial Platter

Romance, Flirting & Dating  Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1752: Wearing Red and Sexual Attraction  - What are You Marketing?

Flirting and Romance Secret # 12: Being a Sexual Being 

Flirting and Romance Secret # 21: The Romantic Height Ratio

Dating & Romance Body Language Secret # 2020:  The Art of Looking Flirtatious

Dating & Romance Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1010:  What Makes the Twinkle in Her Eye? 

Romance, Marriage and Dating - Body Language Secret # 609: Going from High Heels to Flats and then back to Heels

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2203:  A Body Language Metric of Intimacy and Affection -  How Do YOU cuddle?

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2294: Girl's Comments & Gesture Gets her Increased Punishment - Multiple Body Language Tells in Florida Courtroom

In the above video there a several great body language signs. Some of them are captured and discussed in the images below.

Clearly Flirtatious Verbals, tone of voice, cadence, pitch, etc.  (Paralanguage) and Nonverbals. An over the raised-shoulder backwards glance with flirtatious smile is a classic body language exuding sexuality. 

Judge Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat and many in the news media misread this as sarcastic. While flirting with the judge is certainly disrespectful - it isn't sarcasm.

Clearly embarrassed with full & bilateral palmar contact to both cheeks, Ms. Soto is returning after the Judge Rodriguez-Chomat called her back. She believes at this point that her flirtatious behavior will soften her punishment.

Although it is a lower resolution image, clear blushing can be seen here. Her left arm crosses over her abdomen in a lower-confidence signal.

Ms. Soto is still blushing and her hands have drawn together and are about to cover her mouth displaying additional embarrassment. Her embarrassment-blushing can still be seen.

This is sincere surprise with overlying shock. Her expression lasts for longer than is natural for surprise. When surprise lasts longer than 1-2 seconds, there is either a component (or entirely) of insincerity (very common) or a component of shock is accompanying it - which is what is seen here.

Arms crossed and eyes in extended blink are signaling clear defensiveness.

Just after this there is a variation of the self-righteous head wiggle (SRHW) seen in the above video from 0:53 - 0:55. This variety is learned and is truly an emblem in some sub-cultures. It is much more common in women and gay men.  Once learned, thereafter it occurs at the level of edge of consciousness or the subconscious. The more common type of SRHW is unconscious and occurs equally in both sexes. See below for cross-references.

Here Ms. Soto displays a bilateral hair just - here a form of Manipulator-Adaptor-Pacifier aka MAP. MAPs in general are signals of anxiety. This particular Body Language cluster (note raised eyebrows and contracted forehead as well) is a visual metaphor for "I surrender" and is commonly seen after a defeat on the sports field, on the battlefield or in law enforcement confrontation scenarios.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2148:  Joe Biden vs. Paul Ryan and the  "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" in the Vice Presidential Debate

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1923:  Hillary Clinton's Body Language re: Syrian Government -  The Self-Righteous Head Wiggle

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1490:  Kansas Surrenders

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2067:  Leryn Franco's Arms and Missed Opportunity

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2159:  Tom Hanks drops the F-bomb on GMA -  Body Language of Fear, Surprise, MAPs and a Bitter Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2170:  The San Francisco Giants, Surprise,  Bird Poop and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2169:  President Obama's Deputy Campaign Manager  Stephanie Cutter, Causes of Blushing & -  Blushing in the Neck and Peri-Sternal Region ....

Confidence Secret # 33: Keanu Reeves - Covering the Mouth While Smiling 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2165:  Maria Bartiromo - Variation on a Facial Platter -  A Flirtatious Body Language Display

Romance & Dating Body Language Secret # 33:  Maria Menounos - Classically Flirtatious


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2165: Maria Bartiromo - Variation on a Facial Platter - A Flirtatious Body Language Display

Maria Bartiromo is displaying a body language variation of the "facial platter" in the above image. Like all nonverbals, it must be interpreted in context, however here Ms. Bartiromo is projecting flirtatious nonverbal emotions - although she, her photographer or agent may not necessarily be aware of it. While the classic "facial platter" is used almost exclusively by women and gay men, this lose-fist variation - although not common, may also be displayed by straight men too.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication - Dating & Romance Secret # 38: The Facial Platter

Nonverbal Communication - Dating, Flirting & Romance # 1893: Norah Jones' Bod Language of the Facial Platter

Nonverbal Analysis # 2107: Andy Murray, Affection and Savoring the Moment 

Nonverbal Analysis # 2108: Rihanna's and Chris Brown's Kiss and Hug - What were they REALLY feeling? 

Nonverbal Analysis # 1911: Preening as a Signal of Affection-Attraction - Dina & Clint Eastwood 

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

Nonverbal Analysis # 1423: Head First Affection & Head Surrogate Hugs

Nonverbal Analysis # 771: Ann's & Mitt's Affectionate Hug

Nonverbal Analysis # 1921: Who was More Dominant - Tom Cruise or Katie Holmes?

Nonverbal Analysis # 2: Body Language of Blake Lively and Penn Badgley Strongly Predictive of an Impending Break-up in Near Future

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2161: Body Language of the Third Presidential Debate - Barack Obama and Mitt Romney - What Did They Do With Their Hands When They Weren't Talking - and What Does This Tell Us?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2152: Second Presidential Debate - Barack Obama's Duping Delight - Benghazi, Libya Attack was an "Act of Terror" - Alpha, Beta, Confidence & Acquiescence

Nonverbal Analysis # 33: Who is the Dominant Partner - Blake Lively or Penn Badgley?

Nonverbal Analysis # 2110: Pizza Guy - Scott Van Duzer's Bear-Hug Lift Encounter with President Obama - Staged or Real?

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2090: Hope Solo on Piers Morgan Flirting 101

In this Piers Morgan interview, U.S. Goal Keeper, Hope Solo displays classic flirtatious body language signals of hair preening, facial blushing, pointing the elbow laterally (upper arm pointed out to side) with armpit exposure and a sincere smile during the 0:19 - 0:22 segment. When multiple congruent nonverbal signals are seen simultaneously or nearly so - this is referred to as a body language "cluster" and thus its message should be interpreted with a very high degree of confidence. 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2085: Dina Eastwood - Tongue-in-Cheek Variant

The anteriorly directed (towards the front) Tongue-in-Cheek variant (particularly with her coexisting eye and forehead configurations) exemplified by Dina Eastwood (Clint's Wife) is a sexually provocative body language display. This nonverbal sign can occur both consciously and at the edge-of-consciousness. Ms. Eastwood's hair preening is also consistent with flirtatious behavior. And although the context of this photo is deliberately theatrical, if we were to have a video of this moment, her elbow would most probably be seen for a time to extend out straight laterally, opening exposing her armpit.

Tongue-in-Cheek displays can have several additional meanings depending on the other nonverbals with which they are clustered. These include anger, sadness, alpha dominant display, "I just caught you", "I just won", self-righteousness/smugness, telling a lie.

See also:

Analysis # 1911: Preening as a Signal of Affection-Attraction

Analysis # 1858: What the Eyes Do - Mild vs. Severe Anger

Analysis # 1834: Chelsea FC vs. Bayern Munich and the G8 

Analysis # 1893: Nonverbal Communication of the Facial Platter

Analysis # 1752: Wearing Red and Sexual Attraction - What are YOU Marketing?

Secret # 12: Being a Sexual Being

Analysis # 1805: The Most Beautiful Woman in the World - What Makes Her Even More Alluring? Aishwarya Rai

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1779: Girl with a Pear Earring, Johannes Vermeer, Scarlett Johansson & Emotional Dissonance - Pain & Concern mixed with Flirting, Sexuality & Attractiveness

The Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer was amazingly gifted, particularly with his use of light. He is most recognized for the masterpiece,"Girl with a Pearl Earring". In her 1999 historical novel of the same name, Tracy Chavelier re-introduced the painting to popular culture and in 2003 it was made into a movie starring Scarlett Johansson who bears an uncanny likeness to Johannes' subject.

The Girl with the Pearl Earring is also known by the metaphor, "The Dutch Mona Lisa" - and while many would argue that the earring itself is the focal point of the painting, it is really the lovely Scarlett's and her doppelganger's eyes and mouth. 

In both Vermeer's original and the recent movie redux, there are elements of emotional dissonance present. The original model's eyebrows are slightly elevated medially (central eyebrows) indicating a trace amount of emotional (or physical) pain. However, the image of Johansson (below) does not display this nonverbal - her central eyebrows are directed slightly downwards. In contrast to these subtly sad-painful & concern/concentration expressions, both Scarlett's character and the original are looking back at us, over their shoulders with heads lowered slightly - and thus upward gazing eyes. This configuration also makes the eyes appear larger. This combination (cluster) body language is particularly flirtatious and universally attractive to men and also engenders a male protective instinct (Pease). The slightly parted lips in both images - as if she (they) are about to speak - is also especially sexually provocative.

Johannes Vermeer had the advantage of choosing to pain slightly larger pupils than may have been present. Larger diameter pupils are universally attractive and had Scarlett Johansson had her pupils medically dilated or if the image was computer-modified to make her's look larger, this would have increased the actress's "attractiveness quotient".

Another contrast between these two versions - is seen in their shoulders, this time with the modern version being more provocative. Johansson's left shoulder is raised while the original's is not. The raised shoulder in this context is more attractive and flirtatious. If her shoulder was also bare, an even greater level of sexuality would be expressed.

See also:

Secret # 2020: The Art of Looking Flirtatious

Secret # 33: Classically Flirtatious

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Dating & Romance Body Language Secret # 2020: The Art of Looking Flirtatious

Natalie Portman has got a "come hither look" in this image (there are others). Her neck and head are flexed down and forward, and her head is also slightly turned (rotated). This configuration causes the eyes to have more of a "looking upward" appearance - thus making them look larger - which is a universal sign of beauty. When coupled with a slight (social) smile - this nonverbal cluster among other feeling, engenders nurturing and protective emotions in men. It is an extremely strong flirtation signal and virtually guarantees that the message is delivered to all but the slowest males.

See also: Secret # 33: Classically Flirtatious

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Romance & Dating Body Language Secret # 33: Classically Flirtatious

Here Maria Menounos displays a nearly classic over-the-shoulder flirtatious look.  She is looking over her raised right shoulder, with a modest social smile (Note she is not showing a complete, sincere smile - while this is ironic to some, which allows her eyes to be a bit more open and on display, is a nonverbal which is more flirtatious in this setting). Maria's head is mildly down-turned and her wide, doe-eyed gaze is looking at her man of interest.

Although the beautiful Ms. Menounos does quite well on autopilot, this flirtatious look would be even more evocative if her head would have been more down-turned, giving the appearance of looking up more. Some additional body language cues - such as if Maria would have been biting her lower lip slightly or perhaps coyly licking her lip - would have every man in sight believing she was "the one".

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