On Thursday 1 November 2018, Jonathan Karl of ABC News interviewed President Trump. One of Trump's responses went particularly viral. What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis of this interview.
JONATHAN KARL (continuing at 3:49): And finally, I remember, you remember - well on the campaign, you made a promise, you said, "I will never lie to you". So, can you tell me now, honestly, have you - kept that promise at all times? Have you always been truthful?
DONALD TRUMP: (over-talking) Well I try, I mean I do try, I think you try too. You say things about me that are not - necessarily correct. I do try and - ah, I always wanna tell the truth - when I can, I tell the truth. I mean sometimes it turns out to be where something happens - it's different or there's a change - but I always like to be truthful.
Throughout the great majority of this entire exchange with Karl (including further back in this interview [beginning at 2:12] as the President answers questions regarding the ongoing diaspora of Central American people walking north through Mexico), Trump looks down and to HIS right (with both eyes and to a lesser degree, his head and neck).
Eye contact during deception is an intriguing phenomenon. When someone is telling a lie, the percentage of eye contact they have with the other person (or the camera) is biphasic. It almost always either increases (and thus, often takes on the feel of staring) - or it decreases. Moreover, when their eye contact does decrease, the quadrant to which the liar most often looks is THEIR lower right quadrant (exactly what we see here).
Notice too, the verbal language President Trump used. He never said, "Yes", "Always", "I'm always truthful", or "One-hundred percent" - rather Trump said:
• "Well I try"
• "I do try"
• "I always wanna tell the truth"
• "when I can, I tell the truth"
• "I always like to be truthful"
Such hedging, whether in written or verbal form, are profound statement analysis tells indicative of deception.
In addition, Donald Trump immediately proceeds with the premise that Jonathan Karl also lies when he says, "I think you try too. You say things about me that are not - necessarily correct". This is a manipulative method known as Forced Teaming (de Becker). It's as if to say, "We're in this together Jon - you and me" - and - You lie too Jonathan, everybody lies, but we all try not to".
Now flashback to an earlier portion of this interview. Beginning as Trump says (continuing at 2:31), "... you have caravans coming up that, look a lot larger than it's reported, actually, I mean I'm pretty good at - estimating crowd size - and I will tell you - they look a lot bigger than people would think ..."
From 2:31 to 2:39 Trump displays a combination of a Suppressed Smile along with what is known as a Lip Curl. Please watch the above video - as any still image does not capture the dynamic nature of this nonverbal behavior.
In this context, a suppressed smile is what is a nonverbal phenomenon termed as Duping Delight (Ekman) - which is a form of body language 'leaking' - wherein the person displaying it, is taking true joy in THEIR belief that they're successfully deceiving people. It's crucial to emphasize here that you don't have to agree at all with the ethics of their lying or their motive. Moreover, they may not be fooling anyone at all - but THEY believe they are doing so.
A lip curl (note the outward curl of Trump's upper left lip) signals Hubris, Braggadocio, and Bravado. Trump tends to have a slight lisp when he displays his lip curls (both in this example and on other occasions). This is best exemplified as he says the word "size" during 2:37.
Notice too, that during 2:36 - 2:39, Trump's shoulders elevate slightly as he puffs up his chest (and perhaps elevates a bit on his toes). While not a required component of either a lip curl or duping delight, these additional dynamics add to this particular body language sentence - a nonverbal grouping called a cluster. These extra components serve as amplifiers - of both the joy he has in the act of deceiving - as well as his hubris, braggadocio, and bravado.
SUMMARY: During this interview, Donald Trump is looking down to his right the vast majority of the time - the direction of gaze to which most people look during the diminished eye contact of deception. Trump also demonstrates classic nonverbal tells indicating he takes pleasure and hubris in the belief he's successfully perpetrating his lies.
Chris Watts has reportedly confessed to murdering his wife, Shanann who was fifteen weeks pregnant as well as his two daughters, three-year-old Celeste and four-year-old Bella.
The above interview was conducted and published on Thursday 16 August 2018. Watts was arrested and he confessed the next day.
What follows is a partial nonverbal and paralanguage analysis of Chris Watts in this specific video.
There are a multitude of tells which dramatically jump out in Watts' conduct. One of the most glaring is conspicuous in its absence. There are virtually no displays of sadness, grief, or empathy - with one key exception.
The grief-sadness-empathy expression requires an elevated, central forehead contraction (CFC) - simultaneous with a mouth of sadness.
Beginning at 3:14, Watts says, "Yeah, I mean, n, noth-, noth-, everybody's gonna have their own opinion on thi- on ennything [mispronouncing 'anything'] like this ...".
Watts stutters, stammers, and mispronounces during his answer. As he's trying to say, the word 'nothing', he momentarily displays a mild grief expression - although both
his mouth and forehead components in this instance are quite minimal (shown above, during 3:15).
Crucially, this facial expression was in response to the journalist saying, "... You're afraid people think you may have done something". Thus, Watts' ONLY display of sadness-grief during this entire interview was when he was confronted with the prospect that he was the perpetrator of the crime. His grief was for himself, not for his 'missing' family.
One could stop this analysis right here, for Watts' lack of sadness-grief-empathy is profound and cannot be overstated.
Another dramatic red flag is Watts' complete lack of any facial touching. An innocent person, with an at least an average level of empathy whose two children and pregnant wife just vanished, would be rubbing their face frequently. Typically this occurs with both hands covering the mouth or via bilateral eye covering/eye rubbing - and/or rubbing both cheeks. When an empathetic person sees, hears, or is mentally digesting an event of high emotional impact, although their intellectual/rational brain may be aware of what has happened (or is currently occurring) - their emotional brains are still processing the information and its ramifications. Lack of facial rubbing in such a setting is dramatically abnormal.
The only time he touched his head (not his face, which is an important distinction) was with his left hand above the left side of his forehead, during 6:42, just after he said, "... canine units here, they're getting scents, so hopefully they can pick up something and kinda go in a direction that - will actu- [stammering] lead us to where - maybe they're at right now."
Touching on the top or back of the head is highly associated with anxiety. Even though he lies many times during this interview, at this moment his anxiety is 'honest'. He is deeply worried.
If we go back a few seconds, during 6:39, as he says the word "lead", Watts displays a classic fear expression. His mouth corners are directed laterally and downward as his neck muscles tighten.
While the contraction and elevation of the entire width of his forehead are not required for the expression of fear, in this cluster-context, his forehead contraction acts as a fear-amplifier.
Not only did Chris Watts never cry during this interview, nor did he even exhibit any suppression of tears - but unbelievably, he frequently smiled. Smiling in this setting is extremely out-of-context. This is a classic display of what is known as "Duping Delight", wherein a person feels a true joy-happiness in their belief that they are fooling you. Of course, the action/lie in which they're taking pleasure may very well not be something with which you would associate joy - it may be evil and malicious. Moreover, they may not be truly duping you - but they believe they are. Don't let these factors throw you off track. Watts smiles out-of-context many times during this interview. The image immediately above was captured during 2:54 just after he says, "... But right now, it's just like, if she's vanished, like, I want her bac-ak so bad. I want those kids back so bad."
Two seconds later, Chris Watts displays a "Loose Tongue Jut". This is another signal that he showed numerous times during this eight-minute interview. A loose tongue jut indicates the thought emotions of "I've been bad", "I've done a stupid thing", and/or "I've been caught" (Navarro).
Take care not to confuse a loose tongue jut with a tight tongue jut or a wide open tongue jut, for these have entirely different meanings.
Another significant tell demonstrated throughout this interview, is particularly prominent beginning at 2:56, when the male journalist asks, "Um, you know, I, I wanted to ask you a bit about the hard part..." For
the next several seconds, in anticipation of questions implying he
was the perpetrator, Watts' rate of blinking increases dramatically. While this blinking dynamic alone does not indicate deception, it does demonstrate significant anxiety.
An Inward Lip Roll (ILR) is a signal of the psyche's attempt to suppress strong emotions from growing. When we see an ILR, we know that the person is trying to sequester their feelings - both from being displayed on their face - as well as internally. Thus, an inward lip roll is another crucial anxiety tell - and Watts made this expression many times.
In this interview, Watts was not wearing his wedding ring.
Yet, infamily photos, he does wear a ring on his left ring finger.
Throughout the vast majority of this interview, Chris Watts kept his arms folded in a "Self-Hugging" configuration. This nonverbal sign is associated with the beta emotions of the need for protection, self-comforting, and low confidence.
Intriguingly, during 7:02, after the woman journalist changes subjects and asks him about his shirt, Watts can be seen hooking his thumbs on the lower openings of his pockets. This signal indicates a high confidence - along with feelings of virility. Just for a moment, Watts is putting what he perceives as 'manliness' and his sexuality on display. If his family was safe, and the subject of the interview would have been something mundane, this change in his dynamic would, perhaps, be more understandable. Yet, in the context of his missing daughters and pregnant wife, this shift of his emotional tone is a monumental warning sign.
The vocal tone he adopts in describing his garment is quite odd (and again, out of context).
Notice Watts' choice of words as well, "I like these shirts - a lot".
Her question was probably by design and, if so, she was clever to use this tactic.
Then the male journalist, who is no doubt experiencing empathy and pain
says, "You guys, you, you love your gir-, describe your little girls to
us, and, you know", Watts immediately resumes his self-hugging posture.
Notice too, that Watts' side-to-side motion, evident to varying degrees in this video, increases significantly toward the end. This is a common dynamic seen when a person is anxious and is (subconsciously) attempting to "burn off" anxiety-related adrenaline.
At 7:46, just after he says, "she's always just gung-ho, ready to go", Watts' neck muscles tighten in a classic fear-display.
This neck-of-fear is accompanied by a hard swallow - a signal of a dry mouth and throat - further anxiety signals.
In addition to his body language tells, Watts displayed numerous statement analysis red flags.
Watts never says the word "love". His complete absence of this emotional descriptor when
speaking about Shanann, Celeste, or Bella is alarming. Ironically, the male journalist
spoke of Watts' love for his family twice in this interview.
His dramatic over-use of the word, "like" is a signal of Watts' anxiety and is a tic-type verbal analog behavior.
You may have noticed that Chris Watts spoke about himself and what he wanted - but he didn't speak about the feelings of his wife or children. A person with little or no empathy defaults to himself in both language and deed.
Early in the video, beginning at 2:17, Watts says, "Yeah, 'cause like, Bella was going to start kindergarten, next, next Monday." His use of the past tense, "was going to start", rather than, "is going to start" is ominous and suggests that he knows Bella is dead.
When he says, "I was blowing through stop lights" (2:10), this is an example of a machismo descriptor at an unusual time. His smiling and vocal tonality during this sentence are consistent with what would have been a much less important event. Change a few words, and it's almost as if he is describing himself in a football game. His depiction also betrays his bias toward hyper-physical acts.
Another example of Watts' overt tendency toward physicality comes at 3:39 when Watts says, "I wanted to see th-, I wanted to see those kids run in, run in just, jut barrel rush me and just give me a hug and knock me on me on the ground ...". This physical-verbal hyperbole in this context is out of place.
Beginning at 4:16, Watts says, "Like, I'm not sure if they're safe somewhere - just huddled-up somewhere or [long pause] if they're in trouble...". The use of the phrase, "huddled-up somewhere" is another very odd and out-of-context description. Yet another red flag.
Beginning at 3:25, Watts says, "Like this house is not the same. I mean, I, last night was traumatic. Last night was - I, I can't really stay in this house again, like, with nobody here...". While an innocent man would certainly feel lonely and miss his family, Watts most likely did not want to be in the house because that's where he murdered his wife and children. Being there is much too direct a reminder.
Describing his daughter Celeste as "rampage" and "she's always the troublemaker" and likening her to his wife's demeanor - while claiming Bella, "the calm, cautious, mothering type, and, she's more like me, she's more calm" is an attempt to distance himself from suspicion. This comparison seems to be a subconscious attempt to rationalize his behavior.
SUMMARY: During this interview, Chris Watts repeatedly smiles out of context and shows a lack of contextual emotional
processing. He displays anxiety, fear, excessive adrenaline, deception signals,
egocentricity, default towards physicality, a virility display, the need
for protection and other beta emotional tones, an absence of love, and complete
lack of empathy.
Chris Watts has reportedly already confessed to murdering his children - Bella and Celeste - as well as his pregnant wife, Shanann. Throughout this video, there are multiple nonverbal tells and statement analysis signals which, if he had not already confessed, would have (with red lights flashing and sirens blaring) pointed us toward his guilt.
Note: The original video has, since the original post, been removed from its online source. The images below however, were captured from this video.
This is the second analysis of OJ Simpson from the recently aired The Lost Confession. The interview was conducted in 2006. What follows is another analysis of a few key moments of this exchange.
JUDITH REGAN (beginning at 46:52): You park in the alley -
OJ SIMPSON: Yeah
JUDITH REGAN: And - you put on - a wool cap and gloves -
OJ SIMPSON: Ahhh - in the hypothetical, I put on a cap and gloves - yeah
JUDITH REGAN: Right. And, ahum - you reached under the seat for -
OJ SIMPSON: Ahhh - a knife. I always kept a knife in that car for the crazies and stuff - 'cause you can't travel with a gun ...
As he says, "Ahhh - in the hypothetical, I put on a cap and gloves - yeah", Simpson first smiles (47:01) - sincerely but partially suppressed -
And then very briefly laughs (47:02)
Then, during 47:04, we see Simpson display another sincere smile. Note that teeth do NOT have to be exposed in order for a smile to be sincere (but when teeth ARE showing, the vast majority of times, it should only be the upper teeth [exceptions include when there is a crescendoing to - or decrescendoing from sincere laughter, a downward tilted head/neck, and/or an elevated camera/viewing angle]).
The other components of a Sincere Smile (aka Duchenne Smile) - and all displayed here are:
Two components which are not required for a sincere smile, but are often simultaneous - and are also displayed here include:
• Dimples: The majority of times, those individuals who form dimples will do so during sincere smiles - but this is not always the case.
• Blushing: Although not required for a sincere smile, when blushing occurs in the presence of a smile, the smile is ALWAYS a Sincere one - and here it betrays Simpson's Embarrassment, Deception, and Guilt.
During 47:05, Simpson then displays an evanescent but crucial expression - a Forward Lip Purse (not to be confused with a Lateral Lip Purse). Because this is so brief, it's also classified as a Microexpression.
A Forward Lip Purse is one profoundly important nonverbal example of Hesitancy to Disclose - more specifically, it signals a Clandestine Disagreement and/or a Clandestine Plan.
Notice too, that Simpson is still suppressing his smile - while continuing his blushing.
Moreover, OJ Simpson also blinks frequently during 47:04 - 47:06. Blinking more frequently (above a person's baseline rate) is a non-specific signal of Anxiety.
During 47:06, we see another brief nonverbal display - this time of Anger (although here, it's not short-lived enough to be classified as a Microexpression) - as Simpson's eyebrows are lowered and also drawn together.
During 47:07, Simpson then contracts his lips (more so his lower lip) over his teeth in a classic Tight-Lipped Display.
This is another nonverbal signal of a Hesitancy to Disclose. The term "Tight-Lipped" is an idiom which is believed to have been coined by one of the most astute observers of human nature in history - William Shakespeare.
Duping Delight (Ekman) is a term used to describe one form of a Suppressed Smile - when the Smile is Out of Context - and during the perpetration of a lie. It signals the emotional dissonance of a person who's experiencing true
joy-happiness in the belief that they perpetrating a lie - but not getting
caught - and yet the simultaneous desire to not smile too much (lest they disclose
their deception).
At times OJ Simpson seemed not to care about smiling and laughing
out-of-context. At other times he tried (unsuccessfully) to suppress his
smile.
Summary: This brief nonverbal cluster of OJ Simpson shows him displaying various degrees of sincere smiling - and blushing - yet highly out of context. In addition, Simpson displays several signals indicating his hesitancy to disclose information. In this setting, such behavior is highly correlated with deception.
Chillingly, Simpson is taking pleasure in an action which few other people would
find joyful - attempting to hide and/or believing he is hiding his guilt in the
murder of two people - Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
Note: The original video has, since the original post, been removed from its online source. The images below however, were captured from this video.
The above video includes excerpts and is centered around an interview of OJ Simpson in conducted in 2006 in association with his book, If I Did It. The book was canceled/never released - however, 400,000 physical copies of had been printed and its contents have been leaked online.
This interview is both sickening and astounding.
From both a nonverbal and Statement Analysis/Paralanguage perspective, it's a treasure trove of classic teaching material. Many hours could be spent dissecting it.
What is absolutely striking - as well as quite damning - is, throughout most of the interview, OJ slips back and forth between the first person memory of recalling actual, experienced event - to a "theoretical" (fictional) point-of-view, in which the book was supposedly written. The majority of the time, OJ spent was in memory-mode of recalling real events.
What follows is a partial nonverbal analysis focusing primarily on one particular nonverbal tell that OJ Simpson displays repeatedly - called The Jaw Confessional.
A Jaw Confessional is a nonverbal signal which involves a rapid and short-lived lateral (sideways) movement of the mandible (jaw). It indicates shame, regret, embarrassment - and if in the context of a verbal answer/explanation - often indicates an accompanying confession.
To fully appreciate this nonverbal behavior, please watch the videos (on full and 1/2 speed). Here are just a few of the many examples:
Beginning at 45:53, OJ says, "This is very difficult for me to do this, ah, very difficult for me because it's hypothetical ...".
At 45:56, as he says, his second "very" of this sentence, Simpson displays an excellent example of a Jaw Confessional. Because of its extremely short duration, this nonverbal dynamic is also considered a Microexpression.
Fascinatingly and simultaneously, Simpson also looks up to his left (both with his head/neck - but more importantly, gazing with his eyes). This is the quadrant to which the vast majority of right-hand dominant people look when they are recalling a visual memory (Simpson is right-handed). In contrast, when constructing a fictional visual scenario (or a yet to be experienced future event) - they will look up to their right. Thus, this specific nonverbal dynamic, in this context, shows us, with high probability, that Simpson is recalling a real, remembered event.
In addition, the left corner of Simpson's mouth displays a regret component.
Notice
too, how Simpson is looking down and to his right. This is the quadrant
to which most people look during highly emotional moments of sadness,
shame, and regret.
Another Jaw Confessional is seen as he says, "... I'm telling - I don't think any two (during 50:16) people could be, ah, murdered the way they were ..."
And yet another Jaw Confessional when he says, ".... without everybody (during 50:21) been covered in blood".
Summary: This video is profound. It's utterly full of both nonverbal as well as statement analysis (paralanguage) displays indicating OJ Simpson indeed murdered his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. OJ Simpson is, very much, giving an open confessional in a not-so-camouflaged manner wrapped in the ruse (excuse) of "fiction".
Ivanka Trump, daughter and advisor to President Donald Trump, was interviewed today in South Korea. What follows is a partial nonverbal, verbal, and paralanguage analysis of a crucial portion of that exchange (video above).
PETER ALEXANDER (beginning at 1:45): Do you believe your father's accusers?
An elevated central forehead contraction (elevated CFC) in this same question-cluster-context indicates emotional pain.
During 2:04, as she says, "... I don't think ...", Ms. Trump displays the same elevated central forehead contraction (again, blunted by Botox).
This behavior is repeated once more, during 2:12, as she says, "... I think I have ..."
During 1:59 - 2:08, as she says, "... when he's affirmatively stated that there's no truth to it. [deep
inhalation] I don't think that's a question you would ask - many other -
daughters ...", Ms. Trump uses a Pseudo-Prayer with a Hand-Chop followed by a Pseudo-Prayer in isolation. This display is somewhat obscured by the banner/chyron at the bottom of the screen.
Outside of the exceptions of some religious contexts and a few (primarily Asian) cultures, a pseudo-prayer projects a patronizing and condescending emotional tone. This is the meaning in most of the World's cultures. These feelings are amplified by the accompanying chopping motion.
As she says, "I believe my father. I know my father" and - so, I-, I think I have that
right as a daughter [inhalation] Ummm, to- [inhalation], ah - believe my
father", Ivanka Trump shrugs her left shoulder three times in succession - a movement is which is not mirrored by her right shoulder (Again, this movement is also partially obscured by the banner/chyron at the bottom of the screen).
These unilateral shoulder shrugs performed simultaneously with positive affirmations, (e.g. "I believe my father", "I think I have that right...", and "believe my father") are profoundly contradictory to her words.
In this context, a unilateral shoulder shrug is an example of what in nonverbal parlance is known as a Partial Emblematic Slip.
From a statement analysis/paralanguage point-of-view, Ms. Trump's, use of the word choice, "I think I have that right as a daughter [inhalation] Ummm, to- [inhalation], ah - believe my father" is an odd and telling one - implying that truth is a right to believe rather than an objective reality to be sought.
What's incredibly telling behavior is that Ivanka Trump never says, "no", "no, I don't believe these accusers", "no, absolutely not", etc. - rather she speaks about an "inappropriate question" and her "right to believe".
Her strongest endorsement of the President was when she says, "I believe my father"
- however, this is a free-floating, nonspecific statement - not a definitive "no" - and again,
she does this while committing the contradictory unilateral shoulder
shrug.
The word "inappropriate" is a highly subjective word which is used
under the guise of objectivity. Its meaning is anything but
objective. It's a red-flag word.
Summary: Ivanka Trump's verbal, nonverbal and paralanguage behavior indicates she believes at least some of the women who have accused her father, President Donald Trump, of sexual assault.
