Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3153: Jodi Arias gets a Life Sentence Without Parole for Killing Travis Alexander - a Body Language Warning Signal (PHOTOS)

Today Jodi Arias was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder of Travis Alexander.

Chin-holding of another person is rarely associated with healthy love. Even in the context of an established relationship, it very often signals false-affection and false-intimacy. Thus chin holding frequently (but not always) is a warning sign. And although nonverbal signals should never be interpreted in isolation, when it's seen - the vast majority of the time chin-holding indicates a degree of objectification and a mindset of ownership. It can also signal hyper-alpha and narcissistic qualities. 

Survivors of kidnappings and hostage scenarios will often recount this and similar body language signs - however with these individuals and situations, their sinister motives' are obvious much too late. Of course most acts of objectification don't have violent endings, but the trick is - to see this and other red flags ahead of time.

What specific emotions are Travis Alexander's facial expression projecting?

Given the placement of Arias' left hand, what is the significance of the position of her right hand on the back of Travis' neck?

My condolences to the family of Mr. Alexander.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3152: Hillary Clinton First Campaign Ad - "Getting Started"

Nonverbal Communication No. 3110: Scarlett Johansson gets invaded by John Travolta - An Awkward Moment from the 2015 Oscars - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3112: John Travolta Chin Holding and Face Touching Idina Menzel at the Oscars - What Makes it Extra-Creepy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2994: Mike Jones to Barack Obama - "Mr. President, Don't Touch My Girlfriend"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2295:  Marco Rubio - Three Magazine Covers  Three Different Body Language Signals

_________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2343: Jodi Arias, the Courtroom and the Body Language of Mirroring

Nonverbal mirroring behavior is performed primarily subconsciously when we're mentally and/or emotionally "in synch" with another. Couples who are in love mirror each other and business partners will also mirror when things are going well. It is a natural nonverbal outcome between those who have rapport. However the act of deliberately mirroring another person's body language, as long as it's not performed too exactly, too often or too closely in time - will also engender rapport and feelings of empathy. This requires significant nuance though - for if the other person catches on - then mirroring will back fire.

If Jodi Arias respects, likes or is of similar mindset with her attorney (Jennifer Willmott) - she would naturally mirror the lawyer. As some in this video point out, this body language behavior may indeed be a deliberate conscious act designed to add trust, authority and respect - in the eyes of the jury. Certainly the two women's clothes and hair style were chosen with such a strategy in mind.

Jodi Arias may indeed have serious psychological problems and she may also have murdered her former Travis Alexander in a premeditated fashion. However within the context of this video, Dr. Drew Pinksky is wrong regarding the merits of mirroring. He is being melodramatic for the purposes of ratings. The highly edited nature of this clip also gives us a false sense of how often mirroring occurs. Whether you believe Ms. Arias should be found guilty or be acquitted in the premeditated murder of her former boyfriend, Travis Alexander - in this particular context of legal defense, such body language mirroring as well as mirroring of clothing and hair style are very good tactics.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2323: Jodi Arias Murder Trial - The Body Language of Self-Contempt-Regret

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2336: Jodi Arias "Secret Video" Jury Will Not See -  Extremely Out of Context Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2196:  Cross Species Body Language  Contagious Yawning of Dogs Mirroring Humans  An Indicator of What Dog Lovers Already Knew -  Canine Empathy

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 801:  Julia Gillard, Barack Obama & Mirroring Down Under

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?

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Tip # 1239:  Benjamin Netanyahu, Barack Obama and Iran 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2199: Thailand, Body Language, Barack Obama and Yingluck Shinawatra -  Mirroring and Foot Point

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2336: Jodi Arias "Secret Video" Jury Will Not See - Extremely Out of Context Body Language

As psychologist Dr. Michael Brannon says, there are many things which are obviously incongruous in the above edited video of Jodi Arias. It was filmed when she was alone on the day she was arrested and charged with first degree murder of her former boyfriend Travis Alexander. Standing on one's head is obvious and could arguably be (as was also stated here) a form of exercise/meditation to cope with the stress. 

From a body language perspective, when Ms. Arias says to herself, "You should have at least done your make Jodi. Gosh." - her hands preen her hair and her elbows stick out laterally (in strong distinction to and sends a completely different message from when the elbows are pointed forward). This is a nonverbal signal of very high confidence and specifically says she is thinking of herself in a sexual context. This configuration puts breast on display, indicates high vitality, engenders the release of pheromone-like substances (vomodors) and also exemplifies a self-preening behavior. 

To be thinking of oneself in a sexual context in the midst of an interrogation on the day of an arrest for first degree murder of her former boyfriend is extremely incongruous for normal behavior. This is particularly true given her later admission of killing Alexander in self-defense. It also indicates that Jodi Arias had, at that time at least, a high level of confidence that she would be found to be innocent of murder.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2325:  Mila Kunis' interview with Chris Stark on BBC Radio 1, re: Oz the Great and Powerful -  Body Language, Sexual Attraction and Mirroring

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

Romance and Dating Secret # 231:  Eva Longoria and a Classic Female Sexual Display

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2323: Jodi Arias Murder Trial - The Body Language of Self-Contempt-Regret

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 882:  Bashar al-Assad's Chronic Insincerity

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

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

____________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2323: Jodi Arias Murder Trial The Body Language of Unilateral Regret vs. Contempt

Warning: The video above contains sexually explicit dialog as well as other graphic details. If you are younger than 18 years or such subjects are offensive to you, please do not watch it. The body language exemplified and discussed in this post is not germane to the sexual-related portion of the video and you can jump ahead to about the 2:28 mark (approximately 85% of the way through this 3:02 length video) to view the dynamics & context of the specific nonverbal sited here - which occurs at the 2:47 mark).

Jodi Arias is on trial for the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander. During the 2:43 - 2:51 segment, when asked to explain a note she left at her boyfriend's memorial service, telling him how much she loved him - Ms. Arias (in part) says, "...Well I still had love for him yes and [pause with microexpression display - see below] I was thinking now more in terms of eternity...."

At the 2:47 mark (noted in the above paragraph an in the image below but much better viewed dynamically in the video), Jodi Arias displays a microexpression of regret. Regret has a primarily lateral vector of one corner of the mouth (here, Ms. Arias' left), whereas contempt has a primary upward vector. Contempt also has more nostril flaring (aka nasal dilation) than regret (which in its pure form has little nostril involvement). Contempt also has more tension of the "mustache area" (the tissue between the upper lip and nose) and thus looks more like a snarl. Another way of saying this is that with this expression of pure contempt (because emotions are often mixed), the primary lip movement occurs in between the cupid's bow and the corner of the mouth - and with this type of pure regret expression, the primary motion occurs at one corner. Regret has very little to no eyelid involvement - however contempt will (with moderate to extreme examples) often have a partial unilateral eyelid closure (similar to a unilateral appearance of what occurs bilaterally with mild to moderate anger). Regret may often be amalgamated with self-contempt and indeed regret is often the more dominant component (e.g. We may regret our own misdeeds - while we tend to judge others).

This microexpression of regret may also be confused by some with that of "Duping Delight" - but it is not.  Duping delight (Ekman) is often (but not always) seen expressed unilaterally and is often seen in a courtroom setting.  Unilateral regret, self-contempt and contempt towards others may also be confused with the nonverbal of a pseudo-smile - aka a false, fake or social smile.

 

Regret or self-contempt - in this example, does not indicate guilt or innocence.

See also:

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2320:  Estonian Skier Andrus Veerpalu  Denies Performance Enhancing Drugs -  What his Body Language Tells Us

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2228:  Jay Carney's Body Language -  Contempt disguised as a Sniff ....  for Republicans' Solutions to the Fiscal Cliff

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1890:  Eric Holder has (Emotional) Contempt toward Darrell Issa -  while Rep. Issa is Very Excited to be Seeking  "Contempt of Congress" against Holder

Nonverbal Communication Intelligence Analysis # 2111:  Mitt Romney on Libya Embassy Killings -  Multiple Displays of Contempt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2058:  DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's "False Contempt" The Importance of "Norming"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1897:  George Zimmerman's Reenactment of  Trayvon Martin Shooting

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1548:  Trayvon Martin's Death -  George Zimmerman and his First Court Appearance

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1696:  George Zimmerman's Testimony -  Fear, Incredulity, Regret & Contempt

___________________________________________________________________________________