Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2818: The Caring Hand, Palms Up and Building Rapport (PHOTO)

Besides being beautiful and very creative, this sculpture in Glarus, Switzerland is configured in a very giving and rapport building way. Known as "The Caring Hand" with only the thumb and fingers visible in a loose, palm-up orientation with the implied palm below the ground and not visible - the hand appears to be holding the roots of the tree - and brilliantly the body language of this art projects an open, caring and giving - yet still authoritative emotional-tone.

In the world of flesh and blood, people who use this loose, palms-up body language when gesturing (known as "illustrators" as when used properly, they serve to emphasize, underline and animate verbal language as well as paralanguage) will build much more rapport, make more sales, win more negations & elections, de-escalate many confrontations and convince multitudes of juries  - vs. the use of palms-down gestures. The palm-up illustrator with a loose hand, elbow and shoulder is thus very effective alpha-beta hybrid.

Palm-down hand movements are examples of alpha and hyper-alpha illustrators. Particularly rapport destroying and audience alienating (and amplified when the palm-down fingers are closed together, and when the wrist, elbow or shoulders are extended and stiff) - this will body language will destroy rapport and alienate audiences (even an audience of one).

Incredibly, the students or audience of teachers, professors, attorneys, speakers, etc. who use palms-up illustrators will have significantly higher retention-rates of the materials presented. 

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2360:  Bill Clinton and the Body Language of a  "Loose Hand, Palm Up Point"

Leadership Secret # 222: Angela Merkle - Palms Down vs. Palms Up

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2816: Donald Sterling Interview - Body Language Tells

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2817: Rep. Joe Garcia Picks His Ear & Eats it - What his Body Language Really is Saying

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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

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Nonverbal Communication Application # 2012: Mitt Romney and Vetting the V.P. .... or an Attorney, a Physician, a C-Level Executive, a Juror, a Suspect, etc. ...

In this "CBS This Morning" interview Charlie Rose asks GQ magazine contributing Editor Jason Zengerle, whether he believes a Nonverbal Communication/Body Language Expert should be used to as an adjunct to Mitt Romney's Vice Presidential Vetting Process. With the very personal nature of the questions asked during such a process, and the strong desire to climb the political (or corporate) ladder, there is a very strong tendency to lie. It is also very common for alpha personalities whom have reached a certain level of success to a belief that they won't get caught as well as the greater ability to, and habit of rationalizing deceit. This is particularly true for those with a greater amount of formal education. Thus an expert in nonverbal communication is a very helpful addition to the vetting process as well as any other high-risk/high-value, face-to-face truth vs. deception scenario - such as an important interview, a criminal investigation, a legal deposition or jury selection.

See also:

Analysis # 2051: Mitt Romney regarding Campaign Finance Rules - Near-Microexpression of Disgust

Analysis # 2063: Mitt Romney and Ed Miliband - Under Used and Backfiring Uses of Hands

Analysis # 2035: Mitt Romney's Body Language Amplifier - (it works on the rest of us too) 

Analysis # 1553: Ann & Mitt Romey's Body Language at NRA Meeting

Analysis # 1062: Mitt Romney in London - Speaking out the Side of His Mouth - Anxiety-Insincerity or Worse

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1824: Mexico's New President has a Poor Poker Face - Enrique Peña Nieto

Enrique Peña Nieto will be Mexico's new President. His election signals a new crescendo and return to power of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). But the bad news is Enrique has a poor poker face.

Self-touching usually falls into a class of body language behaviors known as Manipulators, Adaptors or Pacifiers (MAPs). Facial self-touching, with rare exception, should never be displayed by a politician/physician/CEO/leader of any type, unless he/she is in private. In general MAPs signal increased anxiety and sometimes deception (depending on what other nonverbals clustered with it). MAPs will transmit feelings of anxiety to the audience - even if it's just one person. I've seen far too many attorneys display a similar face in the courtroom - and you can bet the jury/judge/their client "feels" this anxiety too.

The President elect (who will take office in December 2012) also is displaying a mild amount of mid-face tension - particularly in the "mustache area" above the upper lip. His upper lip itself also displays a trace amount of thinning - which also is an anger indicator. The tension doesn't stop there though - for he is displaying a trace-to-mild amount of nostril flaring, also seen with anger and disgust.

Good Luck President-elect Peña Nieto. You'll need it.

See also:

Analysis # 1869: One Body Language Signal a President Should Never Display

Analysis # 199: When a Lie is Told, Heard or Visualized by .... Vladimir's Eye

Analysis # 1411: Dialing Up Her Alpha - Dana Perino

Analysis # 1901: Maria Sharapova's Anxiety

Analysis # 1697: George Zimmerman in Shackles - How does this Alter His Body Language, Testimony and Our Perception?
 

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Negotiation Secret # 559: Pointing at a Witness

This is J. Michael Flanagan, the defense attorney for Dr. Conrad Murray. Murray is on trial for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. Flanagan is a skilled and experienced attorney, but in many cases, I would disagree with his gesture of pointing at a witness (in this case Dr. Thao Nguyen, Cardiologist). In particular, I would steer him away from pointing with his index finger (forefinger). While this body language may certainly make the witness squirm and feel uncomfortable - and this may work to his advantage, he should weigh this against how the jury may feel. Pointing is considered a significant insult in nearly every culture and country around the World. If any jury member has empathy for the witness being questioned, she/he will feel as if they are being pointed at, chastised, and thus falsely persecuted along with the witness. Got empathy? Your jury does.

A better way to point would be with the whole hand, palm up. The fingers and arm should both be extended (but not fully extended, some flexing to the shoulder, elbow and fingers should be displayed) but relaxed. 

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Negotiation Secret # 602: Honesty in Testimonies

We tend to not trust someone the less we can see of them. If they hide body parts when they are asked questions, this should set off alarms in our internal lie detectors. This is accurate for several body parts and particularly true of the hands. Here, Dr. Richelle Cooper is testifying in Dr. Conrad Murray's trial regarding the death of Michael Jackson. Her hands are visible, and with her palms up gesturing, this adds even more to her honest persona - but she has to bring them up fairly high for this to occur. It is possible that their view is even obstructed to some jury members. It would be a great idea for witnesses to testify with a plexiglass top table, or something similar, so that all those in court could see them in near entirety and see their Body Language displayed upon questioning. The same would be apply in depositions as well as voir dire. This would certainly add to the justice process. Those who bear false witness would be much more easily sussed out.

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