Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2559: John Boehner's Body Language - Microexpression of Contempt vs. Facial Tic (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Many are aware that John Boehner has a facial tic. Of course this does not exempt him from nonverbals displays which are indicative of valuable emotional tells. What follows is just such an example.

Note: The original video has, since the original post, been removed from its online source. The images below however, were captured from this video. 

Rep. Boehner's stated (begins at 0:01) "Our leadership team met with ah, our members today, ah, trying to find a way forward in a bipartisan way, ah, that ah we continue to provide fairness to the American people, ah, under Obamacare. Ah, there are a lot of opinions about ah what direction to go. There have been no decisions about exactly we will do. Ah, but we're going to continue to work with out members on both sides of the isle, ah to try and make sure, ah that there's no ah issue, ah of default and to get our government reopened."

At 0:06, just after the Speaker of the House says, "... trying to find a way forward in a bipartisan way ...", Mr. Boehner displays a classic example of a microexpression of contempt. His "mustache area" is vectored primarily upward. His left nostril is also flared. In addition, the valuable "contempt amplifier" of simultaneous and partially closed eyelids are present.

Most of Speaker Boehner's "facial tics" are just that - a longstanding and frequent idiosyncrasy (see below). And indeed when viewed at regular speed, very few people can distinguish the difference between one of his baseline tics and any type of microexpression. This particular example however was not a facial tic. John Boehner clearly is feeling contempt in this moment.

This example (at 0:12) is a nearly symmetrical mouth tic - one very typical for the Ohio republican (His mouth, midface or eyes are not displaying a microexpression).

What other body language signal(s) do you see in this moment though?

This asymmetrical mouth expression is also a facial tic (captured at 0:16). Note there is no tightening or elevation of Mr. Boehner's "mustache area".











When you watch these three moments in the video, can you distinguish the difference between these examples? How many microexpressions (and the ramifications) have you missed today?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2235:  Barack Obama and John Boehner - The Fiscal Cliff and Contrasting Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2254:  John Boehner's Speech Today - One Major Body Language Improvement - The U.S. Speaker of the House Should Make

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1877:  John Boehner's Open ConsiderationNonverbal Communication Analysis # 1877:  John Boehner's Open Consideration

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2236:  John Boehner & the Fiscal Cliff Plan B Failure - Body Language of Duping Delight

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2318:  John Boehner at Rosa Parks Statue Unveiling - A Body Language Signal of Squelching Tears 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2276:  Michelle Obama's Eye Roll .... What was she thinking? and  What Did Boehner's & Barack's Body Language Say? 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2248:  Barack Obama's Body Language regarding  the Republicans & the Fiscal Cliff on  "Meet the Press" 

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2324: Carrie Underwood regarding alleged Feud with Taylor Swift

In this short video excerpt of an interview of Carrie Underwood, Gayle King asks, "Is there such, is a feud between you and Taylor Swift?" Ms. Underwood's responds, "No, not that I know of - at least." She has been asked this question many times before and was prepared for it - and thus she does a fair job of suppressing her emotions in her response. If this were the truth, her answer should have been "No" or "Absolutely not", or another definitive negative expression, etc. Instead Ms. Underwood adds, "not that I know of" and then spurts out "at least". When the truth is "no" these paralanguage qualifiers are not needed and their presence is highly suspicious for deception.

A few minutes later, Ms. King catches Underwood off-guard when she asks for her favorite Taylor Swift song. Gayle is displaying subtle joy in this image (it is better exampled in the video). She also partially closes her upper eyelids here. This added eye nonverbal is commonly seen in this variety of duping delight - when we catch someone in a moment of deception - part of the "I gotcha" expression.


 

Ms. King also blinks with momentary increased frequency during this same question - and with the blinks being of longer duration. These blink variations are commonly part of a negative judgment  cluster - that of contempt. Her subtle smile is displayed more so in this image.

Here Ms. Underwood is captured in a "smile of deception" - which is of course very common in children whom are caught in lesser-consequence lies. Of course this phenomenon persists into adulthood but it is less obvious. When it becomes partially suppressed with perceived adequate deception on the part of the liar – it becomes what is called duping delight (Ekman).

Here, Underwood says, "My favorite Taylor Swift song, Oh my gosh ....". Touching her neck is a clear nonverbal signal of anxiety.  Repeating the question and the exclamation are both ways of “buying time” in an effort to think of an answer.

This is the moment when Underwood remembers a specific song. She is surprised & excited that she recalls one. Her eyes open wider and her mouth adopts a mild surprise configuration. Her anxiety then drops immediately along with her left hand.

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See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2244:  Taylor Swift's Body Language, Botox &  Anger on 60 Minutes

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1171:  Not So Fast Swift ....  Taylor's False Surprise

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

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication # Analysis 1492:  Ben Bernanke's Duping Delight &  Partial Emblematic Slip

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2093:  Ann Curry's Tearful Goodbye -  Matt Lauer's Classic "Tongue-in-Cheek" and Duplicitous Smile

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2150:  Body Language Advice for  President Obama and Governor Romney in Tonight's Debate


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2256: Steubenville, Ohio High School Alleged Rape - Body Language of Sincere Contempt on the Small Screen

In this video piece from two days ago, Erin Burnett and Susan Candiotti report on the alleged rape of a 16 year-old girl by high school students in Steubenville, Ohio. At the 1:12 mark on the video, Burnett displays a classic, yet relatively mild, nonverbal expression of contempt. It is important to note here that it is her expression is what is mild here - not her underlying emotion of contempt - it is quite significant. This contempt is characterized by an asymmetrical tightening of the mid-face. There is subtle nostril dilation along with an elevation of the cheek, upper lip, and the area between the nose and lip - all on Ms. Burnett's left side. She also tilts her chin down and partially closes her left eyelid. News professionals are supposed to detach themselves from the stories they report on - yet if they do this too much, they are aloof and cold. To strike the "happy medium" day-in and day-out is difficult task - and thus it often comes off like poor acting - which it indeed is. Not here though - Erin Burnett has true contempt for the accused individuals (and hopefully everyone who watches this/is aware of the details of this incident) for whom she hears/watches in the highlighted video.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1910: Natasha Smith Sexually Assaulted in Tahrir Square -  Post Assault Interview

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1868: John McCain's plea before the Senate for Direct American Involvement to Stop  Syrian Government Killing its own People

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1840: Brian Banks and The Innocence Project - Auditory Recall, Contempt, Self-doubt and Syntax 

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 385:  Lack of Eye Contact in the Context of Guilt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2167: Colin Powell Endorses President Obama - His Body Language Display of Anxiety, Contempt & the Self-Righteous Head Wiggle

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

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

Below is the full leaked (and nauseating) video:





Below is the warning video that the hacktivist group "Anonymous" has posted:

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Negotiation Body Language Secret # 398: Rick Santorum's Anger and compensatory MAPs

In this image of the Republican Presidential Candidate hopeful at a January 5, 2012 Northfield, New Hampshire town hall meeting - Rick Santorum demonstrates two significant nonverbal mistakes that an experienced speaker should never commit. The former Senator from Pennsylvania is compressing and tightening his lips in a highly characteristic horizontally straight line. This configuration is very consistent with the emotion of anger. The mild (Santorum's left) to moderate (right) partial closing of his eyelids is also congruent with mild to moderate anger and incredulity.

Mr. Santorum is also self-touching. Self-touching fits into a class of nonverbal behaviors known as Manipulators, Adaptors or Pacifiers (MAPs). With rare exceptions, speakers of any profession are ill-advised to self-touch any body part - particularly their face or the other hand. Like many other MAPs, the "Hand Wringing" seen demonstrated here by the former senator - is a body language tell indicative of anxiety. Santorum has enjoyed a recent surge in the poles with a very near win in the Iowa Caucuses. The New Hampshire Primary tomorrow will, of course, provide many more opportunities for Santorum and the other five remaining republican candidates to show us their nonverbal anxiety.

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