Andrew Garfield was recently on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" plugging his recent film, "The Amazing Spider Man 2". Jimmy surprised Andrew with a guitar and then asked him to play a song. Emma Stone's boyfriend responded with a pretty fair rendition of the Spider Man Theme.
There are several nonverbal anxiety tells in this short video displayed by the 30 year-old actor. Very early (during 0:05 - 0:07, Note: Unfortunately, since the original writing of this post, the source video has since been deleted from YouTube) - Garfield picked a piece of lint off his shirt and discarded it (preening) while Fallon looks on. In this scenario, this MAP/MAP surrogate nonverbal (Manipulator, Adaptor, Pacifier) is highly indicative of anxiety (In other situations clustered with nonverbals - it can have a completely different meaning).
What other body language do signals do you see here?
Above is an excerpt of a video from a police officer's dash-cam taken when Ariel Castro was pulled over in June of 2008. Below are some interesting nonverbal tells.
Here Ariel Castro shuffles sideways towards the police officer. He doesn't want to face the officer. Castro wants to get out of there, but he can't. His feet (and his psyche) are in emotional dissonance.
This is particularly suspicious.
In this image, Castro's hands are in fingers forward (thumbs backwards) arms akimbo configuration. This is most often an alpha nonverbal, however when the head & neck are flexed forward, it is either a body language signal of fatigue (e.g. Used by athletes at end of sporting events) or as it is in this example - indicative of self-disgust.
Castro is very much scolding himself here.
Here Ariel Castro's arms are in a variation of the "Fig Leaf" formation - indicating a beta, demure, low confidence emotional tone. And while in other contexts it shows respect (e.g. funerals, ceremonies, religious events, etc.) here the grabbing of his wrist indicates a particularly heightened fear to his anxiety (as opposed to the more typical loose hand-in-hand display).
An unusual place to groom oneself, while at a gas pump, in public, at a gas pump and waiting on a police officer with a possible arrest (with three women and a little girl locked up in his house), this out-of-context self-preening is strongly consistent with heightened anxiety.
Mr. Castro shows us additional anxiety with more grooming/self-preening with a pulling up of his pants and a front & back shirt adjust in this image.
What other body language tells do you see in this interview?
Yesterday, the four living former U.S. Presidents as well as Barack Obama gathered on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas for the dedication of the George W. Bush Memorial Library and Museum. It was an intriguing sight to see them all together. Needless to say, there was a ton of great body language displayed. Below are some great examples of nonverbal behavior. These all can be viewed in dynamic context within the video above.
At the 0:11 mark, just after Bill Clinton lets the crowd know that Barbara Bush let him see some of George W. Bush's paintings - the former First Lady takes on the expression of fear - not knowing what he's about to say. This can be most easily seen in her mouth - with its corners pulling backwards and down. Mrs. Bush's eyes momentarily open wider too - most easily see in her left eye and when viewed in the video. A second after this, her expression morphs into a sincere smile when Clinton says that the paintings were great. While Mrs. Bush displays the high conventional steeple of confidence-alpha-assertiveness (and sometimes more), here it is forced (and more consciously initiated). Her subconscious displays of fear betray her (momentary) sincere feelings.
Here Bill Clinton can be seen biting his whole bottom lip (0:32 - 0:33 after another joke). This bite of the entire lower lip (as opposed to just one side) is a common nonverbal displayed to suppress a laughter or full smile display when they've made a good-natured, yet somewhat still mischievous joke. It's as if to say, "I've been a bad boy".
Clinton is also blushing in this photo.
This image was taken the moment after Bill Clinton pointed out to George Bush that, "...and you beat me to be a Grandfather". Despite the fact that he had been President for eight years, being a grandfather is a new experience. He is proud of this, yet another pointing it out before the World provokes anxiety. This self-preening tie adjusting (1:03 - 1:04) is a signal that Bush - an alpha male - is still human - and here he's "Dialing up his alpha" - ascending to the role of grandfather and yet feeling the extra weight of this responsibility and role. A common female analog of the male tie adjust (or the similar shirt cuff or wrist watch adjust) is the "Hair Adjust Behind Ear" or HABE.
Here after Clinton again calls attention to Barbara Bush, President Obama can be seen withdrawing his arm (1:34 - 1:37) which was just a moment before touching Mrs. Bush's upper back/shoulder in what is a breach of her personal space and a display of false affection. When Clinton addresses Barbara Bush, Obama's faux pas surfaces to his consciousness and he withdrawals his touch. Alpha personalities of all types, particularly men commit this nonverbal mistake all too often. They believe it is somehow a display of affection - however it is really a dominance display. And while the recipient may try to smile - emotions of discomfort are being felt and the corresponding body language is displayed elsewhere (can you spot it?).
Here Bush 43 can be seen sincerely smiling, blushing and although its dynamics can't be seen here in a still image, he's in the middle of a shoulder shrug (1:53), Bill Clinton just let us all know that during George W's second term, Bush would periodically call up Bill and talk politics. This embarrasses Bush who was apparently seeking advice from his predecessor. The shrug is as if to say, "...Well Ah shucks, sure I called up Bill, who wouldn't?" - yet he's quite embarrassed.
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.
This video highlights Joseph Melluso, the owner of "The Tin Fish" restaurant in Port St. Lucie, Florida, wiping republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney's face multiple times. No doubt because he was the owner of the building, he felt a "temporary supervisorial" or "shepherding-like role" for this man who may be the U.S. President in less than a month - and this contributed to this nonverbal behavior. However, when one preens another - particularly in such a public scenario - this is also a body language signal consistent with feelings of affection. This is not to suggest that the two have any relationship or aspire to - but wiping, cleaning, picking at the remnants of a napkin/lint (seen during 1:01 - 1:03, 1:10 - 1:12, 1:15), straightening a tie, or smoothing out wrinkles in clothing, etc. - all examples of preening behavior - are signals of affection. It is common to have affection/false affection and similar feelings for those who we see images in the media. Note how Mitt pulls away and reflexively pats Melluso's arm during 0:21 - 0:22. This same patting action, performed at the end (and sometimes at the beginning or throughout) of a hug, lets the other person know that it's time for the hug to end. Joe Melluso obviously likes the candidate and will, of course, be voting for him.
Jeanne Moos mentions that the secret service officer didn't raise an eyebrow - however his right eyebrow is certainly raised in a nonverbal signal of incredulity/disbelief at 1:48.
Should you witness versions of such body language preening behavior at the office (or anywhere else) - even with significantly subtler examples, it's a strong signal that the emotion of affection is being felt.
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.
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.
In this image Dina (Ruiz) Eastwood, preens her actor/director/producer husband - Clint Eastwood's face. Preening another person is a strong body language signal for affection-attraction. It also a nonverbal practice which comforts and engenders bonding.
In this photo, the very beautiful and talented Eva Longoria (Tony Parker - what's wrong with you?!) gives us a great example of a classic female sexual display. When a woman preens her hair with her armpit exposed, this is a signal that she is sexually attracted to someone in the immediate vicinity. True preening of any type, is a signal of respect or attraction - however female hair preening with the elbow/arm extended laterally and her armpit exposed - this is a strong (though largely subconscious or edge-of-consciousness gesture) biological signal of female sexuality. Such arm position puts the breasts on display in a prominent fashion while simultaneously exhibiting overall health and confidence. The exposed armpits also allow releasing of pheromones and/or pheromone-like substances. These chemical messengers stimulate potential lovers' olfactory systems to powerfully and subliminally attract them. Be careful not to confuse any "hair touching" in an over-generalized fashion - for there are, to the untrained eye, somewhat similar gestures with essentially opposite meanings.
