Body Language Analysis No. 3997: Donald Trump Jr., Natalia Veselnitskaya, and a Microexpression - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Last night, Donald Trump Jr. was a guest on Sean Hannity's show wherein the President's son defended his meeting with the Russian attorney, Natalia Veselnitskaya on 9 June 2016. The Hannity interview was about 20 minutes in duration and the video above is just one portion of this exchange. There were many body language displays in this interview - and while this written analysis is by no means exhaustive - what follows is one very crucial nonverbal tell.

Beginning at 2:11 in this video, Sean Hannity asks, "... If the meeting resulted in information that you felt in any way was illegal - or compromising - or collusion, to use the media's term ...."

Just after Mr. Hannity says, "... collusion ...", (during 2:23), Donald Trump Jr. displays an excellent example of what is known as a microexpression. This particular microexpression was that regret. Please view this segment of the video several times at regular speed and then at 1/2 and 1/4 speeds - as the still image (see below) does not capture the dynamic nature of this behavior.

Summary: Donald Trump Jr. feels regret - for either meeting with the Russian attorney, Natalia Veselnitskaya on 9 June 2016, or the fact that he failed to keep the meeting clandestine. More specifically, Sean Hannity's use of the word, "collusion" triggered this emotional repsonse in Donald Trump Jr.

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See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 3996: Donald Trump Jr.'s and Natalia Veselnitskaya's meeting

Body Language Analysis 3994: Vladimir Putin at G20 - Donald Trump agreed with me

Body Language Analysis No. 3992: Angela Merkel's Eye Roll for Vladimir Putin's Mansplaining

Body Language Analysis No. 3990: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, The G20, and Default Expressions

Body Language Analysis No. 3977: Anthony Kennedy - One Signal You Never Want to See From a Judge During Your Testimony

Body Language Analysis No. 3953: Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron meet in Versailles

Body Language Analysis No. 3952: Emmanuel Macron's Handshake with Donald Trump at NATO Summit

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3930: Emmanuel Macron, Hacking, and Anger

Body Language Analysis No. 3947: Benjamin Netanyahu's reaction to Donald Trump's statement, "I never mentioned the Word or Name 'Israel' "

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2894: Maria Kirilenko, Alex Ovechkin and Subtle Body Language of .... (PHOTOS)

Maria Kirilenko has called off her engagement to Alex Ovechkin. Although in this image, the Russian tennis professional may not be directing it at her then Hockey Player (Captain of the Washington Capitals) fiancé - she is feeling anger. Note that her eyes and face are not directly facing the object of her anger. When we do not like, do not respect or do not trust another - we tend to not direct our feet, our torso, our head or our eyes directly at them.

Ms. Kirilenko's jaw is clenched and simultaneously slightly jutting forward (ergo "Jaw Jut") - both nonverbal signals of anger.

Maria's mouth is foreshortened as her lips are thinned - particularly her upper lip. These signs are also significant for anger.

The area above Kirilenko's upper lip and her nose (termed the "mustache area" in both genders) is contracted and tense. This tension co-exists with nostril flaring.

What other very slight signals of anger are seen on Ms. Kirilenko's face?

Maria's face does not have a full expression of anger. There are other components of this emotion which are not present here. Moreover, nonverbal signals of all emotions may exist for fractions of a second (microexpressions). These subtleties of both proportion and time are only two reasons why many don't see emotions displayed right in front of them - and thus suffer their ramifications. How many emotional displays have gone unseen by you this week?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No 2893: Petro Poroshenko - Downed Malaysia Air MH17 - like 9/11 & Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie Bombing)

Flirting and Romance Secret # 51:  Dominance Display in a Couple:  Maria Sharapova & Sasha Vujačić

Negotiation Secret # 131:  When the eyes are "White and Wide" - Marion Bartoli

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2563: President Obama's Subtle Anger - Body Language of Government Shutdown & the Debt Ceiling

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2599: Spotting Subtle Signals of Arrogance - Tiger Woods and Rachel Nichols

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2870: Cate Blanchett and a Subtle Body Language Signal of Insincere Laughter 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2858: Hope Solo, Domestic Violence, Arrests and Wedding Rings - Body Language Tells 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2880: Bowe Bergdahl & Badruddin Haqqani Photo - What Does Body Language Tell Us?

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2806: Russian "Separatists" in Ukraine - Body Language of ..... (PHOTO)

What does this man know that the Ukrainian Military has yet to realize?

Some may say this is body language of laziness - they would be wrong. In this context in particular it is a significant alpha display. This Russian "separatist" is inside a regional government building in the City of Donetsk, Ukraine. This nonverbal configuration is indicative of "ownership". It speaks to his confidence and emotional comfort and his anticipated success of Russia annexing eastern portions of Ukraine. It also tells us that there is no one who out-ranks him in the room.

What other key thought-feeling does his body language indicate?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2749: President Obama, Ukraine's Interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and an Alpha-Beta Hybrid - Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2742: Vladimir Putin on the Crisis Ukraine - Thin Slicing Levels of Anger - Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2745: Vladimir Putin Deception regarding Crimea - Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2727: "I am a Ukrainian" Video - Body Language 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2805: Amanda Knox, Meredith Kercher and the Othello Error - Body Language
 


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2326: Russian Ballet Dancer Pavel DmitrichenkoConfesses to Sulfuric Acid Attack on Colleague Sergei Filin Body Language Signals of Anxiety

In the above video, Pavel Dmitrichenko - a lead solo dancer at Bolshoi, the famed Russian Classical Ballet company confesses to masterminding the attack on Sergei Filin. Dmitrichenko says that he orchestrated the attack, but that it was not intended to involve sulfuric acid. The caustic chemical was thrown onto the face of the Bolshoi's artistic director on 17 January 2013. He suffered severe burns of his face and eyes requiring numerous surgeries. It is not known to what extent his vision will recover.

During the 0:15 - 0:40 segment of this video, when first he states he is a suspect and subsequently confesses to organizing the assault, his rate of blinking is quite dramatic. The individual blinks are also of longer duration. These are both strong  nonverbal indicators of anxiety. It is most important to note any increase frequency of blinking at these moments of suspected stress - compared to other times when the anxiety level is much lower. With rare exception however, Dmitrichenko' blinking is so frequent - this body language stands on its own.

Another coexistent nonverbal is his relatively rapid rocking back and forth. In this context - what is indicated by this body language?

There are several other signals here which indicate Pavel Dmitrichenko confessed prior to this video - e.g. this was the second (or third, etc.) time he made this confession. What nonverbals point to this conclusion?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1876:  Noomi Rapace, Anxiety & False Mastication

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2281:  Inaugural Luncheon Anxiety  Barack Obama's Body Language  Michelle's Mirroring

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2053:  Strong Signal of Fear-Sadness Anxiety -  Aurora, Colorado "Batman Shooting"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1901:  Maria Sharapova's Anxiety

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1209:  Even Putin has Anxiety -  False Tie Adjust

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

Nonverbal Analysis # 1820: What Causes David Beckham's Greater Anxiety -  Barack Obama Teasing Him About His Age or His Underwear?

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2077: The Body Language of a Russian Face-Plant

This photo needs little detailed nonverbal analysis, for the emotions being displayed are obvious to most all who see it. It is a fantastic photo though - one that draws you deeply into the anxiety of the moment. The Russian Gymnast, and the reigning World-Champion in the floor exercise, Ksenia Afanasyeva, was winding up a near flawless routine during the 2012 Olympic Women's Team Competition, when on the final pass - she suffered a major fall. Her team mates and coaches are displaying dramatic body language signals of fear, sadness and empathy.

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1918: Vladimir Putin - Pointing with Pen Surrogates Sharp vs. Blunt

It's a major body language faux pas to point with one's forefinger (aka index finger). It is universally offensive and destroys rapport. Although there are superior nonverbal methods to "soften" the effect of the conventional index finger point is to point - one way is to point with a pen as a substitute. Vladimir is shown here "pen pointing" on two different occasions. Above he is pointing with the sharp end of the pen and below he's using the blunt end. As subtle as this may seem to some, the sharp-end method "feels" to the person being pointed at almost as if the forefinger is being used - while the blunt-ended variation has a softer emotional feel - it's less offensive and friendlier.

Note too how these respective pointing methods are mirrored in the face. Above, the Russian President is displaying an inward lip roll (indicating anxiety with an attempt to control a negative emotional display) in combination with lip-thinning (a nonverbal sign highly consistent with anger). In the image below, Putin's face is much more pleasant - almost friendly. 

Tension/negative emotions in the face are very often reflected in hand tension - and while the pens are not part of the hands or body - here they act as extensions of it or body language surrogates.

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Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1233: Putin's Pointing Pen

If you're President Vladimir Putin, a member of the local school board or anyone in between, it is best not to offend. One sure fire way to alienate people is to point at them with the "traditional index finger point". This is deliberately derogatory in many cultures and offensive in all others. Even if you're in agreement with the person doing the pointing and the opinion he/she is expressing, it will provoke and antagonize you. One nonverbal alternative (although not the only or the best way) is to point with a pen or pencil as a surrogate for the finger. This tends to soften the provocative nature of "the point" compared with the index finger. 

It is also incredible to note, and as the "new"/old Russian President is demonstrating here, that by pointing with a closed pen or the "eraser end" of a pencil - this will soften this body language even further. When the pencil eraser method as well as other less antagonistic (and more rapport building) body language ways to "point" are used - these methods tend to concomitantly "soften" the face too. That is, when the hands are less "angry" the face will show less negative (and more positive) emotions - and vice versa. The hands and the face strongly emotionally mirror each other - thus observing one will often give hints as to what the other is "feeling".

See also: Secret # 349: Pointing with Two Fingers (or more)

See also: Secret # 339: Don't Point at Me! I'm Not Your Child!

See also: Secret # 35: A Friendlier Way to Point

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