Body Language Analysis No. 4262: Wendy Vitter, the U.S. District Court, and Brown v. Board of Education - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

In January 2018, WendyVitter was nominated by Donald Trump to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Last week, Ms. Vitter was questioned by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. What follows is a nonverbal analysis of a controversial portion of that exchange. The time markers and dialog are referencing those contained within the video above.

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (beginning at 0:30): Do you believe that "Brown versus Board of Education' was correctly decided?

WENDY VITTER: Ω Senator - [suttering] I don't mean to be coy, but I think I get into a, ah, difficult, [stammering] a different - difficult area when I start commenting on Supreme Court decisions which are correctly decided and which I may disagree with. Again, my personal, political, or religious views I would set aside. That is Supreme Court precedent. It is binding. If I're [stammering] were honored to be confirmed, I would be bound by it, and of course I would uphold it. 

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: Do you believe it was correctly decided?

WENDY VITTER: And again, I would [stammering] respectfully ∆, ahum, not comment on, what could be - my bosses' ruling - the Supreme Court I would be bound by it - and, if I start commenting on, 'I agree with this case, or don't agree with this [stuttering] case', I think we get into a slippery slope ...

There were many different types of nonverbal displays in this short video, however, one in particular is examined here.

At multiple times during her dialog with Senator Blumenthal, Ms. Vetter displayed what is known as a Self-Righteous Head Wiggle.

A Self-Righteous Head Wiggle (SRHW) is a classic nonverbal display - characterized by a side-to-side movement of the head and neck. Usually, the movement is fairly rapid (high frequency) and of varying amplitude. Sometimes, it's extremely short in duration (almost a microexpression) and at other times it lasts longer.  Because this is a dynamic display - the viewer is strongly encouraged to watch the video, as the still images do not capture the motion and nuance of this nonverbal behavior.

The Self-Righteous Head Wiggle is typically displayed by individuals who are of relatively high-alpha personalities - but during moments of extra-high confidence and when they're expressing particularly strong opinions.

The SRHW can be thought of as a form of nonverbal swagger and often nonverbal arrogance.

Additionally, the SRHW will sometimes have a superimposed forward movement component when Arrogance and/or Condescension are simultaneous, e.g. during:

• 0:52 - 0:53, as Ms. Vitter says, "... and which I may disagree with ..."
• 1:19 - 1:20, as she says, "... my bosses' ..."

When additional Backward motion is displayed, there are feelings of Disgust, Contempt, and/or Disbelief being emoted, e.g., above displayed by Ms. Vitter during:

• 0:36, notated by the Ω symbol, just prior to saying, "... Senator ..."
• 1:15, notated by the ∆ symbol, just after she says, "... respectfully ... "
• 1:29, as she says, " ... this case ..."

Little or no additional forward or backward motion (only side-to-side movement) occurred during:

• 1:22 - 1:23, as she says, "... the Supreme Court ..."
• 1:31 - 1:33, when she says, "... I think we get into a slippery slope ..."

Another common feature of the SRHW is a temporary increase in pitch (vocal frequency), volume,  as well as speaking speed (e.g., words per second). This paralanguage/verbal language dynamic is simultaneous (or nearly so) the SRHW. A good example is seen here during 0:52 - 0:53, as Ms. Vitter says, "... and which I may disagree with ...".

Sometimes, there is often displayed a similar motion of the torso (as is seen to a mild degree in a few of these examples) or even the jaw.

You'll note that Ms. Vitter also closes her eyes during some of these SRHWs. In this context, this prolonged eyelid closure acts as an amplifier of her self-righteousness, contempt, and disgust.

Summary: Wendy Vitter is a nominee for U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Her nonverbal and paralanguage behavior in this hearing - indicates that she does NOT believe the 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown v. Board of Education was correctly decided.


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com


See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4261: President Trump's Address regarding the Retaliatory Strike on Syria

Body Language Analysis No. 4260: James Comey on Good Morning America re: Trump, Russia, and the Steele Dossier

Body Language Analysis No. 4257: Mark Zuckerberg Testifies Before The Senate

Body Language Analysis No. 4254: Tony Robbins, Nanine McCool, and the #MeToo Movement

Body Language Analysis No. 4251: Cristiano Ronaldo's Bicycle Kick vs. Juventus F.C.

Body Language Analysis No. 4232: Betsy DeVos' 60 Minutes Interview 

Body Language Analysis No. 4203: Mikaela Shiffrin and the R2E2 Expression

Body Language Analysis No. 4061: Pennywise,"IT", and Bill Skarsgård's Demonic Smile - Why is IT so Scary?

Body Language Analysis No. 4047: Joel Osteen, Houston, and Hurricane Harvey

_______________________________

Body Language Analysis No. 4010: Lisa Murkowski Responds To Donald Trump's Criticism - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

This morning, President Trump criticized Lisa Murkowski - a Republican Senator via a tweet. 

In the video above, Senator Murkowski responded to Trump's tactic (beginning at 0:26), "I am in, ahum, in a position where I'm not looking to a re-election until 2022. That's a long time away - and, quite honestly, I don't think it's, it's wise to be operating on a daily-basis thinking about what a statement, or, or ahum, a response, ah, that, that, causes you to be fearful of, of - of your electoral prospects. We're here to govern."

In the entire second half of her statement, beginning at 0:38, Senator Murkowski displays a "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" (aka "High Confidence Head Wiggle"). A Self-Righteous/High Confidence Head Wiggle (SRHW/HCHW) is a rapid, side-to-side shaking of the head and neck. An analog behavior can sometimes also be exhibited with the torso and/or jaw (with motions existing in isolation or superimposed with the more common head and neck oscillation).

Sometimes a SRHW/HCHW will be very evanescent (a microexpression or near-microexpression), but often times (as with this example) it can last much longer.

A Self-Righteous/High Confidence Head Wiggle is displayed during hyper-alpha moments of very high confidence when particularly strong opinions are being expressed. It's very much a type of nonverbal swagger. 

Please watch the video, as the SRHW/HCHW is a dynamic process, and is not able to be captured via a still image. 

Although not always present - in this example, the SRHW/HCHW is accompanied with an additional superimposed backward vectoring of the head and neck. This is seen when there are emotions of contempt, disgust, and/or disbelief are also present. This variation is seen beautifully, during 0:50, as Senator Murkowski says, "... fearful ..."

In other examples (not seen here), there may be an overlapping forward motion (with coexisting condescending emotions or arrogance).

Fascinatingly, the vocal pitch often temporarily grows higher during the Self-Righteous Head Wiggle. In this example, this phenomenon is heard during the same moment when the Senator from Alaska says, "... fearful ...". This is a fantastic example of congruity of body language and paralanguage.

Another detail in this exchange is Lisa Murkowski's two displays of Lip-smacking (during both 0:29 and 0:54). Lip smacking is also a signal of high confidence.

Summary: Senator Murkowski exhibits very high confidence with her response to President Trump's criticism of her. She's in disbelief at Donald Trump. She's not afraid nor intimidated by him.


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com

See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4009: Donald Trump regarding Jeff Sessions - "Time Will Tell"

Body Language Analysis No. 4007: Donald Trump, Robert Mueller, and Anthony Scaramucci's First Press Conference

Body Language Analysis No. 4005: O.J. Simpson's Parole Board Hearing

Body Language Analysis No. 4003: Donald Trump, "Let Obamacare Fail"

Body Language Analysis No. 4001: Jodie Whittaker, Dr. Who, and Flirting from a TARDIS

Body Language Analysis 3988: Kim Jong-un, ICBMs, False Joy, and Fake Laughter

Body Language Analysis No. 3978: Keanu Reeves, Chuck Spadina, Sincerity, and Empathy
 
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3929: Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3905: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, and Deep Joy


_____________________________________________________________________________________

Body Language Analysis No. 4004: US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher asks NASA scientist about Civilizations on Mars - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Recently some NASA scientists were speaking before the US House of Representatives' Space Subcommittee, when Representative Dana Rohrabacher asked a rather peculiar question - fielded by Ken Farley, Ph.D. What follows is a transcript of this segment as well as a partial nonverbal analysis.

ROHRABACHER (beginning at 0:24): You have indicated that Mars, had a, ah, was totally different thousands of years ago. Ah, is it possible that there was a civilization, on Mars thousands of years ago?

FARLEY: So the evidence is that, ah, Mars was different Billions of years ago -

ROHRABACHER: [over-talking] Billions - well, yes, but ...

FARLEY: - not thousands of years ago, and, and, um, there would be - there is no evidence that, ahhh, I'm aware of, that would

ROHRABACHER: [over-talking] Would you rule, would you rule that out that - see there's some people, well, anyway [inaudible]

FARLEY: I would, I would say that is extremely unlikely.


During most of the time when Dr. Farley is speaking, he can be seen displaying a "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" (aka "High Confidence Head Wiggle).

A Self-Righteous/High Confidence Head Wiggle (SRHW/HCHW) is a relatively rapid, side-to-side movements of the head and neck which is also often simultaneous with a similar movement of the torso (which is well exemplified here). Sometimes even the jaw is involved in an analog behavior.

This particular SRHW is relatively of relatively long duration (several seconds - waxing and waning) - although it's often a very short-lived behavior (e.g., a near-microexpression).

As its name implies, a Self-Righteous/High Confidence Head Wiggle is displayed by people who are in hyper-alpha moments of associated with strong emotions and high confidence. There's often an additional component of Hubris or Swagger. 

It's important to note that the SRHW/HCHW is a very dynamic body language signal - and is not captured with still images. Please view the video several times to appreciate the particular dynamics.

Although not present in these examples, the SRHW/HCHW may also sometimes have an additional superimposed backward movement (when disbelief, disgust, and/or contempt are accompanying emotions) - or a concomitant movement forward (when condescending or arrogant feelings are coexisting).

Although present to a relatively minimal degree here, the vocal pitch very often grows higher during the Self-Righteous/High Confidence Head Wiggle. The speed of Dr. Farley's speech more noticeably increases - keeping relative tempo with his head and torso oscillation. These two changes exemplify strong associations between body language and paralanguage.


Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com

See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4003: Donald Trump, "Let Obamacare Fail"

Body Language Analysis No. 4001: Jodie Whittaker, Dr. Who, and Flirting from a TARDIS 

Body Language Analysis No. 3999: Donald Trump Jr., A Russian Lawyer, and Another Person in the Room

Body Language Analysis No. 3997: Donald Trump Jr., Natalia Veselnitskaya, and a Microexpression

Body Language Analysis No. 3994: Vladimir Putin at G20 - Donald Trump agreed with me

Body Language Analysis No. 3933: Sally Yates Testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee

Body Language Analysis No. 3974: Elle Fanning, Robert De Niro, and Easter

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3927: Jimmy Kimmel's Emotional Monologue regarding His Son’s Birth & Heart Disease

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3829: Mary Tyler Moore - Flirtatious, Sexy, Alpha Female Smile


_____________________________________________________________________________________

Body Language Analysis No. 3933: Sally Yates Testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee - Nonverbal Communication and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Today, former acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee investigating Russia's role in interference with the 2016 US Presidential election. In the above video excerpt, Ms. Yates is recounting her initial meeting with Don McGahn (White House counsel) concerning Michael Flynn.

Immediately below is the transcript of this specific video excerpt (full transcript available here), followed by a partial nonverbal analysis.

SALLY YATES (beginning at 0:00):"... the first thing we did was to explain to Mr. McGahn that the underlying conduct (0:04 - 0:05) that General Flynn had engaged in was problematic in and of itself.  

Secondly, we told him we felt like the vice president and others were entitled to know that the information that they were conveying to the American people wasn't true. And we wanted to make it really clear right out of the gate that we were not accusing Vice President Pence of knowingly providing false information to the American people.  

And, in fact, Mr. McGahn responded back to me to let me know that anything that General Flynn would've said would have been based - excuse me - anything that Vice President Pence would have said would have been based on what General Flynn had told him.  

Ahum, we told him the third reason was is because we were concerned that the American people had been misled about the underlying conduct and what General Flynn had done, and additionally, that we weren't the only ones (0:56 - 0:57) that knew all of this, that the Russians also knew about what General Flynn had done.  

And the Russians also knew that General Flynn had misled the vice president and others, because in the media accounts, it was clear from the vice president and others that they were repeating what General Flynn had told them, and that this was a problem because not only did we believe that the Russians knew this, but that they likely had proof of this information. And that created a compromise situation, a situation where the national security adviser essentially could be blackmailed by the Russians. 

Finally, we told them that we were giving them all of this information so that they could take action - the action that they deemed appropriate.  

Ahum, I remember that Mr. McGahn asked me whether or not General Flynn should be fired, and I told him that that really wasn't our call, that was up to them, but that we were giving them this information so that they could take action ..."


Note that during 0:04 - 0:05, as Ms. Yates says, "... Mr. McGahn that the underlying conduct that General Flynn ...", and later in this video segment as she says, "... and additionally, that we weren't the only ones that knew all of this ..." (during 0:56 - 0:57), the former acting US attorney General displays two excellent examples of what is know as a "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" (SRHW).

A Self-Righteous Head Wiggle is characterized by relatively rapid, side-to-side movements of the head and neck - and often is accompanied by a similar movement of the torso (although the torso component is quite minimal in these two examples). Sometimes the SRHW will be very short-lived (a near-microexpression) - however in these examples, although still relatively brief, they're of longer duration.

The Self-Righteous Head Wiggle (SRHW) is commonly displayed by individuals who are in the midst of hyper-alpha moments of particularly high confidence while expressing especially strong opinions.

The SRHW is subconsciously generated and not feigned. It's somewhat helpful to think of it as a mild-to-moderate form of nonverbal swagger.

It's also crucial to emphasize that the dynamics of a SRHW do not capture in a still image and must be viewed in motion. 

Although not present in these examples, the SRHW may also sometimes have an additional overlying backward motion component (when contempt, disgust, contempt and/or incredulity are also present) - or a superimposed forward motion (when condescending emotions or arrogance are coexisting).

Fascinatingly, the vocal pitch grows higher during the Self-Righteous Head Wiggle - providing an outstanding example of congruity between paralanguage and body language. Please re-watch these and listen to Sally Yates' voice momentarily increase an octave or two.

Summary: Sally Yates' nonverbal behavior during her testimony was indicative of high confidence and sincerity. She showed no signs of deception.

Group Appearances and One-on-One
Online Courses Available 
702-239-8503
Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com


See also:

Body Language & Emotional Intelligence Analysis No.3932: Raúl Labrador's Town Hall statement, "Nobody dies because they don't have access to healthcare..." - Nonverbal Communication Faux Pas

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3930: Emmanuel Macron, Hacking, and Anger - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3928: Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron Debate

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3926: Donald Trump regarding Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un and Nuclear Threats - Face The Nation Interview

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3923: John Boyega, Orlando Bloom, Swagger, and Alpha-Beta Balance

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3873: Brie Larson's Eyes, The Bachelor, and the Edge of Consciousness

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3829: Mary Tyler Moore - Flirtatious, Sexy, Alpha Female Smile 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3243: Bryan Cranston's Body Language at the 2015 Comic-Con

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3700: George Clooney comments regarding the News of Brad Pitt's and Angelina Jolie's Divorce


_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3783: John McCain on CIA's assessment of Russia's Tampering in US Presidential Election - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Senator John McCain was a guest on Face The Nation this morning. McCain was the 2008 Republican Candidate for President. He also sits on the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs - as well as the Armed Services Committee. Senator McCain is a Navy veteran and former prisoner of war (held for 5.5 years in North Vietnam). Both his father and his grandfather were four-star Admirals.

McCain has said that it's clear that the Russian government interfered with the 2016 US Presidential election and there should be a formal, thorough, bipartisan investigation.

There were multiple nonverbal signals of interest contained in this short video clip - but one in particular is highlighted here.

Beginning at 0:19, Senator McCain continues, "... But [deep inhalation] facts are stubborn things. They, did, hack, into, this campaign and ..."

As he says, "... But facts are stubborn things ... " (0:21 - 0:23), John McCain displays what is known as a "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" (SRHW).

Although in common speech, the term "Self-Righteous" has a derogatory bent to it, in this context its usage does not necessarily imply arrogance (although that emotion can co-exist), rather it connotes a high degree of confidence.

A Self-Righteous Head Wiggle is characterized by a quick, side-to-side movement of the head & neck which is relatively high in frequency and usually mild-to-moderate in amplitude. Although not always, Self-Righteous Head Wiggles often occur in clusters - punctuating throughout a conversation or statement. It's made by people who are most commonly relative authorities or alpha personalities within the group. Thus a SRHW is seen in the context of significant confidence with accompanying self-assured emotional vocal tones.

A self-righteous head wiggle may be very brief (e.g., a microexpression or near-microexpression) - or more typically, it lasts several seconds (as is seen here).

It's imperative to note that a Self-Righteous Head Wiggle can only be accurately assessed in the dynamic context of a real-time event or video - not via still images (please watch video).

Another important feature with a SRHW is that, although the primary movement vector is a side-to-side wiggle, there's often an additional, simultaneous, backward moving component (as McCain exemplifies here). When seen (more common with larger audiences), this added backward motions may demonstrate another layer of emotional content - that of Incredulity (McCain is in disbelief that others don't agree with the CIA's analysis). Disgust and/or contempt nonverbal signals can also be seen with such additional backward motion, although neither is present with this example.

When a forward movement is present (also not seen in this particular example) - there's often coexisting nonverbal signals of arrogance and condescending emotions (and in such cases the audiences are typically smaller in number [even one-on-one conversations] and with subordinates rather than peers or superiors).

Another commonly seen feature of a SRHW is an increase in volume, pitch (vocal frequency) and speaking speed - occurring simultaneously with (or nearly simultaneous) the SRHW. McCain does display all of these features.

Similar analogous movements often occur involving the jaw, torso and even the entire body. In this example McCain's torso pulls backward, but has no significant side-to-side motion.

Another common phenomenon of the self-righteous head wiggle is that it's more commonly seen in settings where hierarchical structure is the prominent (as opposed to flat organizations).

Summary: Senator John McCain has a very high degree of confidence that the CIA's analysis of Russian hacking into the 2016 US Presidential Election is indeed accurate. He also has a significant level of disbelief that others don't agree with the CIA's analysis. Senator McCain views Russia's action as a serious threat against the United States.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3782: Zoey Deutch, Ryan Seacrest and Embarrassment

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3636: Donald Trump, Hillary's Emails, Putin and Russia

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3780: Donald Trump's Chief Strategist Steve Bannon Time Magazine Pic 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3778: Steve Harvey Recounts His Miss Universe Mistake

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3243: Bryan Cranston's Body Language at the 2015 Comic-Con

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3223: Jordan Spieth, the U.S. Open, Annie Verret, Kissing and Body Language 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3350: What happens when you Suddenly meet Heath Ledger

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3385: Adele, "Hello" and SNL - Body Language Tell



_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3468: GOP Debate, Antonin Scalia, John Dickerson and Ted Cruz on Supreme Court History - Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

 

Last night during the Republican Debate in Greenville, South Carolina, there was a moment of disagreement between Senator Ted Cruz and the debate moderator, John Dickerson. regarding Supreme Court appointments by presidents in the last year of their final term. This subject was brought to light because of the death of Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia announced earlier in the day. This segment exemplified a particular nonverbal illustrator, which in this example, is fairly subtle. As you study body language in increasing detail, you will be well-served to notice these subtle tells - for it's these signals which will give you a profound advantage.

Here is a partial transcript of the above video segment of the debate as well as a partial nonverbal analysis:

CRUZ: Well, we have eighty years of precedent of not confirming Supreme Court justices in an election year. And, and lemme say Justice Scalia —

DICKERSON: Just, I’m sorry to interrupt, were nomina -, ah, ah, appointed in an election year? - or is that just there were eighty years happening — 

CRUZ: Eighty years of, of not confirming. For example, L.B.J., nominated Abe Fortas. Fortas did, did not get confirmed. He was defeated.

DICKERSON: But Kennedy was confirmed in ‘88.

CRUZ: [Long pause, inhaling, then further pausing] At, No — Kennedy was confirmed in eigh, -‘87.
 
DICKERSON: He was, he was appoin -, he was appointed in ‘87, confirming -.

CRUZ [Over-talking] He, he was appointed in '88—

DICKERSON: That’s the question, is it appointing or confirming, what's the difference?

CRUZ: In, in this case it’s both. But if I could, could answer it [inaudible]—

DICKERSON: Sorry, I want to get the facts straight for the audience. I apologize. [Audience Booing]. 

This image was captured during 0:27, just as the Senator from Texas is beginning to say, "... And, and lemme say Justice Scalia ..."








During his preface we can see very good yet subtle example of a what is termed a "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" (SRHW). The video must be watched to appreciate the dynamics of this display.

A Self-Righteous head wiggle is characterized by a relatively rapid side-to-side head movement - and often includes other body parts such as the torso and the jaw. Here its duration is about a second, so it's classified as a near-microexpression. As mentioned, this example is relatively subtle as well. At other times a SRHW will be displayed for longer periods and with considerably more amplitude. The SRHW is always expressed by those individuals who are relative alpha personalities - and particularly during times of strong opinions and extra high confidence.

Often times, when more extreme, many will describe a feeling of deliberate smugness is being transmitted. Think of the SRHW as a form of nonverbal swagger.

It's also very important to note, Sen. Cruz's prolonged blinking as well as his elevated central forehead contraction (CFC), his elevated inner eyebrows, together with a partial mouth smile. These all constitute a nonverbal cluster which acts as an amplifier to the SRHW - increasing its potency.

What other body language clusters often accompany the self-righteous head wiggle?


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3467: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dies

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3243: Bryan Cranston's Body Language at the 2015 Comic-Con

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3075: Franklin Graham (Billy Graham's son) Blasts Duke University for Muslim "Call to Prayer"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3452: A Ted Cruz Rapport Destroyer

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3448: Ted Cruz's Challenge to Debate Donald Trump One-on-One; Cruz's Default Facial Expression

Romance, Flirting & Dating Body Language Secret No. 1893: Nonverbal Communication of the Facial Platter

Dating & Romance Body Language Secret No. 2020: The Art of Looking Flirtatious 

Romance, Marriage and Dating Body Language Secret No. 424: 'Til Death Do Us Part....Fossilized Love

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3435: US Sailor captain Apologizes to Iran - Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Earlier today, the ten U.S. service members were released along with their two small vessels after being held captive overnight by Iran. Due to an apparent navigational error and/or mechanical problems, their boats had Iranian waters in the North-central region of the Persian Gulf.

The above video shows Lt. David Narker, presumably the most senior U.S. officer present, being interrogated and apologizing "for our mistake".

Beginning at 0:27 an Iranian questioner/translator says, "What problem, what matter that you penetrated in Iran territorial water?"

Lt. David Nartker answers, "It was a mistake. That was our fault - and we apologize - for our mistake."

It has been repeatedly asked by members of the press and others if this statement was sincere, offered freely - or coerced.

Immediately after the sailor finished the end of his above sentence (during 0:36), he displayed a subtle, yet highly significant "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" (SRHW). This is impossible to capture on a still image - please view the video above to appreciate the dynamic nature of this crucial nonverbal tell.

This image is from the 0:37 mark. Here the sailor is displaying mild anger and contempt.

The he tilts his head/neck backward - and his facial expression of contempt morphs into disgust (0:39).


This brief head tilt in this cluster context indicates a highly determined mental-emotional tone.


What other nonverbal tells did you see on Captain Nartker? What were the primary emotions exhibited by the other U.S. sailors?


Conclusions:

Anytime a person's verbal language and body language are disparate - it's the nonverbal signals which are always tell the truth. This was certainly the case in this video. Without question, Lt. David Nartker was making this statement against his will.  

Although Lt. Nartker probably has very little, if any, nonverbal training and certainly has never been captured or interrogated - and moreover, knowing this video would shortly become viewed the World-over, he does a very good job at suppressing his strong emotions.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3434: Donald Trump and the Verbal vs. Nonverbal Disparity

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3308: Hillary Clinton's Apology - Certainly Late, Yet Was It Sincere?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2705: Congressman Michael Grimm Apology - Sincere or Not?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2863: Gary Oldman's Apology on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" - Sincere or Insincere?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3234: Whole Foods Market, Message to Customers, Damage Control and Body Language Faux Pas

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3115: Giuliana Rancic apologizes to Zendaya Coleman comment made regarding her dreadlocks at the Oscars - that she "smells like patchouli oil and weed" on "Fashion Police" - Is She Sincere? 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 1552: The Self-Righteous Head Wiggle & The Buffett Rule 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3243: Bryan Cranston's Body Language at the 2015 Comic-Con  


_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3310: Carly Fiorina's response to Donald Trump's, "Look at that Face!" - Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Earlier this month Rolling Stone magazine quoted Donald Trump speaking disparagingly about Carly Fiorina, "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?"

Carly fought back though - or rather her super PAC - "Carly for America" - did so. The above video - titled, "Look at this Face" is the ad they released just yesterday. One nonverbal display is particularly noteworthy here.

At multiple times when Ms. Fiorina is shown in this video she is displaying a fairly vigorous "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle" (SRHW).

The characteristics of the self-righteous head wiggle include:

• A side-to-side movement of the head & neck
• Displayed by a person who has very strong opinions about a specific opinion
• Often feels they've been personally attacked in some way
• Relatively high frequency (speed the is head moving back and forth) - although this may vary
• Amplitude is variable (the amount the head & neck are moving)
• May be of varying duration (microexpression or lasting for several seconds)
• May be isolated or in occurring in clusters
• May have a similar jaw movement component (and sometimes jaw movement is all that's displayed)
• May have a similar movement of the torso or abdomen (also sometimes exhibited in isolation)
• Displayed by an alpha personality or one who believes they are an alpha
• Often seen in a hierarchical setting (e.g. a speaker or "leader" on stage or on camera)
• Accompanied by self-assured emotional vocal tones
• Often the vocal pitch, volume and speed of speech all increase simultaneous with the SRHW
• May have a forward-vectoring additional component (indicating contempt, disgust or incredulity) 
• May have a backward-vectoring component too (indicates arrogance and condescending emotions)

The self-righteous head wiggle is a good example of a body language which must be viewed in the dynamic context of a video - for it's impossible to capture the gist in a video.

Thus in this example Carly Fiorina's display of the Self-Righteous Head Wiggle, is completely normal-for-context and very congruent with her verbal message as well as her vocal qualities. This trifecta (verbal, nonverbal and paralanguage all in agreement - indicates a high sincerity quotient.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3309: Delta State University Shooting (Mississippi) Suspect Shannon Lamb - Body Language Red Flags

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3075: Franklin Graham (Billy Graham's son) Blasts Duke University for Muslim "Call to Prayer"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3263: Barack Obama on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" - The Sarcastic Bobble Body Language 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3275: Carly Fiorina, The Republican Debate and Likability (or not) 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3297: 70th Anniversary of the End of World War II - Height, Intimidation and Surrender on the Mighty Mo'

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3255: Donald Trump and a Body Language Signal of Social Fear and Hesitancy  

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3271: Donald Trump, Smiling out of Context and Running as an Independent
 
 
___________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3258: Hillary Clinton speaks out on "inaccuracies" of private email controversy - Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

On Thursday night, The New York Times published a story suggesting that Hillary Clinton was the subject of a criminal probe regarding her use of her personal email account during her tenure as Secretary of State.

On Friday morning, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD, ranking member on the House Oversight Committee) then went on record saying, "I spoke personally to the State Department Inspector General on Thursday, and he said he never asked the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation of Secretary Clinton’s email usage.  Instead, he told me the Intelligence Community IG notified the Justice Department and Congress that they identified classified information in a few emails that were part of the FOIA review, and that none of those emails had been previously marked as classified."

Early afternoon on Friday, the Justice Department released a statement saying, "The Department has received a referral related to the potential compromise of classified information. It is not a CRIMINAL referral."

Rep. Cummings' Team then posted the following statement, "We note that none of the emails we reviewed had classification or dissemination markings, but some included IC-derived classified information and should have been handled as classified, appropriately marked, and transmitted via a secure network."

About 90 minutes later, Hillary Clinton as show in the above video says, "First, I wanna say a word about ah, what's in the news today. And ah, it’s because there have been a lot of inaccuracies and as Congressman Cummings made clear this morning, maybe the heat is getting to everybody. We all have a responsibility to get this right. I have released ah 55,000 pages of emails. I have said repeatedly that I will answer questions before the house committee. We are all accountable to the American people to get the facts right and I will do my part."

Now, since this website and post are critiques of body language and not of politics, forget for a moment your political leanings and conduct a thorough thought experiment. Also assume she is innocent of any wrong doing. If you were Hillary Clinton's chief adviser - and if you could rewind this moment and have her conduct herself any differently, would you? Your answer should be unequivocally, "Yes".

Throughout her whole statement, Mrs. Clinton has a barely contained smile. This is an awful expression to project in this context for at least two reasons. If you believe Mrs. Clinton is innocent, her partially suppressed smile transmits a smug emotional tone. Smug may be okay if you're a staunch supporter, however if you're even slightly biased toward Mrs. Clinton having done something wrong (deliberately or otherwise) with regards to her using private email accounts and/or private servers while she was Secretary of State, then her gloating (smiling out of context) by some will be misinterpreted as guilt (e.g. a thinly veiled variation of a duping delight).

From a political view-point, such smiling out of context will only serve to decreases her "likability" and increase her "unfavorables". Additionally and most importantly, such mass-misinterpretation will amplify the problem of a public perception Mrs. Clinton has regarding trust. This was a fundamental fumble of crisis management. 



Examining this video further, there were several high confidence nonverbal signs displayed by Mrs. Clinton. Did you catch them? Here are two:

Early in this video, Hillary Clinton grips the (lateral) sides of her lectern. More specifically, this is forward grip (towards the audience). John Kennedy was the first to do this frequently - although he did so because of pain associated with his chronic back injury. Bill Clinton later resurrected this nonverbal display to his advantage - for it projects confidence. It's extremely difficult for a person to use this particular body language (a MAP surrogate [Manipulator, Adaptor, Pacifier]) for more than a second or two if their confidence is low. Mrs. Clinton's confidence is high. In isolation this hand-to-lectern configuration conveys strength and assertiveness without arrogance or condescending emotional tones. She is well advised to use this more often (too few women use this body language display) - but WITHOUT the smug smile. Without a smile, such a nonverbal cluster would have projected an excellent alpha-beta emotional tone. Both signals together are however are hyper-alpha and thus she destroyed some rapport among the swing voters during this crucial soundbite.

At the very end of this video, as she says, "... and I will do my part", Mrs. Clinton displays a "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle".

A self-righteous head wiggle (SRHW) is nonverbal display characterized by a side-to-side movement of the head and neck (although there may be torso, whole body and jaw components present as well). It's usually of moderate to high frequency with varying degrees of amplitude. It's displayed by a person who in a high-alpha mindset with strong opinions and of high confidence. The accompanying vocal qualities are virtually always congruent with these emotions. There is no accurate way to capture this body language in a still image - so please view the video to appreciate it in a dynamic context.

There were several other high-alpha nonverbals in this video. What else did you see?

Take home point: Hyper-alpha body language is fundamentally polarizing.

Mrs. Clinton:  If you continue this and variations of it, the dems will like you more, the republicans will like you less - and you will push away much of the swing voters. Yes, be confident. Yes, be assertive. Yes, be strong. But never be smug, never arrogant. It's not just words which convey such emotions - it's profoundly and most importantly pivotal upon your nonverbal signals. And just "winging it" will decrease your likability and increase your unfavorables. Even Meryl Streep isn't that good.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3257: Donald Trump at the Texas-Mexico Border - Body Language of a Hyper-Alpha

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3075: Franklin Graham (Billy Graham's son) Blasts Duke University for Muslim "Call to Prayer"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2506:  Barack Obama, the Self-Righteous Head Wiggle and  Retaliation Against Syrian Poison Gas Attack

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3218: Jeb Bush Formally Announces His Candidacy for President

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3150: Rand Paul Announces His Candidacy for Presidency of United States - Body Language Truth Check 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3154: Marco Rubio's Body Language Tell 

___________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3243: Bryan Cranston's Body Language at the 2015 Comic-Con (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

In case you missed the news, the annual San Diego Comic-Con is up and running. Many people found Bryan Cranston's interaction with a fan from Albuquerque (during a question and answer session) quite hilarious - and video has subsequently gone viral.

When the man asked how he liked his home town and if he had any fun there, Cranston replied, "Yeah, I'd go and visit your mother once in a while." During and after this answer the "Breaking Bad" star displayed a great example of what is known as a "Self-Righteous Head Wiggle". It's characterized by a side-to-side movement of the head and neck - and often (as is seen here) the SRHW is accompanied by a similar movement of the torso. Sometimes it can be extremely brief - almost a microexpression - although here it is of much longer duration and of considerable amplitude.

The Self-Righteous Head Wiggle may be displayed by those who are relative alpha personalities during moments of extra high confidence and when expressing particularly strong opinions. Sometimes a blatant smugness is clearly felt. It can be thought of as a form of nonverbal swagger - as it is in this example which is clearly a comedic context.

The SRHW can also sometimes have a forward movement component (during moments when arrogance or condescension are coexisting) or backward motion (when disgust, contempt and/or incredulity are present) - although these variations are not exampled here.

A few seconds later - Cranston is seen displaying an inward lip roll coupled with a jaw jut. This pair of nonverbals in this context are tools the psyche uses to suppress and down regulate strong emotional responses -  here that would be all-out laughter (for the actor doesn't want to laugh at his own joke).  Subsequently we see a great example of a suppressed smile.

A "mic drop" is a term used to describe when a performer or speaker intentionally drops/throws the microphone on the floor after particularly good performance. It's often used as a metaphorical description - although here Cranston displays a literal mic drop. It's similar to bravado sports displays after a goal/score.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3242: Jennifer Lawrence, Singing Cher, Liam Hemsworth and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3075: Franklin Graham (Billy Graham's son) Blasts Duke University for Muslim "Call to Prayer"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 1923:  Hillary Clinton's Body Language re: Syrian Government -  The Self-Righteous Head Wiggle 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3089: Walter White as "Sorta Greg" - "Say My Name" - Esurance Super Bowl Commercial 



___________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3167: Bruce Jenner's 20/20 Interview, Part II - Confidence, Vulnerability and Sincerity - Body Language Tells (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Part II nonverbal analysis of Bruce Jenner's 20/20 interview with Diane Sawyer - some highlights of the above video segment are discussed below.

During 0:17 - 0:19, 0:23 - 0:24 and 0:28 and 0:30 Bruce Jenner displays examples of the Self-Righteous Head Wiggle (SRHW).

A self-righteous head wiggle can be very short-lived (e.g. a microexpression or near-microexpression) - yet also may last several seconds. This nonverbal has a significant tendency to occur in clusters. It's comprised of a rapid side-to-side movement of the head & neck - which is high in frequency and typically has mild-to-moderate amplitude (amount of movement).

A SRHW is displayed by a person in the midst of an alpha mindset - with strong opinions who is highly confident. They may often be so self-assured that may consider them smug. They see themselves as a relative alpha or authority figure - at least during those moments.

The self-righteous head wiggle must be viewed in the dynamic context of a video. The primary movement is a side-to-side wiggle - however sometimes there is an additional backwards component or a forward vectoring. Contempt, disgust or incredulity body language often is seen with the backwards movement - while arrogance and condescending nonverbal signals may accompany the forward motion (which is often seen with smaller audiences and even in one-on-one scenarios. Very often there is an increase in vocal frequency (pitch) as well as volume and rate of speech with the self-righteous head wiggle. Similar analog nonverbal movements may also be seen with the torso, jaw or the entire body.



This particular loose and relatively relaxed hand illustrator is known as the "Spiral Staircase" because of the configuration of the fingers. It's one of many "Alpha-Beta Hybrids" - wherein it's not too aggressive (e.g., some nonverbal behavior can send signals of arrogance and patronizing emotional mindsets - thus destroying rapport) - yet it's not too demure, submissive or weak. Alpha-beta hybrids are profoundly valuable body language tools (yet very underutilized) and are extremely helpful in sales, interviews, the courtroom and in negotiations - for they dance skillfully within the nuance of the middle ground (where most people stumble).

At the very end of this video clip, Bruce Jenner's head and neck tilts (in relation to his already-angled torso). This tilting is a signal of sincere vulnerability (e.g., I'm letting you see the "real me", inside my heart, inside my thoughts. I'm sharing a personal side of me). Unless there is a physical injury, disease, etc. - when the torso is leaning to one side and/or the neck and head tilts in a similar manner - this dynamic body language configuration is indicative of sincerity-vulnerability.

In summary - in this video segment Bruce Jenner displays nonverbal signals indicating self-righteousness, confidence and sincere-vulnerability.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3165: Bruce Jenner's 20/20 Interview, Part I - Body Language Tell

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3075: Franklin Graham (Billy Graham's son) Blasts Duke University for Muslim "Call to Prayer"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2506:  Barack Obama, the Self-Righteous Head Wiggle and  Retaliation Against Syrian Poison Gas Attack

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3048: Vladimir Putin's Press Conference, 18 December 2014, Economic Instability and Low Emotional Comfort

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2508: Anne Frank, Sincere Smiles and Emotional Comfort 

___________________________________________________________________________________