Body Language Analysis No. 4222: Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird, and Embarrassment Anxiety - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTO)

Saoirse Ronan was recently a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers as part of her Pre-Oscar hype for her most recent film, Lady Bird. Saoirse plays the lead character, Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson - a role for which she's been nominated for Best Actress. Other nominations for Lady Bird include Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director (Greta Gerwig).

What follows is a nonverbal analysis of one common, yet rarely discussed gesture. 

Beginning at 1:04, Ms. Ronan continues, "... But ya know, at, at home, like ya do a prayer in the morning - at school. You do it, like, before ya start your lessons. You do it for break. Then you do it for lunchtime. Then you do it before you leave sch-, so you're doing it every day - it becomes so quick and like sing-songy [up-talking], that ya don't - really - listen to what you're saying anymore [up-talking]."

As she says, "you're" (1:23), Saoirse begins to move her right hand to scratch the right side of her neck - she then proceeds to scratch it for the remainder of her own sentence and during part of Seth Meyers' response - and then segues to a false adjustment of the shoulder-strap of her dress (elapsed time about 3.0 seconds).

This false shoulder-strap adjustment is but one example of an alpha up-regulation display. Said another way, these nonverbal signs occur when a person feels momentarily beta/low confidence - but their psyche is attempting to dial-up their alpha qualities.

The body language display of scratching the side of one's neck is highly correlated with anxiety - more specifically anxiety that's associated with an element of embarrassment. (The scratching/rubbing of the front of one's neck is associated with what other emotion?).

The two occasions of up-talking (vocal display) - during and just prior to her embarrassing disclosure - are both correlated with a beta/low-confidence emotional tone.

Up-talking also may be used when a person is trying too hard to convince you of their reason/explanation. But certainly, not all up-talking displays have these meanings. However, these reasons do hold when the up-talking is relatively UNcommon (as with Saoirse). When up-talking is frequent and habitual - very little meaning can be discerned.

This speech behavior is mentioned here because it serves as an excellent example of a crucial nonverbal principle: If you know what to listen and look for - paralanguage patterns will match simultaneously or nearly-simultaneously with nonverbal displays with high fidelity.



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Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com


See also:

Body Language and Medical Analysis No. 4221: Why are Donald Trump's Pupils Intermittently So Large?

Body Language Analysis No. 3399 (REPOSTING): Donald Trump, a Bald Eagle, and Fear

Body Language Analysis No. 4218: Dana Loesch, Threat Assessment, and Red Flags

Body Language Analysis No. 4210: Rod Rosenstein's Hesitancy to Disclose

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

Body Language Analysis No. 4190: Serial Killer Bruce McArthur - and a Common Nonverbal Pattern of Sociopaths

Body Language Analysis No. 4166: Logan Paul's Apology

Body Language Analysis No. 4150: Was Omarosa Fired or Did She Resign?

Body Language Analysis No. 4104: Walter Cronkite Reaction to JFK Assassination


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Body Language Analysis No. 4018: Alexis Bledel and "The Handmaid's Tale" - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Alexis Bledel was recently a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers. During her appearance, she revealed she's going to be a regular character on the second season of The Handmaid's Tale. Her nonverbal displays during this moment are analyzed below. 

SETH MEYERS (continuing at 2:45): "And this is really exciting, we were talking back stage - you are going to be a season regular for season two which is great."

ALEXIS BLEDEL (over-talking): "Yes - I'm so excited."

SETH MEYERS: "And - it's especially, ah, great, b-, but not only because I was so invested in your character, but a lot of characters on this show don't - they're not going to make it to season two."

2:51 - Just after she says, "... I'm so excited", Alexis Bledel displays a classic and strong expression cluster. The corners of her mouth vector laterally (not upward) which signals the emotion of regret. This expression is amplified by her jaw jutting, chin dimpling, and the elevation of her central forehead.

2:52 - Alexis briefly looks down to her right. This is the quadrant to which we look when we're experiencing significant sadness and/or regret.

2:53 - Ms. Bledel displays a second strong mouth component expression of regret. This is a microexpression and our view immediately cuts to another camera.

2:54 - Alexis bites her lower lip - which is an indication she's trying to suppress her strong emotions. Additionally, this is one method our psyche use in an attempt to re-establish a more contextual emotional baseline.

She also is opening her upper eyelids open very wide. This is a signal of an adrenaline surge. Alexis Bledel realizes her negative feelings are probably detectable - and she very much doesn't want to show her cards.

2:55 - Here we see dramatic mid-facial tension, jaw clenching, and nostril flaring. These are further signals a high adrenaline moment. This is immediately followed by a hard swallow (2:56), which does not capture well on a still photo, and is a nonspecific signal of anxiety.


Summary: Alexis Bledel has strong feelings of regret and sadness about being a regular in the second season of The Handmaid's Tale. We have insufficient information to say exactly why she feels this way.

Despite the fact that she's a very accomplished actor, when Alexis is not "in character" - and just being herself, she is no better at acting than anyone else. This display of body language, of course, is not just limited to her - and it's a fantastic example of how emotions "leak out" in all of us.

Do you think Seth Meyers sensed his guest's regret, sadness, and anxiety? What other important nonverbal signals does Ms. Bledel display?


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


See also:

Body Language Analysis No. 4017: Elisabeth Moss, Anthony Rizzo, and a Signal of Sincerity

Body Language Analysis No. 4015: Reince Priebus' First Post-Resignation Interview

Body Language Analysis No. 4012: Anthony Scaramucci's and Reince Priebus' First (and Last) Photo in the Oval Office

Body Language Analysis No. 4010: Lisa Murkowski Responds To Donald Trump's Criticism

Body Language Analysis No. 4000: Garbiñe Muguruza, Wimbledon, and Sincerity

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

Body Language Analysis No. 3979: Ivanka Trump, "I Try to Stay Out of Politics"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3862: Oscars Mistake - "La La Land" erroneously named Best Picture over "Moonlight"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3861: Emma Stone, The Oscars and Sincerity


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3807: Sarah Paulson's Fear of Flying - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTO)

A rarely discussed body language signal is seen during Sarah Paulson's recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

During the 1:02 - 1:03, as Ms. Paulson wants to speak, she curls up her fingers in what many would call a fist-like gesture. This is a body language signal of a momentary pent-up desire to speak - fighting against the urge to interrupt.

Once the speaking begins - the fingers unfurl ...

... and the hand then (typically) begins a palm-down and forward gesture ("Illustrator") as is seen here.

Too often people will misinterpret (or not even see) nonverbal cues. Next time, don't miss this one - for it is saying, "It's my turn to speak".


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3806: The Bachelor Nick Viall Awkwardly Reunites with Ex-Girlfriends Andi Dorfman and Kaitlyn Bristowe on Jimmy Kimmel

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3804: Barack Obama, Shinzō Abe and The Pearl Harbor Memorial

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3802: Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey and UFC 207

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3794: Racist Rant at Jefferson Mall in Louisville

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3768: Cuban Leader Fidel Castro Dies

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3722: The 2nd Presidential Debate - Donald Trump v. Hillary Clinton - One Positive Thing They Respect about Each Other

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3693: Grace VanderWaal Wins America's Got Talent Season 11

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3532: Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant and The Graham Norton Show


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3229: Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers and a SNL Reunion - REALLY!?! - a Body Language Trick of Comedians (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Like many other comedians, Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers routinely use a nonverbal trick which makes it easier for their audiences' to laugh. They constantly slip in and out of expressions - between those of neutral faces - and back to those of partially suppressed smiles. Seeing this fluctuation automatically elevates the mood of everyone who views them thus increasing the likelihood of them smiling too - and therefor laughing as well. There is a strong tendency for us to mirror the facial expressions and body language of others. This sets our emotional bar higher (or lower, depending on the expression) - making it more likely for us to "catch" the humor (or sadness). Humor is an emotional contagion and smiling (or laughing) facilitates it's transmission.

It's also very true that maintaining (or oscillating in and out of) such comedic expressions sets up a positive emotional feed-back loop in those very people displaying it. We make ourselves more joyful. The best mood elevator we have at our disposal is not any drug - but in how we nuance our face (and body) - steering our emotions to more joyful waters.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3228: Barack Obama in Rose Garden - The President regarding Supreme Court Decision on Marriage Equality

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3227: Bobby Jindal's, "... I am tanned ..." remark - What does his Body Language tell us?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3078: Tom Brady, Deflategate, Deception and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3133: The Red Flag of Robert Durst's Body Language

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret No. 1287:  Barack Obama & David Cameron - Mirroring

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2831: "Walking Contest", Anxiety, Mirroring and False Intimacy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3071: Twins Come Out to Dad - The Rhodes Bros - Body Language of Mirroring


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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3211: Jerry Seinfeld, David Remnick, Seth Meyers & a Body Language Signal of Memory Recall (VIDEO, PHOTO)

During this dialog between Jerry Seinfeld, David Remnick and Seth Meyers, there is a fantastic example of a nonverbal signal of memory recall. Specifically, during the segment from 2:56 - 3:01, David Remnick (Editor-in-Chief of The New Yorker) looks relatively straight ahead (in ~ primary gaze) while his eyes make several relatively high frequency, low amplitude movements back and forth. These are known as "saccades" (or saccade-like movements). This particular type of saccade (of which there are many - and most have nothing at all to do with body language - but are significant of other physiology) is highly consistent with recalling memory - usually visually. David Remnick had for a moment forgot which magazine cover Caitlyn Jenner had initially appeared and he recalled it by first "seeing" the Vanity Fair cover in his mind's eye - and this visual trigger allowed him to then recall the publication's name. Of course this is something we all do. When Remnick's eyes were moving back and forth during this "Primary Gaze Saccade" - a portion of his brain dedicated to vision (visual cortex) was truly seeing the now iconic magazine cover. Here is an outstanding example of this body language phenomenon.  

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3210: Matteo Renzi, Christine Lagarde, Barack Obama and Up-Regulating Alpha Emotions

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3124: Michelle Obama & George W. Bush at Selma-to-Montgomery March 50th Anniversary

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3130: Barack Obama on Jimmy Kimmel - "I don't think I've got his home number" & Kanye's Response - Who's Lying?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2289:  Sen. Lindsey Graham grills Chuck Hagel -  Body Language at Senate Confirmation Hearings

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3203: Caitlyn Jenner on Vanity Fair - Did Annie Leibovitz Project what she intended?

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