Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3911: Simone Biles gets Pranked on "Ellen" - Body Language and Emotional Intelligence (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Simone Biles was recently a guest on Ellen - and leave it to Ellen, she pulled a prank on Simone. Ms. Biles' partner on Dancing with the Stars, Sasha Farber, popped out of a false table - giving Simone a scare.

What we see in the above image (captured during 3:56) is largely not body language though - it's an example of what is known as a startle reflex. As the name suggests - it's a reflex (involuntary and not processed in the cerebral cortex). When we become startled (which occurs very rapid after the stimulus), we look toward that which is startling us - in order to see it, blink forcefully, and we pull our limbs in toward the center of the body, as well as contracting the jaw - and flexing the neck, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knee, ankles and toes - all to varying degrees, depending on the source and severity of the stimulus.

However - one second prior (3:55) we see Ellen display some classic body language - as she scratches her left neck and pulls her collar.

Both the pull and the scratch are very common - and textbook nonverbal tells frequently manifested in the midst of an anxiety surge.

Just after the prank - and indeed before Simone has even begun to recover - Ellen displays two "Tongue Juts" in rapid succession (more specifically these were "Loose Tongue Juts"). The image above is from 3:57.

The second Loose Tongue Jut is seen during 3:58. These nonverbal displays are extremely commonly exhibited by the perpetrators of pranks - at the payout moment - being indicative of the emotions of: "I've Been Bad" and/or "I've Been Caught" (Navarro). Thus, in this context, these are in part, a form of self-deprecating behavior.

Media Inquiries and Group Appearances 

One-on-One and Online Courses Available 

Jack@BodyLanguageSuccess.com

702-239-8503

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3910: Donald Trump, Mar-a-Lago, Easter Weekend - Disparate Conscious vs. Unconscious Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3908: Kim Jong-un's Mask of Insincerity

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3903: Rex Tillerson Disagrees with Donald Trump

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3897: Roger Stone, Donald Trump, Body Language and Emotional Intelligence

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3885: Vogue's 73 Questions with Selena Gomez

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3850: Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump and Michael Flynn

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3812: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone & La La Land - Backstage Interview Golden Globes 2017

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

_____________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3350: What happens when you Suddenly meet Heath Ledger - Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

This short video from the red carpet prior to the AFI Awards in 2006, captures Heath Ledger in what is known as a "Startle Reflex". As human beings we are born with only two fears - the rest are all acquired. These are the fear of falling and of loud noises.

In this instant Ledger is responding to a loud and nearby scream (beginning at about 250 milliseconds afterwards).

As yet unbeknownst to the Mr. Ledger, Magda Szubanski who played Sharon Strzelecki in the television comedy show "Kath & Kim" (Australian version) - is putting on an act here. Many who were there as well as most non-Aussie viewers erroneously believed Szubanski to be a crazed fangirl.

Reflexes exist in for function and protection. In this instant you see Ledger's upper arms move close into his torso as the distal arm and hand reach up to protect the head and neck. Yet this is not body language - it is reflexive. This same movement can also be seen in the woman interviewing him.

Ledger's neck also foreshortens which also is protective in nature. Intriguingly, when a true startle occurs - most everyone will turn toward the loud sound. Those with foreknowledge of the scare/startle - will pause a few seconds before turning towards the disturbance. When reviewing videos of crime scenes and explosions - this phenomenon proves very helpful in sussing out suspects.

As with surprise, shortly after the startle reflex, very often another emotion will rapidly replace it. Here that emotion is joy-happiness.

Ledger's forehead is relaxed, his eyelids are partially closed with a concave-up furrow in the lower eyelids. The upper teeth become quite visible with the bottom ones being covered.

One hint that Magda Szubanski's fainting was feigned - is that she covered her head immediately upon falling. If she were truly unconscious, she would of course not do this.

Ms. Szubanski exhibited several other nonverbal tells in the seconds prior to her "faint" which betray the fact she was acting. How many can you spot?





See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3349: Justin Trudeau, Stephen Harper, Sophie Grégoire, & Laureen Harper in Ottawa for Nathan Cirillo's Ceremony

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2304:  It Came from Outer Space -  Russian Meteor Event over Chelyabinsk  Don't Confuse this Reflex with Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2782: Hillary Clinton dodges a shoe - Body Language ... and Not 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3190: Taylor Swift's Body Language of Feigned Surprise


_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2782: Hillary Clinton dodges a shoe - Body Language ... and Not (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Yesterday in Las Vegas, Nevada - presumed 2016 U.S. Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton had a shoe thrown at here while on stage giving a speech. Much (but not all) of what is seen in the immediacy of this rapid event is NOT body language - it is however a good example of a "Startle Reflex". 

Just after 250 milliseconds after the shoe passes to her right and then in back of her, Ms. Clinton's eyelids close tightly and she begins to flex her neck forward in a posture of protection.

The former Secretary of State's upper arms retract closer to her torso, her elbows pull inwards as her lower arms and hands pull in close to the front of her upper abdomen and chest. 

Note how Ms. Clinton's neck is foreshortened (think of a turtle retracting its head and neck in its shell). Her shoulders elevate and her neck flexes further protect the vital tissue of the neck.

In this view we cannot see her ankles, knees, hips and back - they all flex towards a truncated and very evanescent fetal position.

 Despite the fact that she recovers from the incident nicely and pushes out a social smile shortly after this frame - in this view we can see Hillary display a very brief "Mouth of Fear". This is a true nonverbal expression (microexpression).

In this low resolution image captured from the video, we can see Hillary's eyelids opened wider than baseline and her mouth persisting in a fear expression.

If we could see her neck we would see a characteristic neck of fear with the tightening of the platysma and sternocleidomastoid muscles.

Very intriguingly - immediately after a loud startling noise, human beings almost always looks TOWARDS the noise in a reflexive effort to rapidly assess the situation (here where the shoe landed). This is part of the startle reflex.

Those who don't immediately look towards the sound have a very significant likelihood of having foreknowledge - and this phenomenon should be taken into account when evaluating for suspects after a bombing or similar event.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2304:  It Came from Outer Space -  Russian Meteor Event over Chelyabinsk  Don't Confuse this Reflex with Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2418:  Startle vs. Surprise  Body Language in the Yankees & Red Sox Dugouts

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2163:  Beirut, Lebanon Car Bomb Video -  What is often Confused for Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2523:  Hillary Clinton, Body Language and the 2016 Presidency -  Rapport Builder vs. Rapport Destroyer

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2569: Hillary Clinton, Visibility, Trust and a Harbinger of 2016 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2564: Hillary Clinton Stumping for Terry McAuliffe ... but Did She Hint at Running in 2016? 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2781: Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Rolling Stone and Flirting - Body Language of Attraction

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2778: April Fools Prank, Embarrassment and Body Language

_________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2418: Startle vs. Surprise Body Language in the Yankees & Red Sox Dugouts

Human beings are born with only two fears - that of loud noises and of falling and in this short video of their respective dugouts, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox give a great example of the former with a "Startle Reflex". Often confused with body language, it is neither. This reflex occurs at below the level of either the conscious or the subconscious. As with many things however, this is not always as clear cut as it sounds - for the reflex rapidly gives way to emotion.

Although it is not possible to see all the fine detail through the rain covered camera lens, variations of the startle reflex are clearly seen here. This is characterized by a rapid configuration to the fetal-like position occurring 250-500 milliseconds after the thunder (or whatever event/sound). The hands rapidly cover the head/face with additional flexing of the head and neck in an effort to protect the throat, face and chest. The arms and shoulders pull inwards - closer to the body's center and the back, hips, knees and ankles flex and contract closer to the central axis as well. If greater detail were possible a very tight closure of the eyelids could be seen here (another protection mechanism).

Intriguingly, after the noise, there is almost always a "looking towards the source" to discern a cause (not as much with thunder as the cause is of course known, yet it is still often seen).

In the video, note how the second Yankee from the camera is hyper-reactive. This reaction is a manifestation of surprise-fear. Indeed in the image below, although it is relatively blurred - widely opened eyelids and elevated brows are captured on the third Yankee, while the second, third and fourth all display the wide open, vertically elongated mouth opening highly indicative of surprise. More can be seen within the dynamics of the video.

In conclusion, the startle reaction is a reflex (and is not a type of body language) and lasts from 250 to 500 milliseconds (1/4 to 1/2 second). Thereafter it is rapidly replaced by surprise and surprise-fear and then fear (bottom image, Red Sox closest to camera) and the displays of these nonverbals can be clearly seen.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2304:  It Came from Outer Space - Russian Meteor Event over Chelyabinsk - Don't Confuse this Reflex with Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2163:  Beirut, Lebanon Car Bomb Video -  What is often Confused for Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2170:  The San Francisco Giants, Surprise,  Bird Poop and Body Language

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1261:  Christine Lagarde - True Surprise - Rarely Captured

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2159:  Tom Hanks drops the F-bomb on GMA -  Body Language of Fear, Surprise, MAPs and a Bitter Smile 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2338:  Why Does Keit Pentus-Rosimannus feel Fear?  Body Language of Estonia's Minister of Environment

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2274:  The Eyes & Mouth of Fear - Body Language of Ahmed Dogan during Attempted Assassination

Surprise on face of Yankee 2, 3 & 4

Fear on this closest Red Sox player's face









___________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2304: It Came from Outer Space - Russian Meteor Event over Chelyabinsk Don't Confuse this Reflex with Body Language

Today a meteor about 15 meters (56 feet) in diameter entered the Earth's atmosphere at least 15 - 18 km/sec (34,000 - 40,000 miles/hour) over the southern Ural Mountains and exploded upon entry between 30 and 50 km above the ground with an explosive power release equivalent to over 30 times the WWII Hiroshima atomic bomb blast. About 1200 people were injured - two seriously. This was the largest recorded Earth-meteor encounter since the Tunguska Event on 30 June 1908 which flattened about 2150 square km (830 sq. mi) of forest in the remote region of Siberia. 

In the video above two people can be seen displaying what is known as a "Startle Reflex". This is not body language, but it is often confused with it - as well as that of surprise. Surprise is a true nonverbal however. 

Human beings are born with only two fears - those of falling and loud noises. We have inborn reflexes to protect us in these scenarios and the danger associated with them. In the video above we can see the woman (0:47 - 0:49) in particular on the left side of video rapidly covering her head with her arms and hands as she grabs the side and back of her head. A rapid bending of her neck protects her trachea and face. Simultaneously her arms pull in, closer to her body's center and her back, hips, knees and ankles flex as she goes into the fetal position which serves to further protect her. Her shoulders pull inwards as well and if we could see her eyes, we would note a rapid and extremely tight closure of her eyelids. 

Very intriguingly, immediately after a loud noise dissipates - there is also a reflex to look towards the noise in an effort to assess the situation. This can be seen readily at 0:49 in the man at the bottom right corner of the video.  

There are, of course, many less dramatic events than meteors - but few greater. Do not confuse these reflexes with body language.

See also:

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1261: Christine Lagarde's True Surprise - Rarely Captured

Negotiation Secret # 387: Missy Franklin's Surprise and Disbelief

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2159: Tom Hanks drops the F-bomb on GMA -  Body Language of Fear, Surprise, MAPs and a Bitter Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1914: Sincere Surprise - Often Faked & Difficult to Capture  Spain Beats Portugal in Euro 2012

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2170:  The San Francisco Giants, Surprise,  Bird Poop and Body Language

Negotiation Secret # 56:  Surprise with a Touch of Fear

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

___________________________________________________________________________________

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2163: Beirut, Lebanon Car Bomb Video - What is often Confused for Body Language

Human beings are only born with two fears - the fear of falling and of loud noises. In the above video a peripheral portion of recent car bombing in Beirut, Lebanon is shown - and the reaction of the bystanders. 

The most obvious and central person captured here is shown very rapidly covering the back and sides of his head with his hands & arms. His arms are held close to the side of the neck while the neck is foreshortened (think of a turtle pulling its head in its shell). The chin is flexed forward - protecting the neck - particularly the trachea. Shoulders are hunched forward with additional flexing of the entire spine, knees, hips and ankles. In addition there is a very rapid bilateral and tight eyelid closure. In many ways the startle reflex is essentially a rapid and very short lived fetal position designed to protect. This startle reflex is inborn in humans and variations of it exist in most mammals. It is not body language - but it is mistaken by some to be a nonverbal signal (also commonly confused by some with aspects of surprise). Obviously, many less dramatic and non-life threatening examples exist in day-to-day life. Intriguingly, it is also a reflex to look toward the loud noise shortly afterwards.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2159: Tom Hanks drops the F-bomb on GMA - Body Language of Fear, Surprise, MAPs and a Bitter Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2122: Eyes White and Wide - Three Body Languge Examples with Two Different Emotional Causes 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2096: Canadian Tenors, Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) and Celine Dion

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1914: Sincere Surprise - Often Fake & Difficult to Capture - Spain Beats Portugal in Euro 2012

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1261: True Surprise - Rarely Captured

Nonverbal Communication Secret # 21: Surprise + Fear +Empathy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1531: Hillary Clinton Describing the Navy SEAL Raid on Osama Bin Laden

Body Language Analysis # 2161: Nonverbal Communication of the Third Presidential Debate - Barack Obama and Mitt Romney - What Did They Do With Their Hands When They Weren't Talking?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2156: Barack Obama's Body Language at Al Smith Charity Dinner - Comedy, White Lies and Facial Touching MAPs

___________________________________________________________________________________