Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3477: Henry Cavill Asks Children - Batman or Superman? Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

In this Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice promotional video, Henry Cavill interviews several children. He asks them (4-6 years old) which of the two superheros they favor, while discussing their various qualities and powers. Throughout the vast majority of these interactions, Cavill's forehead is contracted. This includes variations of the entire width of the forehead, isolated to the central forehead (CFC) as well as asymmetrical contractions (each of which have different sub-meanings).

Human adults have a strong tendency to over-use their forehead muscles when speaking to human children - and indeed we do so even to young animals. More specifically, we behave like this more often when they're not our own biological children. This behavior is a form of acting - and thus insincerity. We should NOT do this. Children can sense this melodrama at a much higher level of sensitivity than most adults ever realize.

Note that none of the children ever remotely contracted their foreheads as Cavill did many times - yet in this video, they're being touted as "brutally honest". Honesty is of course, sincerity as it is reflected in a single act or statement. The children (not actors) are thus being sincere with no use of their forehead muscles - while Cavill (a professional actor) is using his far too much in both frequency and amplitude. 

This same behavior carries over when interacting with other adults. Moreover, if you had to say what is the most common nonverbal signal of insincerity? - It's over use of the forehead. Besides those who act this way around children, where else do we commonly see this nonverbal display?

1. Unskilled Actors (Those who are poor at the Stanislavsky method as well as Method Acting - unless perhaps they are playing one of the characters below)
2. News Anchors (Numbed to bad news)
3. Politicians (Very frequently insincere)
4. Sales Professionals (Those who don't believe in their product/service or are trying too hard)
5. Isolated Insincerity (Every person on occasion)
6. Chronic Insincerity (Antisocial Personality Disorder or colloquially known as Sociopaths)

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See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3476: Is Ted Cruz worried about a Donald Trump Lawsuit?

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3443: Donald Trump - "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and Shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any Voters!"

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3442: Jennifer Lawrence Scolds Journalist at Golden Globes

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3456: Martin Shkreli Pleads the Fifth before Congress 

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3453: Marco Rubio's Hyper-Alpha, Backfiring Body Language

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

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3435: US Sailor captain Apologizes to Iran

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3403: "Johnnie Walker - Dear Brother" Commercial 
 
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Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2435: Amy Adams, Henry Cavill & Russell Crowe on Graham NortonFour Different Sitting Positions - Different Body Language Meanings (Video, Photos)

All starring in the new film, "Man of Steel", Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Russell Crowe all recently appeared on The Graham Norton Show. In the video above and images below you will note there are four different sitting configurations.

Here the most recent rendition of Superman, Cavill sits with both feet planted on the floor with legs splayed - but not too widely. This is a masculine configuration - and yet not over compensating. If his legs were spread at a significantly wider angle, aka the "seated crotch display" - is a hyper-masculine/alpha display that often offends women and is off-putting in business settings and with dating.


Cavill is the least confident/emotionally comfortable of the four (what other nonverbals indicate this?)

Russell Crowe is sitting on one leg, with his right ankle completely beneath his left thigh. This configuration (or its mirror opposite) is predominately seen in women and gay men and is relatively uncommon to rare in straight men (Crowe is straight). If you were to ask anyone sitting in this manner why they are seated as such, they would say that they are comfortable - implying physically comfort. However people only display this body language when they are first emotionally comfortable. Indeed if a subject or situation arises which they don't like or causes even a minor decrease in emotional comfort - they will rapidly cease to sit this way.

Emotional comfort is a prerequisite to physical comfort. 

Amy Adams is shown in the seated body language configuration known as parallel legs (Pease). Men around the World universally find this particular leg orientation the most attractive as it increase the muscular tone and lends a more youthful appearance as well as subliminally signaling sexual readiness.



Graham Norton is sitting in a traditional "European Crossed-Leg Configuration". This is consistent with relatively high emotional comfort - which certainly makes sense since it is his show and his home turf.

Always be careful to avoid interpreting body language signals in isolation. Be vigilant to look for several nonverbals occurring simultaneously or nearly so - lest you will misdiagnose others' emotional states.

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2352:  Mila Kunis' Tongue in Cheek  Graham Norton Part II

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2389:  Tom Cruise, Gerard Butler & Olga Kurylenko on The Graham Norton Show - Alpha Body Language Behavior - on The Phone and on the Couch

Leadership Body Language Secret # 103:  High Confidence vs. Low Confidence Stance - Who's Leading Who?

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 337:  Michele Bachmann's Low Confidence Stance

Negotiation Body Language Secret # 913:  Mitt Romney - Low Confidence, Low Trust and Demure

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2430:  Dolph Lundgren is an Alpha Male and  He Wants Everyone to Know It - Seated Crotch Display

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2330:  Body Language of Foot Placement on another Person's Chair

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