Body Language & Emotional Intelligence: facial nerve

Showing posts with label facial nerve. Show all posts

Monday, March 31, 2014

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2771: Australian PM Tony Abbott regarding Malaysian Airlines MH370 Search - Body Language Misinterpretations and Regret (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

The hunt for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 has captured much of the World's attention during the last three weeks. Yesterday Tony Abbott, the Australian Prime Minister, spoke again on the issue and his country's commitment to leading the search.

Mr. Abbott's nonverbals in this video provide some very illustrative and valuable lessons. Of the two examples discussed here, one is a false signal - oft misinterpreted, and the other is a rarely recognized microexpression. What follows is a partial body language analysis:

At multiple times throughout this video, Mr. Abbott's central forehead and left forehead muscles can be seen to be contracting - while Mr. Abbott's right forehead remains relaxed. This is most probably due to old trauma damaging a portion of the P.M.'s right facial nerve (Cranial Nerve VII) or some other cause of facial nerve palsy (e.g. a partially resolved idiopathic cause aka Bell's Palsy).

It is also possible (although doubtful in this example) that a significantly asymmetrical forehead contraction be secondary to uneven administration of Botox.

This asymmetry can often lead to the erroneous impression that Mr. Abbott is doubtful or in frank disbelief of his own or others peoples' statements (e.g. if he displayed this same expression while he was listening).

Great care must be taken is such circumstances to avoid this false-incredulity nonverbal.

Beginning at 0:49, Mr. Abbott continues, "... We are searching a vast area of ocean, and ah, we are working on, ah, quite limited information. Never the less, the - best brains in the World - are applying themselves to this task, ah, all of the technological mastery that we have, ah, is being applied and brought to bear here [deep inhalation with downward distant gaze] .... so, [microexpression of regret at 1:14] ... if this mystery IS solvable, ah, we will solve it. But I don't want to underestimate just how difficult it is..."

Note how the left corner of Mr. Abbott's mouth evanescently contracts laterally in this example of a microexpression of regret.

In distinction to the first example in this post, an important distinction to see here is how only Mr. Abbott's central forehead is contracted (CFC) in this instant. Coupled with his left-mouth microexpression of regret, his downward, distant gaze and slightly downward directed inner (medial) eyebrows, this cluster is highly correlative for significant emotional pain - most significantly expressing empathy for those lost on MH370 and their loved-ones.

There is a multitude of other body language in this video. What other signals did you notice?

See also:

Negotiation Body Language Analysis # 991: Australia's Aboriginal Angst and Julia Gillard's Hands

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2457: Surfer Gets Knocked Unconscious by Whale Body Language Basics from Bondi Beach

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2227: Sincerity and Insincerity regarding Suicide Death of Jacintha Saldanha

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2261: Mom pulls Python off of her 2 year old daughter - Body Language & Microexpression of Fear

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2414: Sen. John McCain after his Trip to Syria - Body Language of Regret and Contempt ... and Facial Nerve Palsy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2770: Oscar Pistorius and Contrasting Confidence Levels - Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2150: Body Language Advice for President Obama and Governor Romney in Tonight's Debate

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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2414:
Sen. John McCain after his Trip to Syria -
Body Language of Regret and Contempt

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) just returned from a trip to Syria. It is well known that Sen. McCain has long believed the United States should supply weapons to the Syrian Rebels (those forces opposed to Bashar al Assad). When Anderson Cooper asks him about his feelings after direct experience while in Syria, Sen. McCain displays some telling facial expressions.

What makes his particular facial nonverbals more difficult to dissect is the fact that Sen. McCain has residual facial nerve (Cranial Nerve VII) palsy (when no causes are found after a complete medical evaluation, this is referred to as Bell's Palsy). This leaves his left forehead, eyebrow, cheek and mouth corner mildly hypo-reactive and "droopy" - thus making his expressions more complex than most to accurately assess.

At 0:06, the left corner of John McCain's mouth pulls primarily laterally (note dynamic dimple adjacent to left mouth) - signaling the emotion of regret.

There are other nonverbal manifestations of regret - Do you know these?

At 0:07, we can see significantly greater upward vectoring and tightening of McCain's Cheek and the left portion of his "mustache area" - consistent with a greater contempt emotional component.

The Senator has slight nose asymmetry leaving his baseline configuration of a left nostril (nostril dilation aka nasal flaring) larger than his right - implying contempt

Bilateral closing of the eyelids in this context is contempt amplifier.

In summary Senator McCain feels two emotions here - first regret followed rapidly by contempt. What other nonverbal signals do you see in this video?

See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2320: Estonian Skier Andrus Veerpalu Denies Performance Enhancing Drugs - What his Body Language Tells Us

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1517: Signals of Acquiescence and Regret Rick Santorum Drops Out

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2408: Sen. Kelly Ayotte's Anxiety & Regret via Senators Graham & McCain - Republican Body Language in Response to President Obama's National Defense University Speech

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2323: Jodi Arias Murder Trial The Body Language of Unilateral Regret vs. Contempt

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2228: Jay Carney's Body Language - Contempt disguised as a Sniff .... for Republicans' Solutions to the Fiscal Cliff

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2350: Contempt - both dramatic and subtle - Backpedaling and Body Language

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1267: John McCain, Sarah Palin and Bell's Palsy

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2312: Bruce Willis' Body Language - Contempt vs. Suppressed Smile vs. Pseudo Smile vs. Sincere Smile

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2384: Bashar al-Assad on 1 May 2013 - Demure, Beta and Nervous - Body Language Lessons on how NOT to appear Confident

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Sunday, April 21, 2013

Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2375:
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and a
Body Language False Positive

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick was featured this morning on "Face the Nation". He spoke about the recent bombings during last Monday's Boston Marathon as well as the man hunt for the now killed and captured suspects, Tamerlan and Dzhokar Tsarnaev.

At multiple times during the above video, Governor Patrick's left forehead contracts, while his right forehead is either hypo-reactive or shows essentially no reaction at all. An example of one of these moments is captured in the image below. A casual observer and/or body language novice may very well FALSELY interpret this as a nonverbal signal of: incredulity, contempt, an insincere smile or duping delight. However none of these emotions nor their nonverbals are present here. This FALSE expression is due to a (peripheral) Facial Nerve (Cranial Nerve VII) palsy on Patrick's right side. When all other causes are ruled out (aka a "Diagnosis of Exclusion") this diagnosis is termed "Bell's Palsy".

Additional findings which support the diagnosis of a right-sided peripheral cranial nerve VII palsy is the relative lack of muscular tone in the Governor's right cheek muscles (zygomaticus major and to a lesser extent the zygomaticus minor). Contrast this contraction with that of his left cheek and it's decreased tone.

Moreover when the corners of Deval's mouth are scrutinized, you will note the right upper lip & corner slopes downward - while his left upper lip & mouth corner slopes steeper (an indication of greater muscle tone) and meets with lip meets the corner in a delta-shaped dimpling. The left "mustache area" shows more muscle tone compared to the right. Again these are manifestations of a right-sided Facial nerve palsy.

Of course, Deval Patrick will feel and thus display the body language of disbelief, contempt, duping delight and an insincere smile - just as any other human being. However one must be meticulously observant and take the time to establish a norm (normal baseline behavior) before an accurate and unbiased nonverbal assessment can be made. I cannot find any reference to this palsy with Governor Patrick. Perhaps it is a recent ailment or my search was incomplete. However, he would be well-advised to make such an announcement to the press if he has not already done so.

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Friday, March 9, 2012

Negotiation Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1267:
John McCain, Sarah Palin and Bell's Palsy

In this intriguing short video, CNN's Anderson Cooper asks Senator John McCain (R-AZ) about his former running mate, Sarah Palin - and her recent comments on participating in any possible open nomination process at the Republican convention this summer. At first glance, Senator McCain seems to display nonverbal signals of incredulity/doubt/disbelief - as his right eyebrow and forehead elevate repeatedly while his left side doesn't react much.

Looking more carefully however, we can see where most of the entire left side of the former Presidential candidate's face is mildly (and in some places moderately - such as his forehead) consistently less reactive. Indeed, Mr. McCain's smile is even slightly asymmetric (when he smiles with his right side, the left corner of his mouth droops slightly). These are common manifestations of a peripheral cranial nerve VII palsy (the "Facial Nerve"). When all other possible causes of such palsies are excluded (thus referred to as a "diagnosis of exclusion") - this finding is commonly referred to as "Bell's Palsy". Other video of Senator McCain seems to validate a facial nerve palsy.

Although there are other nonverbal signals displayed by John McCain in this video, the valuable lesson here is - if one doesn't look at the whole face (and body), or bases the body language analysis on too small of a temporal "sample size", an erroneous conclusion often will be made.

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This website serves as a reference source for the art and science of Body Language/Nonverbal Communication. The views and opinions expressed on this website are those of the author. In an effort to be both practical and academic, many examples from/of varied cultures, politicians, professional athletes, legal cases, public figures, etc., are cited in order to teach and illustrate both the interpretation of others’ body language as well as the projection of one’s own nonverbal skills in many different contexts – not to advance any political, religious or other agenda.

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