Yahoo News: Body language expert reveals NSW Premier's 'most stressful' moment in grilling
Gladys Berejiklian Nonverbal Behaviour in the Media
The second article I contributed to today was for Olivia Lambert from Yahoo News. Again, this was on the topic of Australian NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, in regards to the recent scandal surrounding her relationship with former Australian politician, Daryl Maguire. Maguire quit the Liberal Party after admitting that he sought payment over a property deal at a corruption inquiry.
You can read the article by following the link below, or keep reading to learn more about my findings.
Body language expert reveals NSW Premier's 'most stressful' moment in grilling
Gladys Berejiklian Nonverbal Communication Analysis
Moving On–Clothing can Reflect Mood
The first thing to note is Gladys Berejiklian’s choice of clothing—a bright pink jacket. This could be a conscious or subconscious choice, reflecting a mood of moving forward, after what she described yesterday as, “one of the most difficult days of my life”. There is a marked difference between the two press conferences, just a day apart. Yesterday, Berejiklian was on the brink of a public emotional breakdown, trying hard to suppress her internal emotion of extreme sadness and her outward display of it.
The Universal Facial Expression of Sadness
In today’s press conference, the overriding emotion expressed is still sadness, but significantly less than yesterday. Berejiklian has moved forward emotionally and wants this experience to be in the past. The universal facial expression of sadness is expressed by an inward and upward movement of the inner corners of the eyebrows, which gives the appearance of a droop in the eye area. We also see it in a downturned mouth.
Stress Behaviours
High Blink Rate comparative to Bill Clinton
Another point to note is a very high level of stress, seen in Berejiklian’s high blink rate as she listens to questions put forward by the media. Normal blink rate is around 17 - 25 blinks per minute. Berejiklian’s blink rate has skyrocketed to 70 - 80 blinks per minute, comparable to Bill Clinton’s blink rate of around 80 blinks per minute, as he also anticipated questions from the media, during the press conference surrounding the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Eyelid Flutter and Self-Soothing Behaviour
We see several eyelid flutters during the press conference, which occur as we experience emotional or cognitive overload. These tend to occur as Berejiklian listens to the questions put forward by the media. As does another important type of behaviour—a pacifying behaviour. As she listens to the questions, Berejiklian suppresses her emotion with a tightening of the mouth. We also see a repetitive movement within the mouth, almost as if she is chewing with her lips firmly closed. Pacifying behaviours, otherwise known as self-soothing behaviours, are repetitive behaviours which bring comfort as we experience negative emotion. These behaviours appear during times of stress. The theory is that the sensations experienced from behaviour such as this, like pressure on the lips, create a physical feeling or distraction which helps to deal with internal negative emotion. This all happens at a subconscious level.
Shoulder Shrugs
What’s most interesting is the number of double shoulder shrugs (both shoulders rise and fall simultaneously). This indicates that Berejiklian is confident in the words she speaks—her words and emotions are aligned, pointing towards the truth. This is to such a degree that we can observe them alongside almost everything she says. I should add that this is a rarity. When I’m analysing the body language of politicians, usually what is observed is a single-sided shoulder shrug, not a double shrug. A single shrug points towards dishonesty as it occurs when somebody is not confident in the words they speak. Berejiklian's double shoulder shrugs are significant. They tell us that she is being truthful. Her transparency and honestly is something to be celebrated.
Eye Blocking Behaviour
Another noticeable nonverbal behaviour displayed at times is an eye blocking behaviour which looks like a long blink. This is an involuntary behaviour where the eyelids close over the eyes momentarily. It lasts longer than a blink–it indicates dislike or discomfort–within the moment. Nonverbal behaviours occur within the moment, making them accurate indicators of emotion, pinpointing the exact area of concern. Berejiklian displays this eye blocking behaviour as she says, “Sometimes people are able to get away with things without (head shake/eye block), without a lot of people realising”. This indicates strong negative feelings about the corruption surrounding Daryl Maguire.
