Sunday, September 3, 2017

Body Language Analysis No. 4050: Lady Di - Alpha vs Alpha-Beta Hybrids - Nonverbal and Emotional Intelligence (PHOTOS)

One of Lady Diana passion's was the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. In both of these images, taken within minutes of each other she was working toward that goal.

At first glance, you may think Diana's body language appears relatively unchanged. Look closer.

In each moment, Lady Di is in an "Arms Akimbo" configuration - but in the image above, her thumbs are forward - conveying a supportive and curious emotional tone. It's also mildly assertive. However it's not an alpha nonverbal signal, yet it's not a fully beta one either - but a hybrid. The Thumbs-Forward Arms Akimbo is one of one of many "Alpha-Beta Hybrids".

Now, look at the photo below. Diana is again seen in Arms Akimbo, but this time her fingers are positioned forward. This variation is significantly more alpha and less relaxed. It's more assertive. It signifies a readiness for action and greater authority relative to others in the vicinity.

Whenever making a body language diagnosis, a profound fundamental principle is to not rely on a single signal. Keeping this in mind, contrast Diana's face in each picture. In the first image she's smiling - and she is either speaking and/or transitioning to (or from) laughter. This is congruent with her Thumbs-Forward Arms Akimbo.

Now compare this with Diana's face in the second image. She's not smiling. Her mouth and her mid-face are tense. Di's nostrils are mildly flared. Her eyelids are also displaying tension as she focuses sharply on an object or person in the mid-distance. This facial expression also matches her Fingers-Forward Arms Akimbo.

Although examples cannot be visualized here, such nonverbal pattern clustering is also typically seen in the lower extremities. When a person is standing in the Fingers-Forward Arms Akimbo, their feet tend to be position further apart - and thus conveying more alpha emotions - versus with the feet closer together when standing in the more beta, Thumbs-Forward Arms Akimbo.


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