By Gabriela Villa | Observer Contributor
Julie Capozzi, Associate Professor of Sociology, spoke about the issue of body language and its’ correlation with honesty in court cases.
Capozzi said, “Certain body language, gestures and behaviors can be correlated with verbal testimonies for inconsistencies but cannot be used to determine guilt or innocence.”
She used Brett Kavanaugh’s testimony as an example. “One thing we look at to determine if someone may not be truthful is micro gestures, or facial idiosyncrasies,” Capozzi said.
Kavanaugh displayed a micro gesture in the form of a nose twitch or ‘sniffle,’ which he did at two distinct times–once when he cried, and another when he was pensively thinking, Capozzi said. This may be a gesture that could be triggered by a false testimony.
Kavanaugh’s yelling during the testimony was an aggressive behavior, which “is a tactic that tries to intimidate people,” Capozzi said. By not using words in a calm way to support himself, he showed a lack of confidence in the truth of what he was saying.
Another sign of possibly not being truthful is blinking, Capozzi said. This can be exhibited in two ways– excessive blinking, or a lack of blinking–and Kavanaugh did both. Along the same lines, someone who is not stating truthful comments may make a lot of hand gestures or stay very still, added Capozzi. Kavanaugh stayed very still at times.
Repeating words or phrases is another possible indicator of not being truthful, noted Capozzi. Kavanaugh did this when he was asked if he wanted an FBI investigation. He asked the question right back, and then stated multiple times that he would “do whatever they wanted.” But when asked directly if he wanted an FBI investigation, he was silent. Other points noticed: when photographed, his appearance was often in an aggressive pose, like a growl or snarl; and there are inconsistencies in his testimonies concerning alcohol use when in college.
In contrast, Christine Ford’s responses were direct, thought-out, and concise, Capozzi said. She provided examples from past memories, gave specific names of the other people involved in the court case, and both her verbal and nonverbal communication was in sync.
By clarifying specific details, she showed a willingness to recall the events as accurately as possible, Capozzi said. She did not repeat statements unnecessarily, and her story remained consistent.
Ford did also not display excessive blinking or non-blinking, unnatural stillness, or aggressive behavior. “If anything, she seemed a little nervous and vulnerable, which could be a correlation with honesty,” Capozzi said.
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