Exploring the Myths of Body Language Analysis on TV and YouTube

In March 2021 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle gave an interview to Oprah Winfrey that was absolute gold for fake You Tube body language experts. Some said it was a significant moment when she touched her nose. Others said she revealed all when she showed the tip of her tongue. And another said the tell-all moment was that one particular blink. The top five videos of those “analyses” generated 5.9 million views.

The Royals aren’t alone. A video analyzing the nonverbal communication of family murderer Chris Watts was watched by more than 38 million people. After the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard court case there were numerous body language experts on You Tube giving analysis like “when she licks her lips here, that’s when she’s lying.” Even Dr Phil has done videos analyzing precise body movements he said have definitive meaning.

The problem? It’s all voodoo. There is no acceptable scientific method to decode body language. There is no “language of the body.” It is pseudoscience wrapped in bells and whistles to delight and amaze. And it’s based on our human tendency, in our everyday lives, to make judgements based on what see and interpret which is influenced by our internal prejudices.

In this episode, the truth about nonverbal behaviour, and why misinterpretation can be downright dangerous to society.

Listen For
6:02 Debunking the Famous Myth that 93% of all Communication is Non-Verbal
14:21 How Misconceptions Influence Decision-Making
17:16 Non-Verbal Communication in Credibility Assessment
19:28 Challenges in Applying Non-Verbal Communication

Guest: Vincent Denault, Ph.D. , McGill University Postdoctoral Fellow
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