The numbers vary according to the scholar, but they all agree that the majority of human communication is nonverbal. When said human becomes escalated, that majority increases exponentially into the eightieth and ninetieth percentiles. And yet, on average, we only catch about half of those nonverbal cues.
Any call demands we have the acuity to acquire as much data as possible, and no data is more important than what the subject is saying nonverbally. The body tells the truth, unless you're dealing with a sociopath/psychopath, but that's for another training session.
In my training, study and teaching over the past thirty years, I've combined a number of theories and approaches in developing the seven zones of nonverbal cues indicative of emotional escalation. You'll recognize most of these, all I'm doing is putting a label to them. In order for us to reach critical nonverbal vigilance we need to consider the following zones:
- Eye Behavior - Oculesics
- Spatial and Territorial Relationships - Proxemics
- Voice Stress and Semantic Aphasia - Paralinguistics
- Body Movement - Kinesics
- Physical Indicators of Stress
- Psychological Manifestations
- Affect Displays - Micro Expressions
Remember, before launching into an assessment of nonverbal behavior it's important to understand what may be baseline behavior in each area, the behavior you might observe before escalation begins.
A blink rate baseline can be derived by counting blinks per minute at resting or non escalated levels. More accurate blink rates are determined over a period of time, averaging blink rates from at least a half dozen samples. But during a call, you don't have time for that.
Increased blink rates in a subject can be a result of escalated anxiety, emotion, or result from excessive eye movement. Decreased rates stem more from the Alpha-male stare or the inherent decoy from being detected in a lie or escalation.
Eye Behavior - Oculesics
Movement
Excessive or dormant eye movement beyond an established baseline can indicate escalation. Flitting eye movement, back and forth, up and down, is perhaps the easiest cue to identify. Baseline eye behavior is steady, makes eye contact, breaks away and comes back to contact in a relaxed unattended cadence. Behavior beyond this baseline can be indicative of many things including being under the influence, but they're a dead-ringer for escalating behavior.
Eye movement that goes to specific areas in the physical context can be indicative of a hidden something the subject does not want to be discovered. This is called indexing. The eyes move to a specific location on the couch and then back to you and then back to the couch indicates significant psychological noise on the subject's part about whatever may be stashed in the couch cushions and their fear that you may find it. Eye indexing to the door could be indicative of thoughts of escaping. Indexing to your utility belt means it's time to step away.
Chances are you've played the stare-down game, blinking chicken as it may be, the one who blinks first loses. This is instinctive, the Alpha-male stare, and is indicative of either a power play on the part of the subject (and the LEO) and/or your subject has made a decision to take the escalation to attack.
There are many more identifiable eye movements, but flitting, indexing and the Alpha stare are the three most common and easily identifiable as escalated tells. But you know that already.
Eye Lids
Blink rates can indicate escalated anxiety or controlled contempt and a range of emotions in between. Normal blink rates range from two to ten times a minute depending on relative humidity and eye moisture. Blink rates decrease when the eye is engaged in reading or watching a screen, down to three to four times a minute.A blink rate baseline can be derived by counting blinks per minute at resting or non escalated levels. More accurate blink rates are determined over a period of time, averaging blink rates from at least a half dozen samples. But during a call, you don't have time for that.
Increased blink rates in a subject can be a result of escalated anxiety, emotion, or result from excessive eye movement. Decreased rates stem more from the Alpha-male stare or the inherent decoy from being detected in a lie or escalation.
Closing eyes, blinks that last seconds, are also indicative of escalation. From being as simple as, "If I close my eyes this will all go away," to eliminating the visual channel to better envision and plan the eminent attack, the closed eyes cannot be dismissed as some kind of tick or nervous reaction.
Remember, a baseline is critical. Nothing has meaning by itself. Relative humidity, contact lenses, fatigue, alcohol, weed, meth, wind conditions all skew the baseline. When making the initial subject encounter, use this first zone to assess baseline at contact and watch how the subject departs from it.
Proximity is the space between each person in the room. Does it increase or decrease between subjects upon entering domicile? Dispersement can be indicative of escape (every man on his own), grouping can indicate attack. Does proximity indicate territory? A move to a spouse can be marking territory especially if there's contact, touching, hand on shoulder, around waist, on knee.
Encroachment is the proximity between yourself and the subject that becomes encroached by gesturing, pointing, but without contact. For many in the process of escalating (sometimes just in the fraction of a second) they'll test the space between you with an open hand, palm up directed towards your sternum, or a pointed finger directed towards your face, to elicit a response.
Invasion is when contact is made, the palm hits your sternum, the finger pokes you. Retreat if there’s still a possibility of de-escalation, restrain otherwise. But, again, you know this.
Screening is where the subject stands between you and the victim. They may move with you as well as you try to assess the well-being of the victims. Reverse the rolls and the victim may be trying to protect their attacker. No room for assumptions here. Time to increase the space that exists between all of you.
Spatial and Territorial Relationship - Proxemics
On the sweep it’s important to note spatial relations, where the subjects are and what their position indicates about their relationship and about their level of threat to you. Spatial relationships break down to proximity, encroachment, invasion and screening.Proximity is the space between each person in the room. Does it increase or decrease between subjects upon entering domicile? Dispersement can be indicative of escape (every man on his own), grouping can indicate attack. Does proximity indicate territory? A move to a spouse can be marking territory especially if there's contact, touching, hand on shoulder, around waist, on knee.
Encroachment is the proximity between yourself and the subject that becomes encroached by gesturing, pointing, but without contact. For many in the process of escalating (sometimes just in the fraction of a second) they'll test the space between you with an open hand, palm up directed towards your sternum, or a pointed finger directed towards your face, to elicit a response.
Invasion is when contact is made, the palm hits your sternum, the finger pokes you. Retreat if there’s still a possibility of de-escalation, restrain otherwise. But, again, you know this.
Screening is where the subject stands between you and the victim. They may move with you as well as you try to assess the well-being of the victims. Reverse the rolls and the victim may be trying to protect their attacker. No room for assumptions here. Time to increase the space that exists between all of you.
Voice Stress and Semantic Aphasia - Paralinguistics
Escalated rate, tone, speed and pitch are indicators of escalation. Again, be careful with baseline.
Rate is the cadence of delivery, short rapid bursts, a machine gun style of delivery. Brain systems are crashing into each other from the limbic system to the dump of of cortisol, they're both obscuring the frontal lobes' ability to create sense in a linear flow of disclosure.
Speed. Increased speed in delivery can indicate an altered state and escalation. A sudden decrease in speed can indicate that a psychological threshold has been reached.
Tone is the volume and bi- or tri-tones reached. Men can reach a secondary tonality, a growl under normal tone that can indicate threshold. Women can reach two additional tones in escalation.
Pitch is different from tone in that the frequency of the voice rises or falls, both of which can be indicative of escalation.
Semantic Aphasia is a trailing-off of what might be cogent thought indicative of the brain engaging in evasive or offensive action. Stammers that infiltrate their disclosure start to overcome any content, single words might still poke through but eventually the subject drifts down in tone and speed. Time to engage and assess, step back and allow room, preparing for an attack.
Rate is the cadence of delivery, short rapid bursts, a machine gun style of delivery. Brain systems are crashing into each other from the limbic system to the dump of of cortisol, they're both obscuring the frontal lobes' ability to create sense in a linear flow of disclosure.
Speed. Increased speed in delivery can indicate an altered state and escalation. A sudden decrease in speed can indicate that a psychological threshold has been reached.
Tone is the volume and bi- or tri-tones reached. Men can reach a secondary tonality, a growl under normal tone that can indicate threshold. Women can reach two additional tones in escalation.
Pitch is different from tone in that the frequency of the voice rises or falls, both of which can be indicative of escalation.
Semantic Aphasia is a trailing-off of what might be cogent thought indicative of the brain engaging in evasive or offensive action. Stammers that infiltrate their disclosure start to overcome any content, single words might still poke through but eventually the subject drifts down in tone and speed. Time to engage and assess, step back and allow room, preparing for an attack.
Body Movement - Kinesics
How the body moves, especially during escalation speaks volumes. These kinesics break out into four specific areas; emblems, illustrators, regulators and adaptors. It should be noted that none of these are mutually exclusive. An emblem, like a raised hand can also be an illustrator showing that the subject has a question.
Emblems are culturally derived and tie back to specific meaning. Chances are you've both given and received the most prolific emblem - the bird - perhaps the only emblem in American culture that can indicate escalation or simply just how we're feeling at the time.
Illustrators are visual descriptors that support the narrative. The more exaggerated the illustrator, the more escalated the subject. Good idea to check against a baseline if possible.
Regulators control the flow of verbal information. Some are known as turn cues like an open hand, palm up pointing towards the subject indicating, go ahead and talk. An open hand, palm out like a stop illustrator means stop talking. A pointing finger says shut up, I'm not done talking. The eyes are also powerful regulators.
Adaptors evolved from signs and movement that couldn't be categorized in emblems, illustrators and regulators. Typically they are movements derived to take care of a pressing need like an itch or to cover your mouth during a yawn or coughing, but combined with escalation, adaptors can mean so much more. Face touching, scratching can indicate the side-effects of a charge endocrine system. An adrenaline side effect is that it makes the face and neck itch. So, a subject who begins to scratch about these areas may be manifesting escalating anxiety.
Adaptors evolved from signs and movement that couldn't be categorized in emblems, illustrators and regulators. Typically they are movements derived to take care of a pressing need like an itch or to cover your mouth during a yawn or coughing, but combined with escalation, adaptors can mean so much more. Face touching, scratching can indicate the side-effects of a charge endocrine system. An adrenaline side effect is that it makes the face and neck itch. So, a subject who begins to scratch about these areas may be manifesting escalating anxiety.
Rubbing the neck and behind the ears is a self-calming mechanism, as is rubbing the back of the hand or the thumbs specifically. This is an area that stimulates serotonin when touched, effectively resulting in a calming feeling. If the subject is engaged this way, it's for a reason- to calm themselves down. But neck rubbing can also indicate a protection of the nape, a pre-attack behavior accompanied by a forward tilting head lowering the eyes. Additionally, third eye blocking is problematic (rubbing of the forehead) and can be indicative of impending outburst or attack. Best to retreat and allow space.
Physical Indicators of Escalation
The carotid artery, the main blood vessel that courses through the neck, can display a heavy and escalated heart rate. As anxiety increases, so does blood pressure and heart rate, and often this can manifest in the neck through careful observation.Other indications of elevated blood pressure can be found in the temples. The discerning observer will look beyond upper manifestations to find a pulse rhythm in the dangling foot of a leg crossed over the other at the knee, a good point to get a pulse baseline without being intrusive.
Escalated respiratory rates can result in hypoventilation, not being able to blow off accumulated carbon dioxide. This may result in pursed lip breathing, heavy sighing, yawning.
Face touching, scratching, behind the ear and the back of neck can indicate an adrenal dump, escalation in anxiety resulting in a flight or fight response. A side effect of this is itching about the face and neck causing the target to unwittingly scratch as an adaptor.
More prevalent in women than men is the rupturing of tiny capillaries, starting in the skin of the chest and working its way up to and through the neck, the result of a pounding heart.
Diminishing is where gesturing becomes smaller. There's a limited range of expression with hands and arms. The elbows pull into the ribcage and the shoulders roll a little forward - the boxer position. There's a reason why boxers have this position.
Face touching, scratching, behind the ear and the back of neck can indicate an adrenal dump, escalation in anxiety resulting in a flight or fight response. A side effect of this is itching about the face and neck causing the target to unwittingly scratch as an adaptor.
More prevalent in women than men is the rupturing of tiny capillaries, starting in the skin of the chest and working its way up to and through the neck, the result of a pounding heart.
Psychological Manifestations
When the mind is in dissonance, the body makes this manifest through various tells:Diminishing is where gesturing becomes smaller. There's a limited range of expression with hands and arms. The elbows pull into the ribcage and the shoulders roll a little forward - the boxer position. There's a reason why boxers have this position.
Detachment is where natural emotional responses are delayed or squelched, separated from their verbal expression. When the subject has been involved in a traumatic context but feels little remorse for the consequences of their actions, regardless how heinous.
Delight, also known as Duper's Delight, are pleasure tells expressed during questioning or after disclosure of trauma. These are a creepy internal admission that the subject feels they're getting away with their deed.
Disconnection where the expression in the eyes doesn't match expression in the mouth. Typical and easiest to identify are when the crows feet form at the corners of the mouth but not the eyes during a smile.
Direction has to do with indexing associated with eye movement. The subjects's or victim's feet tell where the body wants to go. When feet move in tandem toward an egress, the subject wants to get out of there.
Affect Displays
Micro Expressions
This discovery of non-verbal human tells is from Dr. Paul Eckman. The concept is that while we may be feeling a base emotion, we may be simultaneously masking that emotion. Think of the powerful influence of manners, or just being nice. Eckman asserts, though, that true emotions can punch through the patina of being nice, or stoic, or feigning interest. These flashes of truth are called micro expressions because they often happen in one thirtieth of a second.Unlike language used to express emotions, micro expressions are universal regardless the culture. In fact, Eckman's research discovered that primates and other mammals have universal signals for emotion. For humans these emotions are identified as happiness, sadness, fear, anger, surprise disgust and contempt.
Of all the micro expressions contempt is the only asymmetrical display. It's defining characteristic - the curled lip raised to one side, the eyes vacant in expression.
Contempt is an evacuation of conscience. When one is evaluated in contempt, their value ceases. When one is contemptuous they're above the obligation of morality, superior to their subject, perpetuated by thoughts that do not consider their subject's value. Contempt can breed vengeance, an escalated emotion common to threatening behavior.
